A small prehistoric (6000 BC-AD 43) settlement has been uncovered at the Rolls-Royce site in Filton, Bristol as part of ongoing site infrastructure improvements.
The archaeologists assigned to the Bristol site – AOC Archaeology Group supported by AECOM – have undertaken trial trenching, a means of investigating a sample of a site to check for anything of archaeological significance before construction activities.
During this work, they have identified a double ditched enclosure that defines the northern end of the settlement along with several post holes and various small shards of basic pottery – suggesting one or more simple small buildings of some kind.
Several pits and a small enclosure, likely used for keeping animals, have also been located within this settlement.
Archaeologists also discovered evidence of an individual thought to be living sometime during the Roman settlement of the wider area, with the remains being found to the north of the double ditched settlement.
Based on the very small ‘grave’ located just outside the settlement area where the individual’s remains were found, archaeologists suggested that the person was not well known to the people who had settled in the area or might have even been criminal due to the quick and impersonal nature of the burial.
All findings – including the human remains – are currently with the archaeologists for cleaning and processing and will ultimately be stored in a local museum.
Vice President – Infrastructure, UK&I Early Lifecycle Defence George Mitchell said:
The discovery of both the small prehistoric settlement and the buried human remains have been a fascinating arc to our ongoing Bristol site infrastructure improvements and have sparked the imaginations of our team.
“It was during ground remediation work – which includes cleaning to remove any pollutants that have built up over decades of engine building and testing – that the remarkable discoveries were uncovered.”
Group Property Programme Executive Daniel Lock added: “These archaeological findings have added to the rich history of the Filton site, a location that has stood through the trials of the Second World War. The team in Bristol are now looking forward to building on this momentum and continue to upgrade and invest in the future of the site.”
All work in the affected areas were temporarily suspended to facilitate a thorough assessment and preservation of the findings. The County Archaeologist has been provided a plan of the site and several photos of these archaeological features. They are happy that the site has been recorded and excavated to a suitable quality and has signed off the area. No further archaeological works will be required in these previously monitored areas of the site allowing the site transformation work to continue in this area.
