Blackstone, Worcestershire

Aerial photography in 1957 resulted in the discovery of a rectangular double-ditched enclosure near Bewdley. Excavation in the 1970s, in advance of gravel extraction, provided limited evidence of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age activity prior to occupation in the later Iron Age, when the enclosure was established. Pottery and briquetage indicate trading links with the wider region, respectively with west and north Worcestershire, and with Droitwich. The main Iron Age occupation is dated from the later 2nd century to second half of the 1st century BC. By the 3rd-4th centuries AD the site was apparently cultivated, as small quantities of Romano-British pottery were scattered across the site, probably as a result of manuring arable fields associated with a nearby, but as yet unlocated settlement. Similarly in the medieval and post-medieval periods a thin scatter of finds in the overlying soils indicated further agricultural activity. Analysis and reporting on the 1970s archive has enabled the potential of this site to be realised, so that it can now contribute to ongoing research into Iron Age sites in the region, especially in relation to those situated in an aggregates landscape. In addition to updating the original structural and environmental evidence the report includes new finds reporting and a fresh overall discussion, which draw attention to the significance of the earlier prehistoric activity and to the distribution pattern of the Iron Age finds on the site.