Trial trenching evaluation consisting of the mechanical excavation of 112 30m trenches. The archaeological investigations undertaken on land at Sheraton Hall Farm, Sheraton, County Durham, comprised the excavation of 114 trenches. Geological deposits, Late Iron Age to Romano-British features, undated archaeological features and subsoil, post-medieval field boundaries and evidence for post-medieval agriculture, and modern features and ploughsoil were encountered. This activity was assigned to five phases of activity: Phase 1: Superficial geological deposits were encountered within all trenches; Phase 2: Late Iron Age to Romano-British features were encountered in Area 1. A large sub-square enclosure ditch was recorded across Trench 7-11, 17-19, 21, 113 and 114. Associated internal features of the enclosure comprising two storage pits, two postholes, two gullies and two gully terminals were observed in Trench 11, 18, 19, 21 and 113. A linear ditch, identified by the geophysical survey, was recorded to the north of the enclosure across Trench 3, 14 and 24. Phase 3: Undated features comprising pits, postholes, gullies and ditches were encountered in Area 1: Trench 4, 52 and 114; Area 5: Trench 65, 66, 67, 72, 73 and 77; Area 6: Trench 80 and 87; Area 7: Trench 100 and 110. Undated subsoil of variable thickness was encountered across Area 1: Trench 1-13, 15-19, 23, 27-29, 33-41, 43, 48 and 52; Area 5: Trench 60; Area 6: Trench 79-84, and 87-90; and Area 7: Trench 91, 92, 94, and 98. Phase 4: Post-medieval field boundaries were encountered in Area 1: Trench 15, 18, 20, 25, 36 and 44 and Area 5: Trench 57, 62 and 65, which align with field boundaries depicted on historic mapping and anomalies identified by the geophysical survey. Post-medieval furrows, corresponding to the furrows identified by the geophysical survey were encountered in Area 1: Trench 1-4, 6, 7, 9, 12-16, 18- 20, 24, 25, 28, 29, 35, 36, 38, 39-43, 46-51, 53-56, 113 and 114; Area 5: Trench 58, 63, 66, 70, 72, 73, and 75-77; Area 6: Trench 80, 85, 86 and 88; and Area 7: Trench 96, 97, 99, 110 and 112; Phase 5: A modern ditch was encountered in Area 5: Trench 74 and 76 that corresponded to a linear feature identified by the geophysical survey. Modern plough soil was encountered in all 114 trenches. The Late Iron Age to Romano-British archaeological remains identified within Area 1 are of regional significance and have contributed to the research aims and objectives as set out in Section 3.2. A substantial sub-square enclosure ditch c. 100m by 100m was recorded across Trench 7- 11, 17-19, 21, 113 and 114. The form of the monument suggests an Iron Age origin, but with continued use into the Romano-British period. A small assemblage of pottery was recovered from the enclosure comprising local native handmade wares. These pottery wares are difficult to date as they represent the continuation of Iron Age pottery making traditions which continued well into the Roman period. Fragments of saddle querns were recovered from the ditch fills in Trench 18 and 21. Saddle querns are dated from the early Neolithic until the mid-late Iron Age but have also been found on Romano-British sites. The archaeological trial trenches did not locate an east entrance at the Sheraton, but did record a series of recut ditch terminals in Trench 21 which likely represented a southern entrance way. The entrance terminals were recut several times before being backfilled and recut by a continuous ditch 21006. Fragments of cattle bone were recovered from fill (21008) of ditch terminus 21009, three of which displayed evidence of butchery. The bones were determined to be from an animal over 3 to 3.5 years of age which is older than the usual age of cattle being butchered for meat.
Katie Mountain (Mon,) studied this question.