Alfred's Castle
Part of the Hillforts of the Ridgeway Project
Fieldwork in 1998, 1999 and 2000
Results of the excavation have been published:
Gosden, C. and Lock, G. 2013. Histories in the making, Excavations at Alfred's Castle 1998-2000, Oxford University School of Archaeology.
See the following article for a discussion of the site within its landscape setting:
Gosden, C. and Lock, G. 2003. Becoming Roman on the Berkshire Downs: the evidence from Alfred’s Castle. Britannia, 34, pp.65-80.
Alfred’s Castle is a small enclosure that lies a couple of kilometres south of the Ridgeway. It has a large enclosure attached that shows as a cropmark, excavation showed this to be contemporary with the small enclosure, started c.6th century BC. The hillfort was established within a series of late Bronze Age linear ditches and revealed much evidence for occupation within it. In the late first century AD a Romano-British farmhouse was built within the abandoned prehistoric enclosure.
Romano-British farmstead overlying Iron Age pits
The artist Simon Callery also worked with us at Alfred’s Castle producing a remarkable piece of work called Trench 10 – a full-size plaster cast of a 20m by 2m chalk surface.
The Alfred’s Castle photographic archive
The site image archive can be accessed here, (login with username alfred, password +821alf). The photographic archive website address in full is: https://archdams.arch.ox.ac.uk
All of the 35mm slides taken during the excavations (photographer Sheila Raven) are included. Click on 'Search' to view all images or type in a keyword to view specific items.
Keywords (not case sensitive, but do not split compound words)
Aerialphotograph
Animalbone
Ardmarks
Artefacts
Burntstone
Charcoal
Cobbledsurface
Destructionlayer
Ditch
Floors
Generalshot
Gully
Humanremains
Metal
Mortarandplaster
Natural
Pit
Postholes
Prerampartsoil
Rampart
Revetment
Sarsen
Stakeholes
Trench1, trench1A, trench1B, trench1c, etc.
Villa
Wall
Extra reports (compiled by Janice Kinory)
The following downloadable reports include the detailed specialist evidence which was not included in the book. Also included are colour versions of some text figures as well as several new colour figures and plates. Please refer to the .pdf below entitled Section I, Final Table of Contents, for a complete listing of all the website materials. The website also contains the two chapters from the text which dealt with artefactual evidence (chapters 4 and 5) as a ready reference.
Section 1.6 Additional aerial photos of the site.pdf (640.2 KiB)
Section 2.2.2 Stratascan colour figs..pdf (1.1 MiB)
Section 2.3.1 S Callery artwork.pdf (1.5 MiB)
Section 3.2.1 Radiocarbon dating graphs.pdf (1.1 MiB)
Section 3.4.1 Trench 1 physical description by context.pdf (306.3 KiB)
Section 3.4.2 Trench 2 physical description by context.pdf (404.3 KiB)
Section 3.4.3 Trenches 3A and 3B phys descr.pdf (235.5 KiB)
Section 3.4.4 Trench 4 phys descr for website.pdf (305.0 KiB)
Section 3.4.5 Trench 5 phys descr.pdf (879.9 KiB)
Section 3.4.6 Trenches 6A and 6B phys descr.pdf (199.6 KiB)
Section 3.4.7 Trench 7 phys descr.pdf (188.1 KiB)
Section 3.4.8 Trench 8 phys descr.pdf (189.1 KiB)
Section 3.4.9 Trench 9 phys descr.pdf (187.5 KiB)
Section 3.4.10 Trench 10 phys descr.pdf (209.8 KiB)
Section 3.4.11 Trench 11 phys descr.pdf (210.3 KiB)
Section 3.4.12 Trench 12 phys descr.pdf (208.0 KiB)
Section 3.4.13 Trench 13 phys descr.pdf (203.3 KiB)
Section 3.4.14 Trench 14 phys descr.pdf (199.2 KiB)
Section 3.4.15 Trench 15 phys descr.pdf (196.7 KiB)
Section 3.4.16 Trench 16 phys descr.pdf (201.0 KiB)
Section 3.4.17 Trench 17 phys descr.pdf (113.7 KiB)
Section 3.4.18 Trench 18 phys descr.pdf (118.6 KiB)
Section 3.4.19 Trench 19 phys descr.pdf (201.5 KiB)
Section 3.4.20 Trenches 20A-20J phys descr.pdf (292.8 KiB)
Section 3.4.21 Trenches 21A and 21B phys descr.pdf (207.5 KiB)
Section 3.4.22 Trench 22 phys descr.pdf (205.7 KiB)
Section 3.5.1 Additional sections Tr 2.pdf (529.3 KiB)
Section 3.5.2 Additional sections Trench 5.pdf (353.5 KiB)
Section 3.5.3 Additonal drawings of Trenches 6, 15, 18, 20 and 22.pdf (579.1 KiB)
Section 4.0 AC book ch4.pdf (16.1 MiB)
Section 4.1 Prehistoric pottery.pdf (293.7 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.1 Prehistoric pottery by context.pdf (1.0 MiB)
Section 4.1.11.2 Prehistoric pottery by context part 2.pdf (554.7 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.3 Prehist pot by trench.pdf (1.0 MiB)
Section 4.1.11.4 Prehistoric pottery by decoration.pdf (460.1 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.5 Prehistoric pottery fabric quant.pdf (139.1 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.6 Prehist pot by form.pdf (470.0 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.7 Prehistoric pot form data.pdf (694.4 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.8 Prehist pot illus sherds.pdf (447.2 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.9 Prehistoric pottery by phase.pdf (399.6 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.10 Prehist pot Pit 4063.pdf (196.1 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.11 Prehistoric pot with surface cond C.pdf (173.5 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.12 Prehist pot total count & wt.pdf (168.6 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.13 Prehist pot from Trench 3.pdf (186.8 KiB)
Section 4.1.11.14 Prehist pot from Trench 4.pdf (245.5 KiB)
Section 4.2 Romano-British pottery docx.pdf (238.4 KiB)
Section 4.2.7 R-B pot in other trenches Worksheet 3.pdf (64.1 KiB)
Section 4.2.7 R-B pot in Tr 12 & 15 Worksheet 2.pdf (184.5 KiB)
Section 4.2.7 Rom-Brit pot in villa trenches Worksheet 1.pdf (848.9 KiB)
Section 4.3 Fired clay report.pdf (123.1 KiB)
Section 4.3.7 Fired Clay recording sheet 1.pdf (11.5 KiB)
Section 4.3.7 Fired Clay recording sheet 2.pdf (25.9 KiB)
Section 4.3.7 Fired Clay recording sheet 3.pdf (34.0 KiB)
Section 4.3.7 Fired Clay recording sheet 4.pdf (48.9 KiB)
Section 4.3.7 Fired Clay recording sheet 5.pdf (43.9 KiB)
Section 4.3.8 Chalk loomweight.pdf (111.4 KiB)
Section 4.4.2 Stone roof tile pictures.pdf (1.6 MiB)
Section 4.5.1 Plaster petrography.pdf (143.5 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.1 Trench 1 Non-copper alloy finds.pdf (192.9 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.2 Trenches 1A, 1E and 1H non-copper alloy finds.pdf (95.4 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.3 Trench 2 non-copper alloy objects.pdf (310.0 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.4 Trench 3B non-copper alloy finds.pdf (178.9 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.5 Trench 4 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (182.1 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.6 Trench 5 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (213.8 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.7 Trench 6B non-copper alloy finds.pdf (88.1 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.8 Trench 11 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (368.2 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.9 Trench 12 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (190.3 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.10 Trench 13 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (211.8 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.11 Trench 14 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (199.0 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.12 Trench 15 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (213.5 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.13 Trench 16 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (290.6 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.14 Trench 17 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (186.3 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.15 Trench 18 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (227.8 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.16 Trench 19 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (200.1 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.17 Trenches 20B, 20C and 20G non-copper alloy finds.pdf (179.8 KiB)
Section 4.6.4.18 Trench 22 non-copper alloy finds.pdf (175.1 KiB)
Section 4.6.5 Metal other than Cu alloy catalogue.pdf (196.0 KiB)
Section 4.8.4 Copper alloy catalogue .pdf (128.0 KiB)
Section 4.9.2 Coin catalogue.pdf (116.3 KiB)
Section 4.10.6 Addtional flint tables for website.pdf (193.4 KiB)
Section 4.11.2 Worked Stone Catalogue for website.pdf (185.9 KiB)
Section 4.12.1 Roman glass catalogue.pdf (113.9 KiB)
Section 4.13.3 Worked bone and antler catalogue.pdf (238.5 KiB)
Section 4.14.5 SEM images of worked bone & antler.pdf (2.8 MiB)
Section 5.0 AC book ch5.pdf (1.5 MiB)
Section 5.1.4 & 5.1.5 Trench 1.pdf (314.6 KiB)
Section 5.1.6 Trench 2, Part 1.pdf (886.3 KiB)
Section 5.1.7 Trench 2, Part 2 Roman.pdf (1.0 MiB)
Section 5.1.8 Trench 2, Part 3-EarlyMedieval.pdf (545.1 KiB)
Section 5.1.9 Trench 3.pdf (306.8 KiB)
Section 5.1.10 Trench 4.pdf (746.7 KiB)
Section 5.1.11 Trench 5.pdf (1.8 MiB)
Section 5.1.12 Trench 6.pdf (318.5 KiB)
Section 5.1.13 Trenches 7, 8 and 9.pdf (201.0 KiB)
Section 5.1.14 Trench 10.pdf (387.1 KiB)
Section 5.1.15 Trench 11.pdf (329.7 KiB)
Section 5.1.16 Trench 13.pdf (192.9 KiB)
Section 5.1.17 Trench 14.pdf (196.6 KiB)
Section 5.1.18 Trench 15.pdf (226.4 KiB)
Section 5.1.19 Trench 16.pdf (210.3 KiB)
Section 5.1.20 Trench 17.pdf (229.3 KiB)
Section 5.1.21 Trench 18.pdf (258.9 KiB)
Section 5.1.22 Trench 19.pdf (293.0 KiB)
Section 5.1.23 Trenches 20 and 21.pdf (209.2 KiB)
Section 5.1.24 Appendix - bone measurements.pdf (321.3 KiB)
Section 5.1.25 animal bone.pdf (218.6 KiB)
Section 5.1.26 Bibliography.pdf (180.1 KiB)
Section 5.2 Carbon and nitrogen isotopes of domestic animals.pdf (1.0 MiB)
Section 5.4 Human Remains_website.pdf (649.0 KiB)
Section 5.5 Analysis of blue skull frags.pdf (106.4 KiB)
Section 5.6.5 Charred plant remains.pdf (341.9 KiB)
Section 5.6.6 Seed samples which were scanned but not quantified in full.pdf (143.0 KiB)
Section 5.6.7 Seed samples samples scanned but not fully quantified.pdf (613.4 KiB)
Section 5.6.8 Samples without seed.pdf (153.2 KiB)
Section 5.7.6 Charcoal identifications.pdf (144.2 KiB)
Section 5.7.7 SEM images of charcoal from Alfred’s Castle.pdf (1.5 MiB)
Section I Final Table of Contents.pdf (196.6 KiB)
Section III Website Plates.pdf (172.3 KiB)
Section II Website Figures.pdf (195.4 KiB)