Prehistoric

Charlwood Excavation 2016

Trench 3 being openedIn March 2016 further excavation took place in Charlwood. A trench (T3) was located across a magnetometry anomaly which appeared to be associated with the 'burnt bone' ditch revealed in 2014 (Bull 449). It had been decided that the 2014 feature needed some clarification to determine what the ditch might be related to, having been dated by both pottery analysis and C14 dating to the transition period of the Late Iron Age and early Roman Britain.

Flints from Holmbury Hill

Dr Alan Massey, now an Honorary Fellow of Loughborough University, lived for many years in Surrey and collected a large number of unpatinated struck and worked flints from the edge of Holmbury Hill Car Park 1 (TQ 098 432).

A selection from this collection was recently given to David Williams, Surrey Finds Liaison Officer, for analysis. This has now been completed. From an assemblage of just over 400 flints there were 28 identifiable items which included 20 scrapers and a few blade flakes. There were 380 pieces of flint waste.

Palaeolithic dayschool

Periods: 

A dayschool led by Matt Pope (UCL) on Palaeolithic artefacts has been arranged by the Prehistoric Group. It will be held on Saturday November 12th in the Small Hall of Dorking Christian Centre from 10.30 – 16.30. The cost will be £25 per person with a discounted price of £20 for members of Surrey Archaeological Society or CBA South East. You are encouraged to book a place as soon as possible since places are limited.

Abinger Pit Dwelling Museum

Early in 2010 English Heritage approached  Surrey Archaeological Society. They had been asked to assess the Abinger Pit Dwelling museum, owned by Cherry Clarke, as the passage of time had left the premises in a state of disrepair. For those of you not familiar with the site it was discovered in 1948 and excavated in 1950 under the direction of L S B Leakey, who was staying in the area. Owned by Major E Beddington-Behrens, living in Abinger Manor, it was regarded of importance and a museum was established, in the field, by the erection of an agricultural build

Chaldon Report 2012 and 2020

Transcription of aerial photographs by Simon Crutchley (English Heritage) led Mike Russell (2002) to suggest the presence of a prehistoric field system at land on Willey Farm, Chaldon, and that it might be associated with the nearby hillfort known as either War Coppice or Cardinal’s Cap. A visit to the area showed that some of the field boundaries appeared as above ground earthworks and it was decided that an analytical survey would be undertaken by members of the Prehistoric Group. An interim report was published in 2012 below. A report on the completed work has been published in 2020 and is available as a pdf attachment to this page.

Excavation at Abinger Roman villa June-July 2016

Events: 

The Roman Studies Group is organising another season of excavation at Abinger Roman villa. Work will concentrate in the field adjacent to the villa which has revealed evidence for extensive Iron Age activity.  

Dates will be as follows:13-15th June, 18-22nd June, 25-29th June, 4-6th July, 9-12th July. Priority will be given to SyAS members but non-members are welcome.

PG Survey work

The Prehistoric Group has arranged for two landscape surveys to take place during autumn 2015 to spring 2016, commencing in October. As usual they will be on Sundays (weather permitting). One is to continue work on what may be the remnants of a prehistoric field system on the North Downs near Chaldon; the other is the project in woods recently purchased by Caterham School where the late Peter Gray and Gwyneth Fookes suggested that a number of earthworks exist (Bull 268, 1992). The aim of this project is to assist Caterham School to develop a woodland management plan.

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