Boulton Moor, Chellaston, Derby (Phase 4). Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation (OASIS ID: oxfordar1-295869)

Twenty evaluation trenches representing a 3% sample of the site were excavated on a standard north-south by east-west grid. Archaeological features were few, but a sub-rectangular pit was found in the centre of the site in Trench 15 that contained charcoal and small sherds of prehistoric pottery, and a 10m square was opened up around this to determine whether it was an isolated pit or part of a larger group. Four similar pits were found on an east-west alignment, the pits spaced just over 1m apart, and a further pit on the same alignment was found in a trench to the west. A gully running obliquely across the pit alignment was also exposed in Trench 15. Evaluation was followed immediately by further archaeological mitigation of the pit alignment and associated features in and around Trench 15

以标准南北-东西向网格为布设基准，共开挖20个勘探探方，总采样范围覆盖该遗址的3%。本次勘探发现的考古遗迹数量有限，但在15号探方的遗址核心区域内，发现一处亚长方形坑穴，坑内留存有木炭与史前陶器残片；为判断该坑穴为孤立遗存还是更大遗迹群的组成部分，研究人员随即围绕该坑开挖了一处10米见方的扩方区域。后续在东西向排布的区域内，又发现4处形制相近的坑穴，各坑间距仅1米有余；西侧探方内亦发现一处与该排布走向一致的坑穴。15号探方内还揭露了一条斜跨该坑穴排布带的浅沟。本次勘探工作结束后，研究人员随即针对15号探方及其周边区域内的坑穴排布带与相关遗迹开展了进一步的考古保护性处理。