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A prehistoric piece of pottery found in a field destined to become part of the new hospital was deliberately buried in the Bronze Age, an archeological study has concluded.
To assess if one of the two fields close to Overdale hospital is the site of a buried Neolithic dolmen – as some historical documents and modern research suggests – 20 trenches were dug in October and November last year.
The results of that work have now been added to the Our Hospital project’s planning application, which will be analysed by an independent planning inspector in March.
Archaeologists found a number of items of note in ‘Field 1550’ and ‘Field 1551’, including a semi-complete “deliberately buried” Bronze Age vessel and a curved ditch, which contained two pieces of prehistoric pottery, which may have also been from the same period.
Within the vessel, two scraps of copper alloy were found, one of which could have been part of an axe or hammer. There was also part of a decorated rim, possibly belonging to the pot.
Pictured: 20 trenches were dug in two fields to the east of Westmount Road in October and November.
The study, by the Winchester-based Pre-Construct Archeology, references work by local researcher Nick Aubin, who concluded in 2018 that field H1550 was probably the site of a ‘lost’ dolmen referenced in various texts going back to 1734.
Mr Aubin found two large stones near the entrance to the field and identified them as parts of a megalithic dolmen known as the Mont Patibulaire Monument.
The latest study for Our Hospital project reports that it did not reveal any evidence of this lost monument. However, it adds that it is possible that people living in the Bronze Age (3330BC – 1200BC) did revisit and reuse the earlier Neolithic (10000BC – 4000BC) structure, hence the presence of pottery and tools from this later epoch.
Pictured: this Bronze Age vessel was found in the south-west corner of Field 1550.
The study recommends that “further archeological mitigation” is carried out as a condition of planning permission.
It suggests that more excavation takes place around the trench where the vessel and curved prehistoric ditch were found, which might lead to “further stages of archeological investigation” in the area, depending on the results.
It also recommends that an “archeological watching brief” is kept over the rest of the area, which more digs taking place if further items or features are found.
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