DORSET
(1) Hinton St Mary (ST 7844 1600): Earth Resistance and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys were carried out at the scheduled site at Hinton St Mary Roman Villa.Footnote 115 This was a continuation of a programme of work reported upon previously.Footnote 116 The earth resistance survey (1.1 ha) identified two buildings along with several ditches and drains in addition to areas of landscaped ground and geological variation. The GPR survey (2.4 ha) identified a limited number of fragmented responses to features mainly corresponding to drains revealed in excavation.Footnote 117
WILTSHIRE
(1) Dilton Marsh, Land West of Storridge Farm (ST 84818 52127): an archaeological evaluation in 2022 took place immediately adjacent to the earthworks of the scheduled medieval settlement west of Brook Farm.Footnote 118 Three distinct areas of human activity were identified situated in the central, south, and northern extents of the site. The northern area contained exclusively first- to fourth-century Roman remains with several intercutting ditches and potential structural remains present. Further Roman ceramic dating was also encountered in a pit in the south-western area of site and within a later spread in the south-eastern corner of the site indicating the potential for Roman remains across the development area. The Roman pottery predominantly consisted of local wares and a limited vessel repertoire, which suggests a rural domestic site perhaps dating from as early as the later first century, but probably early second century into the later third–early fourth century. The pastoral economy appears to be based on sheep/goat, unusually for Roman settlements in the south which, by the second–fourth century, is predominantly cattle. One of two fish vertebrae recovered from pit and ditch samples were identified as red mullet, a species which was possibly imported and potentially high-status. This was found in the same vicinity as two small globular glass beads and a bone pin also from Roman contexts. This starts to build a picture of a rural settlement that has some trade connections but likely on the periphery of the main foci and wealth.Footnote 119
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
For supplementary material for this article please visit https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X24000497
