Land to the East of Whelford Road, Kempsford, Gloucestershire. Archaeological Evaluation (OASIS ID: oxfordar1-313883)

Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by West Waddy ADP on behalf of Pye Homes to undertake an archaeological evaluation of land to the east of Whelford Road, Kempsford, Gloucestershire in advance of proposed residential development. The trial trench evaluation followed a geophysical survey and comprised a 2% sample by area of the site, equating to nine trenches each measuring 30 x 1.8m. The evaluation uncovered a complex of archaeological features mostly situated in the western half of the site that corresponded closely with the results of the geophysical survey. Dating evidence was limited to only three sherds of pottery, but these indicate activity from the middle Iron Age and Roman periods. A possible small rectilinear enclosure was dated to the middle Iron Age and a penannular gully, possibly a roundhouse, may be of similar date, as may a second gully identified by the geophysical survey to the south of Trench 4. The Roman features appear to represent a N-S trackway with a second trackway branching off to the west. Other ditch features may represent boundary ditches of enclosures adjoining the trackway. An undated L-shaped feature in the north-western part of the site is likely to be part of a rectilinear enclosure. The features in the eastern part of the site were modern or undated, although some may nevertheless be associated with the complex to the west.

牛津考古事务所（Oxford Archaeology）受西沃迪ADP（West Waddy ADP）委托，代表派伊住宅公司（Pye Homes），为配合拟建住宅开发项目，对格洛斯特郡凯姆斯福德惠尔福德路东侧地块开展考古评估。本次试掘评估（trial trench evaluation）在地球物理勘探（geophysical survey）之后开展，以场地面积2%的比例进行采样，共设置9条探沟，单条探沟尺寸为30×1.8米。本次评估发现了一组复杂的考古遗迹，绝大多数分布于场地西半区，与地球物理勘探的结果高度吻合。年代测定证据仅局限于3片陶片，但这些陶片表明场地曾在铁器时代中期与罗马时期存在人类活动。一处疑似小型矩形围场的遗迹可追溯至铁器时代中期；一处半环形沟（penannular gully），可能为圆形房屋（roundhouse）基址，其年代或与之相近，4号探沟南侧经地球物理勘探发现的第二条沟体也可能属于同期。罗马时期的遗迹表现为一条南北走向的古道，另有一条支线古道向西延伸。其余沟状遗迹可能为毗邻古道的围场边界沟。场地西北部一处未测定年代的L形遗迹，大概率属于某一矩形围场的一部分。场地东部的遗迹要么属于现代遗存，要么未测定年代，不过其中部分仍可能与西部的遗迹复合体存在关联。