Information for record number MWA7232:
Iron Age Features northwest of Wixford.

Summary The site of ditches and pits containing early Bronze Age urn fragments and Iron Age potsherds. The site is located 800m northwest of Wixford.
What Is It?  
Type: Ditch, Pit
Period: Bronze Age (2600 BC - 601 BC)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Arrow
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 08 54
(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 In this area of trenching prior to the building of A435 Bypass a ditch was uncovered which produced a concentration of Middle Iron Age pottery. These could suggest the presence of a settlement of this date in the immediate vicinity.
2 This area was subject to an open area excavation in the later part of 1993, but as the conditions were too poor, the excavation was not completed. A single ditch and two pits were examined, both were probably Early Bronze Age in date. The ditch and one of the pits contained the complete basal portions of vessels; one was almost certainly a collared urn. Approximately 10 sherds of a sandy ware were recovered; these may be Iron Age in date.
3 This area was subject to an open area excavation in 1994. Two linear ditches, a posthole and two small pits were uncovered. Pottery analysis dated all these to the Late Iron Age not the Early Bronze Age as thought above. If this was a settlement site, it seems unlikely it extended very far to the west, as the ground rises quite sharply. The site may have been occupied only seasonally, perhaps limited usage by herders engaged in seasonal grazing.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: A435 Bypass: Excavations in the Arrow Valley: Interim Report and Post Excavation Proposal
Author/originator: Palmer S C
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: A435 Bypass Phase 2 Part II: Archaeological Field Evaluations.
Author/originator: Palmer S C
Date: 1993
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol. 103
Author/originator: Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeology Society
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 103
   
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
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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technique Open Area Excavation When archaeologists carry out an open area excavation they uncover large areas for excavation. This technique is used on sites where archaeological deposits of a single period lie close to the surface of the ground. Open area excavation enables archaeologists to look at how artefacts and features of the same period relate to each other. back
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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument URN * A garden ornament, usually of stone or metal, designed in the the form of a vase used to receive the ashes of the dead. back
monument PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record