2. *A good example of test pitting could
be 3 Stonepail Cottages, Styal Road,
Gatley, Stockport.
*Planning permission conditions meant
that the excavation must take place
before the construction of a new house
could begin.
*The enclosed area next to the cottage
was too small to fit any large
(unneeded) equipment in, so the
cheaper option, test pitting, was
chosen to analyse the site.
3. *Excavations had already taken place close
by, revealing a Bronze Age stone axe and
barrow within 300m of the site.
*Absolute Archaeology were called and did
a series of test pits on the site on the 18th
and 19th June 2010.
4. Test Pit 1
*1m² x 600mm (deep)
*(100) – Stone surface
*(101) – Stone, brick
and industrial waste
*(102) – Garden soil
*No archaeological
evidence was found.
Property of Absolute Archaeology ↑
5. Test Pit 2
*1m² x 500mm (deep)
*(200) – Stone surface
*(201) - 20th Century
Garden paving stones
*(202) – Garden soil
and 19th century
ceramic shards
*No archaeological
evidence was found.
Property of Absolute Archaeology ↑
6. Test Pit 3
*1m² x 620mm (deep)
*(301) - Tarmac and
broken brick surface
*(302) – Concrete
paving stones
*(303) – Silty clay
garden soil
*No archaeological
evidence was found.
Property of Absolute Archaeology ↑
7. Test Pit 4
*1m² x 800mm (deep)
*(400) - Tarmac and
broken brick surface
*(401) - Stone, brick
and industrial waste
*(402) – Topsoil and
Silty clay garden soil
*No archaeological
evidence was found.
Property of Absolute Archaeology ↑
8. *The results of the excavation led
Absolute Archaeology to conclude that
the site had been used as a garden and
parking area and didn’t have any
archaeological value. This meant that
the construction could go ahead.
*Although there were no finds, this is a
good example of test pitting as it shows
how/why test pits can be used, the
benefit of using them in certain areas
and how they are analysed and
recorded.
Property of Absolute Archaeology ↑
9. *Paul Martin, Sam Driscoll (2010)
Land Adjacent to 3 Stonepail Cottages, Gatley,
Archaeological Evaluation on behalf of Ms A King
and Mr C Bateman.
*Absolute Archaeology,
http://www.absolutearchaeology.co.uk/contact.htm
*Google Maps,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
