Reaching the places other archaeologists cannot reach – with watching briefs

One of the many good points about Sussex archaeology is the way that the county archaeologists have been encouraging voluntary groups such as MSFAT and Lewes Archaeology Group (LAG) to take on ‘watching briefs’ on small-scale sites, recording any archaeological remains in places where otherwise no record would be kept.

In November Andy Gammon and I were involved in an interesting watching brief with LAG in Lewes, a new extension behind a town house at 15 Mount Pleasant (opposite the Elephant and Castle pub), in a yard backing on to the north side of Brack Mount – almost certainly where in 1838 a probable Iron Age or Romano-British burial of a human skeleton and a boar’s head was found.

Unusually for a watching brief there was a serious quantity of finds – David Gregory is reporting on two bags of animal bones and Liz Somerville is analysing a tray of oyster and snail shells in her laboratory at Sussex University. Pottery included medieval (12^th-13^th century local ware, probably Ringmer) and 17^th-century items.

There were differences in the subsoil across the site which suggested a depression or ditch across the area and perhaps surrounding Brack Mount. Unfortunately the builders’ trenches did not go deep enough to get to the natural surface, which might have given further dating evidence. The curve of the feature however does appear to be parallel with the curve of Brack Mount. Only a fully-excavated trench across the site (unlikely unless the owner decides to dig a swimming pool!) and a complicated survey to model Brack Mount in three dimensions could establish for sure whether it was once surrounded by a ditch, and how old it is. However I did use my report to recommended that, if rebuilding ever does take place, there should be a fuller research excavation – with local archaeological groups involved.

Anne Locke