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Summary

A number of pits, several of which contained sherds of Middle Neolithic pottery and lithic pieces were recorded during a community excavation project on land to the west of Dark Lane. They included a group of four pits which had been cut by an enclosure ditch from which Middle Neolithic pottery was also obtained. A A calibrated radiocarbon date of 3336-2945BC was obtained from a sample of hazelnut shell from one of the pits.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PIT (Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L., 2020, Thorverton Community Archaeology Project: Prehistoric Settlement in the Exe valley (Report - Excavation). SDV364561.

Following a trench evaluation in 2017 on land off Dark Lane which found evidence for prehistoric occupation of the site a community excavation project led by AC Archaeology was carried out in 2019. The excavation targeted two areas. Area 1 covered the area of the earlier evaluation and Area 2 the site of a possible ring ditch identified as an anomaly in a geophysical survey.
A group of four pits, F1041, F1039, F1018 and F1007 were found in the south corner of Area 1. Three of the pits had been cut by a ditch, F1043, the only complete pit therefore being F1041 which had been previously revealed in the evaluation (F107). Its single fill contained a burnt flint blade. Pit F1039 contained no finds. Pit F1018 had a charcoal-rich basal fill which contained two sherds of Middle Neolithic pottery and six lithic pieces. A palaeoenvironmental sample was found to contain fragments of hazelnut shell and hazel and oak charcoal. Pit F1007 had a single fill with four sherds of Middle Neolithic pottery and eight lithic pieces. Palaeoenvironmental evidence included charred cereal plant remains and many fragments of hazelnut shell. A calibrated radiocarbon date of 3336-2945BC was obtained from a sample of hazelnut shell.
Another pit, F1045 had been cut by ditch F1044 to the north. Three lithic pieces were found in its basal fill. In the north corner of the site was an oval pit, F1016. It was found to have a single fill which contained four lithic pieces.

Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L., 2021, A Middle Neolithic Settlement, Beaker Pit and Late Bronze Age Ringwork at Dark Lane, Thorverton, Mid Devon, 29, 40-43; Figs 4b-c, 4e-h; Table 3 (Article in Serial). SDV364873.

Pit F1045 was originally elongated in plan but had been sliced through by the digging of the terminal of ditch F1044. Originally it would have been 3.5m long by 0.94m wide and 0.27m deep with steep straight sides and a flat base. It was excavated in two segments with both having a basal fill containing lithic pieces. A palaeoenvironmental sample was poor, producing little charcoal and probable weed type charred plant remains. These limited remains were quite distinct from the other analysed assemblages from the pits in Area 1, and may not be contemporary with the Middle Neolithic pits, but given the presence of one fragment of oat grain can only be Early or Middle Neolithic in date.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV364561	Report - Excavation: Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L.. 2020. Thorverton Community Archaeology Project: Prehistoric Settlement in the Exe valley. AC Archaeology. ACD1858/1/0. Digital. [Mapped feature: #136979 ]
	Linked documents:1
SDV364873	Article in Serial: Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L.. 2021. A Middle Neolithic Settlement, Beaker Pit and Late Bronze Age Ringwork at Dark Lane, Thorverton, Mid Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 79. Paperback Volume. 29, 40-43; Figs 4b-c, 4e-h; Table 3.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7885 - CEREAL GRAIN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)
• FDV7883 - HAZEL NUT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC) + Sci.Date

Associated Events

• EDV8786 - Excavation on land off Dark Lane, Thorverton (Ref: ACD1858/1/0)

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