Monument record MDO19342 - Bargates, Christchurch (site X17); late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age enclosure ditches
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Summary
Excavation at Bargates, Christchurch, during 1977 (site X17), revealed evidence for a late Bronze Age field system. This comprised two enclosure ditch alignments [122 & 86/182/310], approximately at right angles and both terminating at ring ditch 1. The ditches pre-date a late Bronze Age settlement. They can be interpreted as part of a larger field system, or as enclosures near a settlement focus.
Map
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
K. Jarvis directed an excavation at Bargates, Christchurch, during 1977-8 (site X17) in advance of development. The results were subsequently published in DNHAS monograph 5 (1).
The excavations revealed evidence for a late Bronze Age field system. This comprised two enclosure ditch alignments [122 & 86/182/310], approximately at right angles and both terminating at ring ditch 1. Ditch [122] was shallow and irregular with a rounded profile 0.17m deep and contained eight pottery sherds and a kilogram of burnt flint. The three ditches of the northern enclosure alignment [86, 182, 310] were similar and the finds included six pottery sherds. Several post-holes [194, 196, 198] may indicate an entrance arrangement.
The pottery assemblage suggests a date range from the 8th century BC to the mid 6th century BC and , although Jarvis suggests that this settlement and enclosure falls within the late Bronze Age, it might be more correct to consider this as an early Iron Age phase.
Four post-holes cut the enclosure ditch and suggested that the majority of the settlement post-holes were later than the enclosures ditches. The ditches can be interpreted either as part of a larger field system, or as enclosures near a settlement focus.
Sources/Archives (1)
- <1> SWX4028 Monograph: Jarvis, K S. 1983. Excavations in Christchurch 1969-80. 5. 102-141.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Location
Grid reference | Centred SZ 15740 93061 (19m by 38m) (4 map features) |
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Map sheet | SZ19SE |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- None recorded
Record last edited
May 4 2007 3:51AM