Practical Archaeology Training Course, Down Farm, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset - Excavation Report

Wessex Archaeology

This report summarises the results of all the archaeological investigations to date carried out at Home Field, Down Farm, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset (NGR. ST 9980 1461). It includes the archaeological excavations carried out in Home Field by M. Green (Landowner and archaeologist) between 1985-88 and 1995. A brief summary by M. Green of the results of the 1985/86 excavations have already been published. This report also includes the results of recent fieldwork, supervised by Wessex Archaeology, carried out as part of a 2 week practical archaeology course for the general public. This was carried out between 13th – 29th September 2004 and in part, comprised an extension

The results from the archaeological investigations at Home Field, Down Farm have highlighted the major period of activity being from the Late Bronze Age into the Middle Iron Age (8th/7th to 5th-3rd centuries BC). A small quantity of Beaker period (2600 – 1800 BC) and Romano-British (AD 43 – 410) pottery from the excavations indicates small-scale activity of these dates in the area, though the nature of the activity is difficult to ascertain. Perhaps another Beaker open settlement, like that recorded earlier in Fir Tree Field.