Silksworth, Chapelgarth, prehistoric remains

HER Number:
17754

District:

Site Name:
Silksworth, Chapelgarth, prehistoric remains

Place:
Silksworth

Map Sheet:
NZ35SE

Class:
Unassigned

Site Type: Broad:
Archaeological Feature

Site Type: Specific:
Pit

General Period:
Prehistoric

Specific Period:
Neolithic,Bronze Age,Iron Age

Form of Evidence:
Physical Evidence

Description:
Probable prehistoric features were recorded during an evaluation in 2016 and subsequent excavations in 2018-19. Three gullies were found during the evaluation in 2016. The first gully was orientated NW-SE and measured 0.7m wide and 0.1m deep. It had irregular sides and evidence of roots in the base suggesting that it was a robbed-out hedgerow. Its fill contained charred heather twigs and tuber rhizomes. The second was orientated NW-SE and was 0.67m wide and 0.08m deep with irregular sides and concave base. The fill of the gully contained heath grass, suggesting a late prehistoric date. The third gully ran north-south and again measured 0.67m wide and 0.08m deep with irregular sides and concave base. The fill of the gully contained spelt wheat, suggesting an Iron Age date. Gully 6 was radiocarbon dated to 2387 +- 26 BP (or between 696 and 397 calBC) - the Iron Age. including small pits or postholes. A Neolithic end scraper was found in one of the holes. Remains of naked barley were recovered from the fill of a ditch terminus, a cereal crop normally associated with the Bronze Age or earlier). A linear gully was recorded, 2.3m long, 0.72m wide and 0.07m deep. It had gently sloping sides and a rounded base. It was filled with loose friable clayey sandy silt with inclusions of gravel and lenses of yellow-brown silty clay. The gully was radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age. A ring gully contained a limited amount of hammerscale and evidence of animal dung being burned as fuel. Two flint tools were recovered from the ring gully - a probable Mesolithic or early Neolithic broken blade and part of a Neolithic or Bronze Age fabricator tool. These are likely to be residual (i.e. not in-situ). Environmental remains are suggestive of an Iron Age or Romano-British date. In January 2019 a further area was excavated. The intersection of two previously-identified gullies was exposed.

Easting:
3710

Northing:
5174

Grid Reference:
NZ37105174

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Archaeological Services Durham University, 2015, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: archaeological desk based assessment; Archaeological Services Durham University, 2016, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: geophysical survey; Archaeological Services Durham University, 2016, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: archaeological evaluation; Archaeological Services Durham University, 2018, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: archaeological excavation; Archaeological Services Durham University, 2019, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: post-excavation assessment; Archaeological Services Durham University, 2019, Land at Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: archaeological works