Low Plains Quarry, Armathwaite, Cumbria, Phase 5 (Archaeological Phase 10): Post-Excavation Assessment Report

The Archaeological Phase 10 area was c.150m by 65m in size and occupied an area of known prehistoric and Roman period activity, which had been directly attested to the south of the current investigations during previous Phases of quarry extension (Archaeological Phases 1-9). Mechanical soil stripping of the current Phase exposed the northern continuation of an enclosure (ditch Group 195), previously exposed in Archaeological Phase 9 to the south, which provided some, albeit potentially residual dating evidence for that feature, placing its use between the Late Iron Age and early medieval period or later. The additional ditches (ditch Groups 196 and 197) were undated, and do not obviously represent a continuation of land use from the south. Considering their alignment, they probably represent a different period of land use from the enclosure noted above. The remainder of the Phase 10 excavation area was dominated by pits, and occasional postholes which were generally undated and devoid of diagnostic material. The features, whether pits or possible postholes, appeared to be arranged in clusters, perhaps representing activity areas, although limited evidence was present to determine the character of this activity and no form was perceptible in the spatial arrangement of the features. It seems most likely that some of these features were associated with use of the enclosure, and ditch Groups 196 and 197, perhaps those that were closely spaced to these features. The presence of Early or Middle Bronze Age pottery in pit 68 in association with burnt stones and charred hazelnut shell has demonstrated a prehistoric presence in the excavated area and within the pit Groups. Environmental evidence recovered during the current Phase was limited to very low quantities of barely, wheat and oat. Concentrations of charcoal were also recovered, which have the potential to be identified to species and provide samples for submission for radiocarbon dating, as is also the case for the fragments of charred hazelnut shell.