The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Boddington Hill Camp

Hillfort

Miscellaneous

Excavations at Boddington hill fort
1964
The excavations at Boddington hill fort were carried out with the aim to try and fix the location of the main entrance and to date the site, before tree roots
make it difficult to do as trees have been planted at the site.

The trenches were dug at the south of the site. A section was cut across the bank and carried through to the ditch. An area was exposed at the rear of the bank within the same trench. A further two trenches were cut across the angle
at the presumed gate.

The excavations were carried out by:

-Flight officer J.A.W. Burdon BA (director)
-Flight Lieutenant and Mrs J Jeffers
-Flight Lieutenant Dir. B. Eng
-Chief technician Thomas

Finds made during the excavation were pottery which is indicated as 'Iron age A' which was sealed beneath the rubble of the rampart.
The rampart itself had a stone revetment to probably contain the rubble inside the rampart but no post holes or stone were found to show how the face was contained.
The ditch was clearly defined and dropped almost perpendicular 10 feet to the base. An area of 20 feet was clear then there is a ditch in the shape of a 'V' which is approximatly 6 feet deep with angles of 45-50 degrees.

Three Post holes were found:
Post hole A: was 15 inches in diameter with packing stones which extended it diameter to 24 inches also contained 37 pieces of pottery some with fingertip decoration. This post hole may have been a gate post.
Post hole B: A stake hole 6 inches in diameter was found under the rampart and predating it.
Post hole C: Was recorded as of doubtful origin which was 12 inches wide and 10 inces deep.

Only one rampart had been erected in this area as clearly defined by soil layers and another was made up of ditch spoil but had been eroded.
A clearly defined occupation layer was found which yielded; pottery, animal bones, flints and a layer of carbon deposit.
The pottery previously mentioned is 'Iron age 'A' which is attributed to 600-400 BC and is of a coarse texture with flint grit.
The animal bones were in pieces and recognised as cattle and pig. None were burnt so may have been the remains of numerous boiled meals.


I would stick my neck out here and say that there is a south gate at this fort as it's such a long fort.
There's a break in the rampart so it pretty obvious a gate probably existed.
The excavation site from 1964 is quite easy to work out as the excavation team did not fully restore the rampart back how it looked. Brambles and stinging nettles almost blanket the exact dimensions of where the excavation took place.
Also a big chunk of the bank is missing.
The depression across the path is still visible.
You can see the plants give it us lots of clues to what happened many years ago.
Posted by moating sully
16th November 2003ce

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to add a comment