A428 Field 44 soil micromorphology: assessment of thin sections

The assessment of seven thin sections from the A428 Field 44 site has produced details concerning the numerous site formation processes and settlement activities here. For example, fire installation residues, latrine deposit discard and waste associated with use of possible byres was suggested from some Iron Age/Roman contexts, typical of settlements. Saxon/medieval occupation soils record both middening and possible pig husbandry/other animal management, as recorded experimentally and at the Bedford Castle site and Roman Leicester for example. Thus in general, the assessment identified a wide variety of calcareous and non-calcareous in situ and non-in situ soils, feature fills, gleyic poorly drained soils, colluvial soils and anthropogenic occupation soils, as well as indications of animal management. In due course, a full soil micromorphological investigation will be able to elucidate the specific site formation processes and settlement activities for these samples. The report is supported by 1 table and 43 figures.