Service Reservoir and Pipework, Springwell, Tyne and Wear: post-excavation assessment

A trench measuring 20m x 20m was excavated in advance of the development of a service reservoir. The overburden was removed by machine under archaeological supervision and any archaeological deposits were then excavated by hand. The works have been undertaken in accordance with a specification provided by Tyne and Wear County Council Archaeology Section Archaeological deposits comprising a ditch, gully, and two pits cut into the natural subsoil were present in the trench. The gully/ditch fills produced palaeoenvironmental evidence consistent with an Iron Age or Romano-British date. This includes a recurring suite of charred plant remains that suggests the use of heathland turves, which seems to be a common characteristic of sites in the Tyne and Wear lowlands. In contrast, the combined evidence from pit [F3] is more typical of earlier prehistoric activity, although it does not have the abundant material often noted in such deposits.