From Le Grands Champ, the ground rises gradually onto the higher part of the alluvial terrace at Les Chaumes. Here, two concentrations of tegulae were found in fields on opposite sides of the RN 81. In field 44, about 60-100m south of the road, fieldwalking located a 40m-wide concentration immediately to the south of the gas-pipe, which had already been observed by Niaux (1991-2). Follow-up gradiometry survey (56) showed higher than expected 'noise' levels around this area, especially to the east, which might indicate buildings. There is a second 'noisy' area just to the north of the pipeline, separated by a gap of about 30m, without any associated finds.
Seven lithics were recovered from linewalking the eastern half of the field (22), including 2 blade segments, 2 scrapers and a trapezoidal point, although with no obvious concentrations, as well as a further scatter of pottery.
On the opposite side of the RN 81 (strictly Les Bruyères east), another concentration of tegulae was discovered in a field under set-aside (47), implying the existence of a second building similar to the first. The scatter was about 30m in diameter. The western part of this field was subsequently linewalked, yielding a small collection of pottery (84).
The pottery from Les Chaumes (UF 22, 44, 84)
No. of sherds: 21; weight: 247g
A range of Gallo-Roman fabrics was recovered, including some undiagnostic flagon sherds. The group from north of the road includes a 2nd-3rd century AD coarseware form (Fig. 82, 26), and a samian sherd (Section 6.4, TS22) of 2nd-century AD date. The area south of the road yielded three sherds of Dressel 20 amphorae. This form was produced with only slight typological variation from the 1st until at least the later 3rd century AD, but its export is thought to have peaked in the 2nd century, so these two clusters with Roman material may well be contemporary. The scatter of pottery from field 22 contained several sherds in B4 fabrics, which appears to be very late Roman or early medieval (see below).
| Stray finds N of road | 47 | No diagnostic ceramic forms |
| Linewalked: 10m transects (6.20 ha) | N of road: 84 S of road: 22, 44 | Fig. 82 Diagnostic ceramics Fig. 96 Diagnostic lithics (2 and 3) |
| Gradiometry survey: 1.0m x 0.5m (2.16 ha) | 56 | Fig. 27 Gradiometry results Fig. 28 Gradiometry interpretation |
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Last updated: Wed Oct 29 2008