| Summary: | An Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) date has provided the first absolute date for the masonry remains, strengthening the interpretation that they are Late Saxon in origin. The date was determined fromcharcoal extracted from loose and fallen mortar from the wall. Much of the charcoal was identified as oak, which, because it is a long lived species, was not considered suitable for dating but one sample was identified as hazel, a short-lived species, which provided a calibrated date of AD873-1020. The authors suggest that Farley and Little's hypothesis of two phases at Oldaport is correct with phase 1, represented by the surviving earthworks, which compare well with other Romano British enclosures in south west England, and phase 2, represented by the mortared stone walls and external ditch which should now be considered as Late Saxon. If the charcoal dating is contemporaneous with phase 2, Oldaport is a strong candidate for a previously unrecognished burh. |
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