Meadow Solar Farm, Kimpton Down, Hampshire: Phase 2 Evaluation

A total of 41 trial trenches, each measuring 30 m in length and 1.8 m wide, were excavated in level spits using a 360� excavator equipped with a toothless bucket, under the constant supervision and instruction of the monitoring archaeologist. Machine excavation proceeded until either the archaeological horizon or the natural geology was exposed. Where necessary, the base of the trench/surface of archaeological deposits were cleaned by hand. A sample of archaeological features and deposits was hand-excavated, sufficient to address the project aims. Spoil from machine stripping and hand-excavated archaeological deposits was visually scanned for the purposes of finds retrieval. Artefacts were collected and bagged by context. All artefacts from excavated contexts were retained, although those from features of modern date (19th century or later) were recorded on site and not retained. The majority of uncovered features were ditches pertaining to various phases of field boundaries, indicating agricultural exploitation of the site throughout the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. A possible palisade with associated drainage ditch was also recorded suggesting the site held particular significance, though the origin of the feature remains unclear. Indeed, the presence of numerous possible graves also indicates a certain intrinsic significance of the site and are likely associated with settlement activity denoted by the presence of a plethora of pits, structural remains and postholes, as well as a finds assemblage indicating domestic activity. Whilst the precise dating of many features remains uncertain, occupation of the site and/or the immediate vicinity continued between the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. The results of the evaluation corroborate both the preceding geophysical survey results, as well as earlier investigations undertaken within the early 20th century which also indicated settlement activity, particularly the presence of at least one Romano-British structure associated with the farming complex