Along Prehistoric Lines: Neolithic, Iron Age and Romano-British activity at the former MOD Headquarters, Durrington, Wiltshire (Wessex Archaeology Occasional Paper)

An excavation in 2010-12 on the site of the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) Headquarters in Durrington, Wiltshire, revealed evidence spanning the post-glacial to the post-medieval periods. It lies immediately north-east of the Stonehenge part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site. The significant discoveries made during the excavation include a relatively deeply buried Late Glacial Allerød soil, and a zone of Late Neolithic activity centred on a number of natural solution hollows, posthole alignments and pit groups. The Late Iron Age defences, probably constructed in the immediate pre-Conquest period and decommissioned soon after, influenced the layout of early Romano-British fields and settlement activity. This report describes the site, and places it in its local context. Reports on the finds, dating and environmental remains are also presented. Intro -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Plates -- List of Tables -- Acknowledgements -- Abstract -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- Location, topography, geology and soils -- Archaeological and historical background -- Chapter 2: Late Glacial -- Chapter 3: Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age -- Late Neolithic -- Posthole alignments -- Pits -- Natural hollows -- Early Bronze Age -- Chapter 4: Iron Age -- Middle Iron Age -- Grave 5206 -- Feature 5642 -- Grave 6548 -- Grave 7530/feature 5187 -- Other Middle Iron Age evidence -- Feature 7280 -- Late Iron Age -- 'Enclosure' ditch and bank -- Chapter 5: Romano-British and post-Roman -- Early Romano-British -- Ditch 6203 -- Trackway -- Field ditches -- Pits -- Feature 5530 -- Solution hollow 6513 -- Solution hollow 6257 -- Ovens/driers -- Pottery kilns -- Middle/Late Romano-British -- Burials -- Other features -- Medieval, post-medieval and modern -- Chapter 6: Finds -- Worked flint by Matt Leivers -- Introduction -- Results -- Burnt flint by R.H. Seager Smith -- Stone -- Neolithic stone objects by Phil Harding and Rob Ixer -- Other stone objects by R.H. Seager Smith -- Early prehistoric pottery by Matt Leivers -- Grooved Ware -- Other early prehistoric sherds -- Discussion -- Later prehistoric, Romano-British and later pottery by R.H. Seager Smith -- Iron Age -- Latest Iron Age/Romano-British (1st-4th centuries AD) -- Medieval and later sherds -- Fired clay by R.H. Seager Smith -- Coins by Nicholas Cooke -- Metalwork by R.H. Seager Smith -- Personal items -- Household -- Agricultural/horticultural items -- Fastenings and fittings -- Metalworking waste -- Items of post-Roman date -- Discussion -- Slag by R.H. Seager Smith -- Glass by R.H. Seager Smith -- Worked bone by R.H. Seager Smith -- Building materials by R.H. Seager Smith -- Human bone by Jaqueline I. McKinley Annotation An excavation in 2010-12 on the site of the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) Headquarters in Durrington, Wiltshire, revealed evidence spanning the post-glacial to the post-medieval periods. It lies immediately north-east of the Stonehenge part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site. The significant discoveries made during the excavation include a relatively deeply buried Late Glacial Allerod soil, and a zone of Late Neolithic activity centred on a number of natural solution hollows, posthole alignments and pit groups. The Late Iron Age defences, probably constructed in the immediate pre-Conquest period and decommissioned soon after, influenced the layout of early Romano-British fields and settlement activity