Monument record 9028 - Two Late Saxon Sunken Buildings, Hamilton Place

Saxon features were recorded during small-scale excavations at Hamilton Place in 1971, and included a likely quarry pit (CHER 9027) and these two late Saxon sunken dwellings (1). The first of these was erected over a spread of rough sandstone surfacing overlying the fills of the quarry pit (CHER 9027), and comprised this surface and seemingly contemporary post holes and post pits; no clear pattern could be discerned in the restricted excavation area, although they appeared to belong to a structure whose internal floor was the sandstone layer and which was therefore semi-sunken in form with an east – west axis of c 7m (1). The second dwelling was a 1.05m deep sunken pit at the west end of the excavation area, with an east – west axis of 5.2m. The floor partially cut through that of the first dwelling, and through Roman deposits (1). The main vertical pillars of this building were set in post holes situated around the edge of the pit. When each of these buildings fell out of use, they were filled with the dark sediment of the surrounding deposits, which contained Saxon pottery and residual Roman material (1).

<1> Ward, S. W., 1994, Saxon Occupation within the Roman Fortress: Sites Excavated, 1971-81 (Archaeological Service Excavation & Survey Reports) (Monograph). SCH5486.