Information for record number MWA10237:
Ancient Marsh, at Priory Road, Alcester

Summary Organic deposits sealed by a layer containing a probable BA flint revealed during salvage excavation. Further deposits were c14 dated to the Mesolithic, suggesting an earlier origin for the marsh, which was reclaimed in the Romano-British period.
What Is It?  
Type: Structure, Marsh
Period: Early Mesolithic - Romano-British (10000 BC - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Alcester
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 08 57
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

 
Source Number  

1 Organic deposits seen across entire site. Contained wood fragments including several pieces up to 1.50m long. In two places several lay together possibly forming a platform. At another point a plank was held in place by vertical stakes. Area sealed by keuper marl containing a single flint, probably Bronze Age.
2 Full excavation report supports above though downplaying the possible platform. Adds that a C14 date of 460 +/- 110 bc was obtained from one of the timbers and that the Keuper Marl layer has been dated by the work of Shotton to the late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age transition with a TPQ of c. 660 bc (calibrated dates would be earlier than these).
3,
4 A marsh deposit was found in 2009, although not in the expected location. C14 dates were obtained and placed the deposit within the mesolithic period. It seems that at least part of the marsh was established at a much earlier date than previously thought.
 
Sources

Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: WMANS no 22
Author/originator: Booth P M
Date: 1979
Page Number: 49-52
Volume/Sheet: 22
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Archaeological Observation of drainage works at Waitrose car park extension, Priory Road, Alcester
Author/originator: Gethin B
Date: 2010
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 0918
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 94 (1985-6)
Author/originator: Hooke, D (ed)
Date: 1989
Page Number: 107-122
Volume/Sheet: 94
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Serial
Title: West Midlands Archaeology Vol 52
Author/originator: CBA West Midlands
Date: 2010
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 52
   
Images:  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source WMANS West Midlands Archaeological News Sheet, a publication that was produced each year, this later became West Midlands Archaeology. The West Midlands Arcaheological News Sheet contains reports about archaeological work that was carried out in the West Midlands region in the previous year. It includes information about sites dating from the Prehistoric to the Post Medieval periods. It was produced the Department of Extramural Studies at Birmingham University. Copies are held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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period Mesolithic About 10,000 BC to 4001 BC

Mesolithic means 'Middle Stone Age'. It is the period that comes between the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age).

The Mesolithic period is a period of transition from the way people were living during the Palaeolithic period as hunter-gatherers to the development of farming in the Neolithic period.
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period Bronze Age About 2500 BC to 700 BC

The Bronze Age comes after the Neolithic period and before the Iron Age.

The day to day life of people in the Bronze Age probably changed little from how their ancestors had lived during the Neolithic period. They still lived in farmsteads, growing crops and rearing animals.

During the Bronze Age people discovered how to use bronze, an alloy of tin and copper (hence the name that has given to this era). They used it to make their tools and other objects, although they continued to use flint and a range of organic materials as well. A range of bronze axes, palstaves and spears has been found in Warwickshire.
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period Iron Age About 800 BC to 43 AD

The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
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monument LAYER * An archaeological unit of soil in a horizontal plane which may seal features or be cut through by other features. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument PRIORY * A monastery governed by a prior or prioress. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, FRIARY, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument PLATFORM * Unspecified. Use specific type where known. back
monument WOOD * A tract of land with trees, sometimes acting as a boundary or barrier, usually smaller and less wild than a forest. back
monument CAR PARK * A place where cars and other road vehicles may be parked and left. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument MARSH * A low lying area of land that is usually waterlogged at all times and is flooded in wet weather. back
monument WORKS * Usually a complex of buildings for the processing of raw materials. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record