Event/Activity EPM121 - Archaeological Evaluation Excavation at East Shore School, Eastern Road, Portsmouth

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Southampton Archaeology Unit at East Shore School, Eastern Road, in 2007. The evaluation was undertaken in order to assess any archaeological remains prior to the construction of 42 flats and 52 new houses on the site. Three trenches were excavated by mechanical digger to the top of natural deposits in the south-west part of the site, where groundworks for the new buildings were likely to extend into the old ground surface (the overburden was less than 1.2m thick). The trenches were then cleaned and examined for features. The trenches covered a total of 60m2, which constituted a 2% sample of that part of the site. Trench 1 measured 1.9m by 13.2m, trench 2 1.6m by 6.3m and trench 3 1.9m by 13.3m. No trenches were excavated in the northern part of the site as boreholes in this area had shown that the old ground surface was between 1.3m and 2m below the current surface, and therefore would not be affected by the groundworks. The site is adjacent to an area of archaeological potential covering the old shoreline of Milton Common which borders Langstone Harbour (an area rich in archaeology). The area is principally of importance for prehistoric archaeology. The evaluation revealed a scatter of prehistoric evidence, together with evidence for the use of the area as fields during the post-medieval and early modern periods, before it was developed in the 20th century. Unstratified and residual finds included burnt flints, a flint flake, and a sherd of 16th/17th century Normandy stoneware. Other ceramics comprised 18th-20th pottery, tobacco pipes and building material. The low level of the finds suggested that further archaeological work on the site would not be necessary. Accession number: 2007/10