Trench 1 was the northern most of three trenches excavated at Minchery Farm Paddock by the Archaeology of East Oxford Project (Archeox) in October/November 2012. Trench one was approximately 50m downslope and to the northwest of Trench 2. It was positioned to investigate peat deposits associated with the line of the Littlemore Brook. Peat deposits had previously been recorded at a number of locations both on (Williams 2006), and close to the current site Oxford Science Park (Moore 2001), Minchery Farm Paddock Kassam Stadium/Ozone Leisure Park (Parker and Anderson 1996, RPS 2001 and 2002), and Northfield School (Bayer 2014). Whilst palaeoenvironmental sequences have been analysed from several of these peat deposits, to date none have an independent radiocarbon chronology. The principle aim of Trench 1 was to obtain samples from which to acquire a palaeoenvironmental sequence with an independent radiocarbon chronology.  A secondary aim was to examine the nature of anthropogenic activity at the interface between the ‘wetland’ peat deposits associated with the brook and the ‘dryland’ deposits upslope to the south. Trench one measured approximately 5m wide (east/west) by 20m long (north/south), and on the surface sloped slightly from south (c 59m OD) to north (c 58.4m OD).

The following documents from MP12 trench 1 are available for download.

• MP12 TR1 Context checklist
• MP12 TR1 Narrative
• MP12 TR1 Harris Matrix
• MP12 TR1 Drawing, sample and level lists
• MP12 Section 1A
• MP12 Section 1B
• MP12 Plan 101
• MP12 Plan 102/103
• MP12 Plan 104
• MP12 Plan 105