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REVIEW BY JACQUELINE PITT
This monograph successfully compiles the results of a series of excavations into a comprehensive chronology of a former MOD site south of Bicester. Evidence for prehistoric to modern activity was identified, along with a significant medieval farmstead with well-preserved stone foundations. Illustrations and plans make the narrative easy to follow, and post-excavation analyses are well presented and include application of scientific techniques to enhance interpretation. In particular, the detail of the medieval pottery assemblage – one of the largest recovered from rural Oxfordshire and benefiting additionally from lipid analyses – will be very useful for comparative study.
Discussion of the site in context is a highlight, making a valuable contribution for anyone studying this area or associated themes. Nearby settlements at Alcester in the Roman period, Bicester in the 6th century, and the medieval settlement at Wretchwick appear to have had a direct impact on the site. Twentieth-century military operations have considerably affected the Oxfordshire landscape, but are not often a focus of excavation reports, so the final chapter on the site’s modern history is very welcome.
Road to the Manor: Excavations at Graven Hill, Oxfordshire, 2015-2016
M Allen, S Teague, and S Lawrence
Oxford Archaeology, £20
ISBN 978-0904220919
