Monument MPM2140 - Palaeochannel, Former News Group Printers, Hilsea

The remains of a palaeochannel were observed in two trenches during an archaeological evaluation at the former News Centre site in Hilsea by AOC Archaeology Group in 2024. The channel was excavated to a depth of 0.70m in one trench and 0.60m in the other. The details are summarized below. Elsewhere on the same site seven ditches and a pit of post-medieval date were recorded [see MPM2141]

Flakes of struck flint recovered from the lower fill of one of the palaeochannels had traces of bulbs-of-percussion and shallow-s-profiles. It was thought possible they may represent ‘shatter’ produced during flint knapping. However, it is also possible the flakes may have been produced by incidental natural or human related impacts including construction and landscaping. A total of five very small flakes of struck flint were recovered from deposits at the site within two ditches [MPM2141] and the palaeochannel.

Trench 4
A large possible palaeochannel cut into a natural deposit of silty clay was encountered at 1.59m aOD. The channel was orientated southwest to northeast and was 9.40m wide extending into the northern and southern limits of the excavations and was excavated to a depth of 0.70m. The palaeochannel had two fills. The lower fill was made up of friable silty clay 0.30m thick and contained occasional stones, blackthorn charcoal and small flakes of struck flint. The upper fill of friable silty clay was 0.40m thick and contained occasional charcoal flecking, manganese fragments and occasional small sub-rounded stones.

A small quantity of non-diagnostic light green olive shatter glass shards and a single body sherd of Staffordshire-type black-glazed ware were recovered from a sample of the upper fill. These finds dated the deposit to the mid to late post medieval period, although the material may be intrusive from the made ground deposit overlying the feature. This 0.15m thick layer of made ground overlay the whole of the trench and contained several finds of a post-medieval date. These comprised a single fragment of late post-medieval peg tile, two sherds (base sherd and body sherd) from a refined white ware plate with blue underglaze transfer-printed decoration (TPW), and the base of a mouth blown dark olive green wine or ale bottle most likely dating from between the 1740’s to 1820’s. Above this was a 0.45m thick layer of made ground, possibly used as a ground raising or levelling deposit, above which was a layer of poured concrete and a tarmac surface which formed the current ground surface at the time of the excavation.

Trench 5
The remains of a large possible palaeochannel cut into a natural deposit of firm silty clay orientated southwest to northeast. The channel was 3.30m wide and extended into the eastern and western limits of the excavations. It was excavated to a depth of 0.60m and had one fill of silty clay which did not contain any finds. The feature was overlain by made ground deposits, concrete and modern tarmac.

South, Katie, Bower, Karl, 2024, Former News Group Printers, London Road, Portsmouth: An Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SPM654.