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| HER Number: | MSH1355 |
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| Type of Record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Saxon Gate on Back of the Walls - Evidence Pre-Dating the Town Defences |
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| Grid Reference: | SU 4216 1142 |
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| Map: | Show location on Streetmap |
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Summary
Late Saxon/early Norman and later medieval occupation evidence was excavated on the former Supreme Warehouse site (now Saxon Gate offices) on Back of the Walls in 1989 (SOU 397). These deposits predated the town defences (for which see separate records).
Protected Status: None recorded
Other References/Statuses
- Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 SW 31
Monument Type(s):
Full description
[1] SOU 397 Trench 1: On this evaluation excavation, deposits and features were found which pre-dated the town's medieval defences, including Late Saxon/early Norman occupation evidence. More than 30 postholes and a beam slot, belonging to at least three phases of building, cut the natural brickearth. This was sealed by a layer disturbed by ploughing and animal activity, with 10th/11th century ceramics and abundant animal bones. A patchy layer of redeposited brickearth overlay this, followed by a layer with 12th/13th century pottery, which was cut by at least one posthole. This last layer was overlain by a rampart and cut by a ditch (for which see separate records).
IP 27/12/02: The layers overlying the suggested ploughsoil in Trench 1 are referred to under the heading "Town Defences" in [1], although the text implies they pre-dated the defences. When indexing the above, approximate dates have been suggested for the various phases of activity.
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See also [5].
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HER 13/2/2020: [6] is a 2001 revision by P Cottrell of the original report by excavator T Robey, and contains some clear re-interpretations (for instance, as to survival or otherwise of town wall) and other differences (position of central berm changed on annotated plans, probably due to error in original).
[6]: Natural deposits consisted of clean brickearth. This was overlain by a partially developed soil horizon, undated. Cutting this were features, post-holes, stake-holes, burrows and a beamslot (Phase 1), exposed in Trench 1 (on berm west of inner town ditch) and the east part of Trench 2 (on central berm between inner and outer town ditch). Some of these features may have been cut from a higher level. (Generally) above this was a layer interpreted as ploughsoil (Phase 2), containing 10th-11th century pottery. Phase 3 consisted of two soil horizons and some postholes, with pottery of mostly 11th/12th century date, but some later material, suggesting the surface was still exposed in the 13th century.
Conclusion. The Trench 1 deposits either represent two distinct in situ occupation horizons, the later one being medieval, or the later horizon was redeposited during the construction of the town defences. Abundant burnt and chipped flint, but nothing to clearly suggest prehistoric activity.
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GIS: Trench 1 area is only very roughly plotted at present.
Sources / Further Reading
| [1] | SSH712 - Serial: Morton, AD (ed), SCC. 1990. Annual Report of the Southampton Archaeological & Heritage Management Section 1990. p 39 - 40 |
| [2] | SSH792 - Serial: M Hughes (ed), Hampshire County Council. 1990. Archaeology in Hampshire Annual Report for 1989. p 35 |
| [3] | SSH828 - Serial: The Society for Medieval Archaeology. 1990. Medieval Archaeology, Vol 34, 1990 (for 1989). p 187 |
| [4] | SSH1008 - Excavation archive: Excavation and Watching Brief Archive for SOU 397. |
| [5] | SSH2469 - Archaeological Report: S Clelland. 2005. Two Medieval Extra-mural Sites in Southampton - Report on the 2004 excavations at the former Car Clinic, Back of Walls (SOU 1282) and 43-56 Orchard Place (SOU 1283) for publication in Hampshire Studies.. SOU 1282/S |
| [6] | SSH2109 - Archaeological Report: TS Robey and P Cottrell. 2001. The Supreme Warehouse Site, Back of the Walls, Southampton: An Archaeological Evaluation.. SOU 397. |
Associated Finds: None recorded
Associated Events
- ESH397 - Evaluation Excavation at the Supreme Warehouse on Back of the Walls in 1989 (Ref: SOU 397)
Related records
| MSH1303 | Peer (Chronological): Saxon Gate on Back of the Walls - the eastern Inner Town Ditch |
| MSH1356 | Peer (Chronological): Saxon Gate on Back of the Walls - The Eastern Town Rampart |
Associated Links: None recorded
If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).
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