Test pit

Test pits are excavation in miniature. All the processes that are carried out on a full scale-excavation, such as digging, recording, drawing, photography and taking soil samples, take place during the excavation of a test pit. Over the next three years we hope to dig as many test pits as possible. If you are interested in digging a test pit in your garden please contact Jane@archeox.net.

Test Pit 25 - Littlemore Village Hall

Submitted by Paula Levick on 4 November 2011 - 4:58pm

Address:

Littlemore, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4NL, UK

A test pit was dug in the back garden of Littlemore village hall.

Click here to read the full report.

Test Pit 9 (EOX) CW

Submitted by Paula Levick on 20 July 2011 - 2:43pm

Address:

Church Way, Oxford OX4 4, UK

The majority of the pottery recovered from the excavation appeared to be post medieval in nature although there were one or two pieces which may have been medieval in origin, possibly Brill Ware. Click here to read the full report.

Test Pit 10 Mill Lane Iffley

Submitted by Paula Levick on 20 July 2011 - 2:29pm

The excavation revealed extensive evidence of this fire in the form of charcoal, burnt stone and fragments of medieval roof tile. It also revealed the foundations of a substantial wall likely to have been linked to the south wing of the Manor, although its alignment does not tie in well with the surviving part of the Manor. There has clearly been activity on this site for a very long time, as prehistoric worked flints and Roman pottery were found, as well as medieval and post-medieval ceramic material.

Test Pit 07 - Greater Leys Area

Submitted by Paula Levick on 20 July 2011 - 12:45pm

Address:

Frys Hill, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 7GW, UK

The remains of an internationally important Romano-British pottery industry, including kilns, were discovered before the building of the Greater Leys housing estate - within yards of this test pit. The present house and garden have existed on the site for only 15 years; before that, no known maps show any buildings. All the existing evidence suggests the land had been used for agriculture. The earliest buildings shown in the vicinity on Ordnance Survey maps seem to be associated with the Blackford Leys farm/hamlet.