Excavations at Little Woodbury

Abstract

While examining the pottery from Little Woodbury in 1939–40, Professor Hawkes observed that the critical pottery from the lower filling of the Ditch ‘DA’ was so sparse as to be useless for comparative purposes. On his suggestion, the Council of the Prehistoric Society decided that a substantial section of the Ditch should be cleared for the purpose of obtaining additional material from the primary filling, and in the spring of 1947 it became possible to put this project into effect. The work was superintended by Mr J. W. Brailsford and Professor Stuart Piggott and Mrs C. M. Piggott, with the assistance of Mrs M. F. Brailsford and members of the Archaeological Society of Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. The Prehistoric Society is indebted to the landowner, Mr F. H. T. Jervoise, F.S.A., for permission to carry out the excavation, and to his tenant, Mr Tilley, for the interest and cooperation which he showed throughout.Two ten-foot lengths of the Ditch ‘DA’ were cleared, in the northern sector, Pl. XXIV lower (inset). Significant finds of pottery and other objects were recovered from all levels of the filling, though it was confirmed that layers ‘A’ to ‘C’ were very poor in archaeological material. The pottery is included with that from the pre-war excavation in the Pottery Report, and the small finds are described in the general report on small finds (Part V).Reports on the animal bones by Dr F. C. Fraser, of the Dept. of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), and on the non-marine mollusca by Mr A. E. Ellis of Epsom College are appended to this note.