Journal 22.
Downloaded from the Council for British Archaeology (South-West) website.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/

During the course of the summer of 2008 archaeologists from the Historic Environment Service [HES], Cornwall County Council excavated the remains of an extensive Iron Age settlement at Sir James Smith\u2019s School at Camelford (SX 10224 83672),

the redevelopment of the school\u2019s fields for sports pitches. The project was funded by Cornwall County Council and the team worked closely with the principal contractor Kier Western who assisted with the removal of modern

An earlier archaeological assessment and geophysical survey by HES had indicated the potential for significant

by GSB Prospection Ltd located a later prehistoric (Iron Age) or Romano-British rectilinear enclosure on the western side of the development area, as well as several circular ditched structures and fragments of a field system.

Figure 10-1: . Iron Age house (front) and the attached smaller iron working structure. The area of the field system is in the background (the \u2018island\u2019 encircled by temporary fencing) (Copyright HES,

Figure 10-3: Showing the northern side of the large penannular

was unaffected by the development, which meant that the archaeological excavations have been focussed upon the investigation of a fragmentary field system, two circular ring-gullied features, and two larger circular enclosures defined by ditches.

end of the stripped area revealed what appeared to be part of a field system. Intriguingly, one section of one of the ditches had been revetted with stone along its internal face. Finds recovered from this part of the site are probably Iron Age in date (circa 100 cal BC \u2013 AD 42) and the field ry with the archaeological features that lay to its west.

Journal 22.
Downloaded from the Council for British Archaeology (South-West) website.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/

probably associated with circular buildings but also two larger enclosures, which may well have been used for ceremonial purposes.

probably associated with circular buildings but also two larger enclosures, which may well have been used for ceremonial purposes.

diameter and appears to have contained a substantial post-built roundhouse with a south-facing doorway and a paved entrance. Attached to the eastern side of ller ring-gully 9m in diameter, which contained a hearth tructures were associated with pottery and stonework,

A large penannular enclosure 20m in diameter was located to the north of the ring-gullied structures (Figures 10-2

diameter and appears to have contained a substantial post-built roundhouse with a south-facing doorway and a paved entrance. Attached to the eastern side of ller ring-gully 9m in diameter, which contained a hearth tructures were associated with pottery and stonework,

A large penannular enclosure 20m in diameter was located to the north of the ring-gullied structures (Figures 10-2

Figure 10-2: . Cleaning the baulk section of the large penannular ditched feature (Copyright HES,

deep ditch, which was up to 1m deep, with an outer bank. The enclosure does not seem to have been a settlement site as the external bank would have rendered it indefensible, and the only feature within it was a single central pit, sealed by two large holed slates (Figure 10-4). A deposit of burnt bone and broken pottery was found in the terminal of the ditch, which might suggest feasting activity. The pottery from the upper fill of the ditch appears to be late Iron Age in date and this is supported by a preliminary radiocarbon

Cornwall and is perhaps comparable to the smaller \u2018Royal\u2019 sites which are found in Ireland, or possibly the ring-barrows, which are often associated with them. If this analogy is correct it is likely that the enclosure was a communal site used for ceremonial gatherings and feasts.

deep ditch, which was up to 1m deep, with an outer bank. The enclosure does not seem to have been a settlement site as the external bank would have rendered it indefensible, and the only feature within it was a single central pit, sealed by two large holed slates (Figure 10-4). A deposit of burnt bone and broken pottery was found in the terminal of the ditch, which might suggest feasting activity. The pottery from the upper fill of the ditch appears to be late Iron Age in date and this is supported by a preliminary radiocarbon

Cornwall and is perhaps comparable to the smaller \u2018Royal\u2019 sites which are found in Ireland, or possibly the ring-barrows, which are often associated with them. If this analogy is correct it is likely that the enclosure was a communal site used for ceremonial gatherings and feasts.