EDO819 - Black Hill, Cerne Abbas; fieldwalking, earthwork survey and phosphate analysis 1983

This report details a programme of fieldwalking, earthwork survey and phosphate analysis. At Black Hill the surface finds were collected and recorded within a 50 metre grid as were the soilmarks and earthworks. Within each 50m square, finds were recorded along five equally spaced north-south transects. Assuming an average width of 2m scanned along each transect, a sample of approximetly 20% was obtained. The lithic finds created interpretable zone within the site including the most westerly area being proposed as a knapping area with relationship to the major flint clearance cairns adjacent to the cemetery. The south zone also showed this relationship but evidence for clearance is no longer apparent. The northerly zone may have resulted from exploitation of flint from quarrying. The recovery of large quantities of natural flint, core materials and the concentrated occurrence of hammer-stones/polishers may suggest a function not related to the field system they were found in. The small quantities of pottery recovered may represent the limits of hilltop ploughing in the 18-19th centuries. Soil samples were collected at 10 metre intervals along three transverses and each were tested for phosphate to assess levels of organic composition. However the transverses relate only to the earthworks and no to areas of material distributions. The data collected from these analyses led to the conclusion that ploughing should be reduced in the western area (clearance cairns and barrows) of Black Hill and the eastern hilltop enclosure (Bronze age settlement focus).