Land South of Bluehouse Bank, Pelton Fell, County Durham: post-excavation analysis

Three large trenches were excavated across the site. All trenches were excavated using a machine equipped with a toothless ditching bucket under constant archaeological supervision. A rectilinear enclosure defined by a ditch was excavated. This was characteristic of the later prehistoric/Romano-British period. Examples of local traditional wares and Roman pottery, including a sherd of Samian dating to around the 1st-2nd century from the ditch fill, confirm activity on the site from this time. A pit interpreted as the base of a charcoal-production kiln was recorded within the enclosure and was radiocarbon dated to the 10th-12th century AD. A charcoal- rich deposit recorded c.150m north of the enclosure also produced a similar date range and may be the ephemeral remains of another kiln. Some samples taken from the enclosure ditch also provided similar paleoenvironmental profiles to the kiln. Charcoal from the ditch provided a 7th-9th century date, and also a post- medieval/modern date. A post-medieval/modern date was also obtained from a gully within the enclosure. The inconsistent dates obtained from the features prevent conclusive phasing of the site, but it is probable that the enclosure itself is Iron Age/Romano-British in origin. The bank and ditch defining the enclosure probably survived as earthworks into the early medieval period and may have been intermittently utilised during this time. Localised re-cutting of the ditch suggests periodic maintenance was undertaken to preserve functionality. Towards the end of the early medieval period, or possibly early post-conquest, the charcoal production kiln was constructed. The earthworks may have survived on the site until the advent of ridge and furrow ploughing, which would have resulted in the levelling of the area. The remnants of plough furrows were evident across the site. The ploughing process may have spread material from the kiln(s) into the ditch and other existing features and would account for intrusive material and their associated late dates. This also means that the smaller features identified during the excavations (small pits, postholes and gullies) cannot be securely dated to any period.