Land at Styles Close, Porton, Wiltshire

The approved Project Design required the excavation of two trenches, which represented an approximate 10% sample of the site area. However, due to on-site space constraints, it was necessary to excavate three smaller trenches, which constituted an approximate 7% sample of the site. All amendments to the approved trenching scheme were approved by the archaeological representative of Wiltshire Council. Non-significant overburden was removed, under constant archaeological supervision, to the top of archaeological remains, or the underlying natural deposits, whichever was encountered first. This was achieved through use of a 360� mechanical excavator, equipped with a toothless grading bucket. Features and spoil tips were visually scanned for finds and they were subject to a metal detector survey. Where potential archaeological features were present, these were subject to appropriate levels of investigation. The evaluation revealed natural chalk beneath subsoil and partially surviving buried topsoil, which itself was overlain by relatively thick Modern make-up layers. There was a complete lack of archaeological features or finds within the trenches, which suggested that the site was of low archaeological potential.