Service Reservoir and Pipework, Springwell, Gateshead: post-excavation assessment

The works comprised monitoring the topsoil strip for an easement, and excavating and recording archaeological features uncovered during the works. Archaeological deposits comprising pits, postholes, ditches and other features cut into the natural subsoil were present across the site. These indicate the presence of enclosures containing earlier prehistoric settlement activity, possible transient later prehistoric or Roman occupation across the site, and a medieval or post-medieval pottery production site. A small assemblage of artefacts was recovered from the archaeological features, indicating that they are likely to date from the early prehistoric through to the post-medieval periods. The samples produced various amounts of fuel debris made up of a combination of fuel types, possibly reflecting domestic and industrial activities spanning several archaeological periods. Although much of the evidence probably relates to medieval or post-medieval activities, there is palaeoenvironmental evidence characteristic of earlier prehistoric activity, both transient and more permanent settlement, and possibly late prehistoric or Romano-British occupation.