EDO5728 - The Dragonfly Ponds (Site 6), Nursery Gardens, Hengistbury Head

Excavations in advance of the digging of new dragonfly ponds in the Nursery Garden, Hengistbury Head were carried out by Amanda Chadburn and Julie Gardiner in July 1984 and July 1985. Twp trenches were excavated. That excavated in 1984 was 9m by 5 m across and dug by hand. The 1986 trench measured 12m by 5m and was also dug by hand after the machine removal of a layer of recent hillwash. The trenches contained evidence for Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age activity in the form of pits, post holes and stake holes, Grooved Ware pottery and flint, perhaps representing an area of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age settlement and land use. The 1984 trench also revealed important evidence for Iron Age spade cultivation marks and Roman ploughmarks.