Silchester Environs Project, Wood Farm Dyke, Silchester, Hampshire: Report on Geophysical Survey, July 2015
Author(s): Neil Linford, Paul Linford, Andy Payne
A vehicle towed caesium magnetometer survey was conducted at Wood Farm Dyke, Silchester, Hampshire, as part of the University of Reading Silchester Environs Project. The site is close to a well preserved section of linear earthwork, forming part of an extensive system lying to the south and west of Calleva thought to be associated with the town's Iron Age precursor. The aim of the survey was to identify potential occupation activity, or other significant anomalies, associated with the linear earthwork in advance of intrusive investigations to recover dating evidence, and investigate the construction and use of these monuments. Results of the magnetic survey (4.3ha) appear to show largely geomorphological responses, indicative of river channel sediments, running 100m to the west approximately parallel to the linear earthwork which may, perhaps, have influenced the positioning of the dyke. A sparse scatter of pit-type anomalies, located west of the river channel, may be of archaeological significance, but do not necessarily suggest a focus of Iron Age or Roman settlement activity.
- Report Number:
- 42/2016
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 4
- Keywords:
- Caesium Vapour Geophysical Survey Iron Age Magnetometer Earthwork Dyke
