AWHi - Post-Excavation Assessment Report for Archaeological Recording at Southam North, Warwickshire, (C32074). Site Code: 1C20SOUAR

The Site lies within the civil parish of Southam in the district of Stratford Upon Avon in the County of Warwickshire. It occupies one parcel of land, covering a total of 1.34 ha that extends across one pastoral field to the immediate south of an industrial estate on the outskirts the town of Southam. Following the results of a geophysical survey carried out in 2017 and a subsequent trial trench evaluation carried out in 2020 the remains of a potential 1st to 3rd century Roman settlement were identified on the site prompting the current phase of archaeological recording. The aim of the archaeological investigation was to identify the extent and character of any surviving archaeological remains within the site. A 360 degree excavation with a toothless grading bucket stripped the overburden to first archaeological deposit/geological interface under the direction of an archaeological operative. A pre-excavation survey was carried out and a sampling strategy was decided. Archaeologically features were hand excavated and bulk soil samples were recovered from targeted deposits. Fieldwork recording was carried out, including written record of individual contexts, hand-drawn and surveyed plans and sections, photography, and a site Harris Matrix. Surveyed data was recorded with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment referenced from permanent ground markers Upon completion of the programme of archaeological recording the site was returned to the main works contractor. The Archaeological Recording at Southam North revealed a site that was dominated by evidence of Roman settlement activity spanning from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. Residual Iron Age and Late Bronze Age activity was also encountered at the Site but no features dated to these periods. The Roman settlement activity in the 1st and 2nd Century AD was focused in the northern part of the site and comprised circular animal enclosures, a grain drying kiln and a oval domestic structure. The material culture assemblage was dominated by locally produced grey and black sandy pottery wares with small quantities of regional and continental imports. A grave of an adolescent indicial was encountered within an area enclosed by a robbed out rectangular foundation ditch. By the late 2nd century and into the 3rd century the site had expanded, the domestic centre moved to the east of the site and a large number of sinuous enclosure ditches spread across the southern area. Animal remains indicated that the community was involved in mixed livestock agriculture, farming cattle, sheep/goat, horse, pig and chickens. During this phase the domestic pottery assemblage was higher status with finer wares and higher quantities of regional and continental imports. Ceramic building material suggested the presence of a villa and hypocaust or similar high status roman building in the near vicinity, likely to the south. By the 4th century the site was abandoned. it appears that the community removed much of the building material for reuse elsewhere and used the enclosure ditches and a large well for the dumping of waste materials. Of particular significance was a decapitation burial with the head placed at the feet of the individual. This dated to the later phase of activity at the site and the human remains were of a young woman who had been placed in a large enclosure ditch and covered with redeposited subsoil. Further work including absolute dating, osteoarchaeological analysis and placing the site in its wider context will allow a better understanding of how this site feeds into our understanding of the temporal and regional changes in Roman settlement and agricultural activity in this area of England.