Discovering Our Past: The Multi-Period Site at St Barnabas, West Sussex
AOC has extensive experience in undertaking fieldwork projects in England, dating from the Mesolithic through to the recent times.
One of our recent excavations was at Titnore Lane, Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex which highlights the type of archaeology we often find. Our work revealed evidence for activity on site spanning from the Mesolithic through into the modern period, with only the Anglo-Saxon period not represented.
The earliest activity was associated with the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods and consisted of a small number of scattered features and a dispersed finds assemblage. By the Middle Bronze Age the first signs of intensive exploitation of the coastal plain were identified in the form of a trackway and associating pits. Activity at the site was more concentrated in the Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age period; evidence of a small dispersed settlement was found which included a roundhouse, livestock pen, and intensive pitting. This was followed by a continuity of activity into the Middle to Late Iron Age period which incorporates an unenclosed nucleated settlement, consisting of several phases of roundhouse construction with an associated large artificial pond and possible workshops. In a further phase of continuity, the Late Iron Age settlement was replaced by a early Roman field system and activity associated with Goring Villa, located a short distance to the south of the site. Romano-British activity continued into the early 2nd century AD before the site was abandoned by the mid 2nd century. This hiatus lasted until the 12th century at which point a large enclosure and ditch system were created, these were in use up to the 14th century. A limited number of post-medieval and modern features are present, but these primarily represent the agricultural use of the site over the past few hundred years.
As well as undertaking the excavation AOC also co-ordinated a community outreach project.