St Annes Road, Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology (E.C.A.T.), Eastbourne

Project type: Excavation

During the summers months of 1997 and 1998, important archaeological remains dating to the Late Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon periods were excavated by Archaeology South-East within the grounds of Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology, St. Anne's Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Encompassing an expanse of approximately 5,300 metres square the site was located on the crest and upper southwest facing slope of St. Anne's Hill. Although surrounded by late 19th and 20th century buildings, the investigation was situated in an area of acknowledged archaeological sensitivity subject to a long history of previous examination and discussion. Indeed over 120 years have passed since the discovery of numerous regularly spaced graves of an extensive and well-preserved Anglo–Saxon inhumation cemetery. Thus when Prowting Homes applied for planning permission to re-develop the St. Anne's complex for residential use, it was considered that the groundwork associated with the proposal would almost certainly damage or destroy archaeological deposits of regional or even national significance.

Iron Age features

During the Late Iron Age, the site at St. Anne's Road was characterised by the presence of numerous pits, a significant trackway or drove-road and evidence of a possible field-system. Many of the features had been dissected by the later Anglo-Saxon graves.

Pits

One hundred and ten Late Iron Age pits were revealed across the investigated area, despite the central-southern zone and northwestern corner of the excavation being devoid of prehistoric remains. Approximately half of these features were found in a dense cluster located within the southernmost part of the site, while a second concentration of about 20 pit cuts were distinguished towards the central-eastern quarter of the 1997 trench. The remaining pits were distributed relatively thinly over the rest of the land subject to archaeological examination.

The two main pit groups could not be differentiated by their physical characteristics. Indeed, the considerable variation in pit size, shape and infilling recorded across the site has rendered it impossible to sub-divide this general category of feature into distinct typological classes. The pits were all sub-circular or oval in shape, with maximum ‘diameters' ranging from 0.53m. to 3.00m. and depths of between 70mm. and 1.90m.

The pit complex as a whole yielded a range of finds (pottery, animal bone, worked stone, daub, spindle-whorls, loom-weights and shell) indicative of domestic activity. Such pits are the often associated with later prehistoric storage, particularly of cereal, and direct evidence of such activity was discovered in the form of thousands of charred cereal seeds gleaned from one pit. Other excavated contexts yielded additional small seed assemblages which together with a number of recovered quernstone fragments also point towards the relatively large–scale cultivation and processing of wheat. It would thus not seem unreasonable to suggest that at least some of the pits investigated at St. Anne's Road were indeed dug originally for storage, and then subsequently re-used for rubbish disposal or back–filled.

The trackway / drove-road.

Aligned in an approximate northwest-southeast direction across the ridge of the hill, the trackway discovered during the excavation was largely defined by its flanking ditches set between 7m. and 9m. apart. Although eroded heavily along most of its length, this major access route is perhaps best thought of as originally serving a broadly contemporaneous field-system, defined by several linear ditches / gulleys features. Comparable arrangements have been recorded in association with many of the southeast's known Late Iron Age / Early Romano-British downland settlements, such as those at Charleston Brow, East Sussex and Park Brow West Sussex.

The Anglo-Saxon cemetery.

One hundred and ninety three discrete grave cuts were recorded during the 1997 and 1998 investigations at St. Anne's Road. The excavation of all but two of these features revealed the skeletal remains of 192 men, women and children, ranging in date from the 5th – 6th century to 7th – 8th century A.D.

The vast majority of the inhumations were located in a broad swathe across the upper reaches of the exposed area, and would seem to suggest that at least part of the main cemetery's southernmost boundary has been defined. On the other hand, the northern and eastern limits of the cemetery clearly still await determination. It is thus worth remembering that the graves under discussion simply represent a sample of a much larger Anglo-Saxon burial ground.

Although most of the recorded grave cuts were orientated in either an approximate east – west or north east – south west direction, the precise axis of individual features did actually vary considerably. No link has been established between the specific orientation of inhumations at St. Anne's Road and their date of interment, sex, age and perceived status.

Project Officer: Christopher Greatorex
Client: Prowting Homes
Project type: Excavation