EDO5425 - Coppice Street, Shaftesbury; excavation

AOC Archaeology conducted an archaeological excavation in advance of the development of a Tesco superstore and car park at Coppice Street, Shaftesbury during 2004. The excavation comprised a 25m x 25m area encompassing a circular post-hole structure revealed in an earlier evaluation trench. The post-hole structure was radiocarbon dated to 1880-1640 BC and interpreted as a timber circle or related ceremonial monument. The structure seems to have been deliberatley burnt before the posts had decayed and a selection of flint scrapers and a collared urn deliberatley deposited within the sturcture following the fire. The structure was isolated and short lived, with almost no other Early Bonze Age features or artefacts on the site.