Former Car Clinic, Back of the Walls, Southampton (SOU1247 and SOU1282)

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by PMC Construction & Development Limited to undertake an archaeological excavation at the former Car Clinic premises, Back of the Walls, Southampton, centred on NGR 442315 111195. Subsequent to an archaeological evaluation undertaken in April and May 2003 (SOU1247), also by Wessex Archaeology, Southampton City Council recommended that another archaeological excavation (SOU 1282) be undertaken to consolidate and expand upon the results of the evaluation. Remains of Saxo-Norman date have been recorded to the south of the Site, along with remains of Southampton's Medieval defences. The line of the town wall extended along the western frontage of the Site, while to the east, the Site straddled the line of the two town ditches. In addition, it was considered a possibility that the position of an artillery redoubt added to the wall and shown on a plan dated 1791 lay within the Site. The eastern end of the Site lay over the line of the former 18th century canal. Mitigation comprised the opening of an excavation area adjacent to, and east of Back of the Walls, extending approximately 7m by 6.6m and including the original evaluation trench. No evidence of the town wall was found along the western street frontage, although modern foundations were found to cut into the natural brick-earth severely impacting the potential survival of archaeological remains. A 19th century brick culvert system was uncovered which truncated an earlier 19th century pipe trench. These two features truncated the ragmented remains an east-west aligned post-supported beam-slot of possible Anglo-Norman date along with the remains of two probable Late Saxon features.

威塞克斯考古事务所（Wessex Archaeology）受PMC建筑与开发有限公司（PMC Construction & Development Limited）委托，在南安普顿市“墙后（Back of the Walls）”原汽车诊所（Car Clinic）场地开展考古发掘工作，发掘中心点位于NGR 442315 111195处。早在2003年4月至5月，威塞克斯考古事务所已在此场地完成考古评估工作（编号SOU1247）；在此基础上，南安普顿市议会建议开展另一项考古发掘工作（编号SOU 1282），以巩固并拓展此次评估的成果。场地南侧已记录有撒克逊-诺曼时期（Saxo-Norman）遗存，同时发现了南安普顿中世纪防御工事遗迹。古城墙沿场地西侧临街地带延伸，场地东侧则横跨两条城镇壕沟的走线。此外，1791年图纸中标注的、增建于城墙之上的炮兵堡垒（artillery redoubt），其位置有可能处于本场地区域内。场地东端覆盖有18世纪古运河的走线。本次考古防护措施包括在“墙后（Back of the Walls）”东侧相邻区域开挖发掘区，发掘区范围约7米×6.6米，包含原评估探沟。尽管在西侧临街地带发现现代地基切入原生砖土层，严重影响了考古遗存的潜在保存状况，但未找到古城墙的相关遗迹证据。现场还揭露出一处19世纪砖砌涵洞系统，该系统叠压切断了一处更早的19世纪管道沟。上述两处遗迹叠压切断了一处可能为盎格鲁-诺曼时期的东西向柱支撑梁槽残迹，以及两处疑似撒克逊晚期遗存的残块。