Archaeological Strip Map & Sample

Drayton Parish Council requires a targeted excavation of the footprint of a multi-use game area (MUGA) proposed to be constructed on land at Drayton near Abingdon. All work will be undertaken in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Code of Conduct (CIfA 2014a) and relevant Standards and Guidance (CIfA 2014b), and local and national planning policies. The site lies on the northern edge of Drayton, Oxfordshire (SU 47799 95151 The general aims of the strip, map and sample excavation (SMS) are to determine and understand the nature, function, and character of the archaeological remains within their cultural and environmental setting. This will be achieved through the excavation and recording an appropriate sample of the features identified. The specific aims and objectives of the works are: • To determine the presence or absence of any archaeological remains which may survive. • To determine or confirm the approximate extent of any surviving remains. • To determine the date range of any surviving remains by artefactual or other means. • To determine the condition and state of preservation of any remains. • To determine the degree of complexity of any surviving horizontal or vertical stratigraphy. • To assess the associations and implications of any remains encountered with reference to the historic landscape. • To determine the potential of the site to provide palaeoenvironmental and/or economic evidence, and the forms in which such evidence may survive. • To determine the implications of any remains with reference to economy, status utility and social activity. • To ensure there is no detrimental impact on archaeological remains that are to be preserved in situ