8. SOUTH-WESTERN COUNTIES

(1) Cirencester, The Steadings (SP 021 001): an excavation 1.5 km to the southwest of the centre of the Roman city of Corinium Dobunorum identified two foci of activity, both of which correspond with remains known from a preceding evaluation, but with a greater density than anticipated. The first focus of activity was located on a rise in the topography in the north-east of the site, and centred on a trackway formed of two parallel ditches. The ditches entered the northern edge of the site on a broadly east–west alignment before turning to the south. Limited archaeological evidence was noted to the west of the trackway, but to the east a number of boundary ditches defined small enclosures and field boundaries. The best defined of these enclosed an area of approximately 1000 m with the enclosure itself measuring c. 35 m by 30 m. Only limited evidence for discrete features survived within the enclosure. An inhumation burial and 12 cremation burials were located by the southern end of one of the enclosure ditches. Artefactual evidence was fairly sparse, but pottery of Roman date, animal bone and iron objects (mainly nails) were recovered.