Monument MPM1457 - Evidence of 17th century environment/occupation, East Street

A layer of probable 17th century date was revealed during a watching brief by Archaeology South-East in East Street, Old Portsmouth, in 2012. The remains of vegetation recovered from the deposit suggested a possible wet grassland environment with no buildings existed on the edge of the settlement around the Camber at this date. A number of finds including pottery, clay pipe, and butchered animal remains, indicate occupation in the near vicinity. The layer was formed of a moderately compact dark-grey/black clay-silt over 0.15m thick, situated 0.85m below the present ground level. Environmental samples taken from the deposit contained a high proportion of uncharred vegetation, including, uncharred weed seeds from meadow/creeping/bulbous buttercups and seeds from the pink family, and a small quantity of charcoal remains of beech and oak. A small quantity of burnt and unburnt mammal bones and marine shells were recovered from the residue. The sample also contained a number of finds, including, clay pipes, possible leather, slag, slate, CBM (ceramic building material) and textile. A 17th century pottery sherd, and four fragments of clay pipe bowl dating to 1640-1680, were recovered during the watching brief. Five sherds belonging to a late 19th/early 20th century mug recovered by hand from the upper horizon of the deposit are thought to have been introduced to the layer at a later date when the ground was disturbed during the construction of a brick structure (see MPM1458). Accession number: 2012/932