Land at Hunters Moon, Easton Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire - Post-excavation Assessment

Wessex Archaeology

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to undertake archaeological mitigation works comprising a strip, map and sample excavation of eight areas at Hunters Moon, Easton Lane, Chippenham, Wilshire, centred on NGR 390280 171670.

Archaeologically significant features were predominantly confined to two of the excavated areas (Area 1a and Area 2). The dating evidence provided by the artefactual and palaeo-environmental assemblages was somewhat inconclusive. In many cases, however, features could be broadly assigned to distinct phases of activity based on form, associations and stratigraphic relationships.

Area 1a contained a ring ditch, which probably represented the remains of an earlier Bronze Age round barrow. A small quantity of re-deposited cremated human bone recovered from the ring ditch may have derived from a disturbed grave within its interior. The ring ditch was superimposed over an earlier, small oval / open ended enclosure gully of uncertain date or function. Many small pits and postholes, some of which contained late prehistoric pottery, were distributed around these features.

Area 2 contained an incomplete ring gully, which was associated with several postholes. These appeared to form the remains of a late prehistoric circular structure, or roundhouse. The ring gully contained another smaller curvilinear, or C-shaped gully of less certain function. Numerous other pits and postholes were also encountered in this area. Little dateable cultural material was recovered from the features, although prehistoric/late prehistoric pottery was present in small quantities.

The few archaeological features in the remaining excavation areas were predominantly thought to be related to the development of the late post-medieval agricultural landscape or were undated and could not be accurately characterised. The imprecisely resolved chronology of the excavated features and the sparse and poorly preserved nature of the artefactual and palaeo-environmental assemblage limits the research potential of the recorded evidence. Nevertheless, the results of the excavation of Area 1a and Area 2 are of at least local significance. Accordingly, further, limited analysis is proposed to address the research aims of the project, which were revised in light of the assessment.