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Summary

Two enclosures in sw part of miltor mator common. Another enclosure occurs at sx85596699 (sx86ne/28) and much of the common is occupied by a prehistoric field system. Details of this, and of excavations within it by silvester, on sx86ne/50.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86NE/37

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Untitled Source (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV24.

Vis=18/11/1952 (os) a double enclosure within the field system containing several mounds.

SX86NE/28, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298778.

Two enclosures in sw part of miltor mator common. Another enclosure occurs at sx85596699 (sx86ne/28) and much of the common is occupied by a prehistoric field system. Details of this, and of excavations within it by silvester, on sx86ne/50.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298789.

Rogers, e. H. /tda/82(1950)105/the 17th report on the early history of devon.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298790.

Smith, elsie e. /pdaes/3 part 3(1946)146/annual report.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298791.

Des=mr. E. H. Rogers/mss notebook on 1939 excavation.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298792.

Osa=sx86ne17/plan,photograph,sketch sections.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298793.

Silvester, r. J. /pdas/38(1980)17-49/the prehistoric open settlement at dainton, s. Devon.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298794.

Willis, l. + rogers, e. H. /pdaes/4(1948-1952)79-101/plans/photocopy in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298795.

Pearce, s. M. /devon in prehistory/(1978)94/no.8.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298796.

Mus=exe/16/1954/1 and 2.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298797.

Timms, s. C. /as above/(12/11/1982)and slides in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298798.

Dcra/development file/no.22 and material in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298799.

Des=slides in smr/(22/6/1983).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298800.

Des=green lanes in devon project list/(1986)in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298801.

Pearce, s. M. /bronze age metalwork of sw britain/(1983)445-446(bar 120).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298802.

Gallant, l. + luxton, n. + collman, m. /pdas/43(1985)28/ancient fields on the south devon limestone plateau/fig 5.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298803.

Des=smith, g. /letter to dcc(3/7/1990).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298804.

Turton, s. D. + weddell, p. J. /an archaeological assessment of the proposed dainton park golf course,ipplepen/(emafu report 91.28)/(1991)2.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298805.

Des=smith, g. /dainton excavations, 1986/(jan 1987)/in pf.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV298806.

Aph=dap/gf 12(25/7/1986).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV298807.

Aph=dap/gh 1-4(25/7/1986).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV298808.

Aph=dap/gg 18,19(25/7/1986).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298810.

Weddell, p. J. /archaeological assessment of bickley ball proposed quarry extension/(1994)2/(emafu report 94.88).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298811.

Des=quinnell, h. /later prehistoric pottery survey/(1998)dbid:1433+1770/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV298812.

Willis, l. + rogers, e. H. /1951 dainton earthworks, devon archaeol. Exploration soc. Proc. /iv(4), 79-101.

WILLIS + ROGERS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV314121.

Vis=21/11/1952 (os) situated near the summit of a long spur. Limestone outcrops are common on the site, and the stone seems to be only a few inches below the surface. Banks are from 0.2 -0.4m high and appear to be of stone and earth construction. There is no obvious entrance to the settlement and the banks have spread to a width of 3-4m. Parts of the bank are indistinct or thorn covered and could not be surveyed. Field banks run northwards from the enclosures. The enclosures were investigated by rogers for the das in 1939, following the discovery of the supposed ia pot on the site. Further excavation took place by willis in 1949. The eastern enclosure measures approx 76m e-w and 45.5m n-s. It contains a crescentic bank with a mound at its entrance. These were excavated and the bank sectioned twice on the east side. The western enclosure is approx 68m square and contains 4 mounds, 3 of which were excavated. The enclosing bank was sectioned in two places, and a small area excavated behind it. Details of excavation on sub-sheets. General conclusions from the excavation were that the site was eroded, and lacked occupation layers. It was thought that some of the mounds may have been the remains of hut circles of an iron age date; others were seen as clearance cairns. Finds include pottery (very much abraded) of an early iron age, 'a', date, worked flints, spindlewhorls, querns, sling stones, bones and a stone axe. A settlement site practising a mixed economy (willis and rogers).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV3991.

Planning application to extend stoneycombe quarry, destroying the e enclosure approved july 1982 subject to agreement covering rescue investigations. The only available plan is that by gallant reproduced by silvester. Gallant's list of other earthwork sites in south devon is in the parish file (timms).

SMITH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52275.

The gentle hillslope faces the dainton site. It was not accurately surveyed. The site consists of part of a sub-circular enclosure, a few straight stretches of bank and four circular mounds. Site partially excavated by central excavation unit (hbmc) in advance of quarrying. Report due to be produced autumn 1990. Radiocarbon date from post-hole of round house is 2150 +/- 80 bp 310 cal bc to 110 cal bc (smith).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV533.

The quern fragments are in exeter museum (pearce).

Silvester, R. J., 1977, Earthwork (Worksheet). SDV8568.

Silvester argues that the interpretation of any of the features in the above excavation as hut circles is doubtful; they are probably all clearance cairns. He assigns the pottery from the excavations within the enclosures to 9th to 5th century bc (silvester).

Quinnell, H., 1982, Prestonbury Castle (Report - Survey). SDV1356.

1500 sherds of late bronzeage/early ironage. Recovered during rescue excavation. Now with central archaeological services; final location with ram museum, exeter (quinnell).

Gibbons, P. + Weddell, P., 1994, Preliminary Archaeological appraisal of the Prehistoric Settlement Site at Miltor Mator Common, Dainton (Report - Assessment). SDV355144.

Site inspection on 16/8/1994 confirmed the details of the most recent large-scale survey (Smith, 1991). Site in good condition. Brief inspection revealed features within the fringe of woodland and it can be inferred that further features probably exist within the thickets on the plateau.
The nature and extent of the archaeological features, together with the archaeological decumentation and artefacts, indicate that Dainton is an unusual site that would be eligible for consideration for scheduling as a monument of national importance.

Exeter Archaeology, 1997, Miltor Mator Common, Dainton Assessment of Archaeological Potential: Summary Results of Recent Archaeological Survey, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV358085.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 446155 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346163.

Field system and open settlement of Bronze Age-Iron Age Date. Other details: SX86NE17. Record last updated: 2004.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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