Asthall, Oxfordshire

The Oxford Archaeological Unit carried out excavations at the roman 'small town' of Asthall, in advance of the construction of a Thames Water pipeline. the excavation located the axial roman road through the settlement (Akeman Street) and a copmples sequence of timber and stone structures with their short axes fronting onto Akeman Street. All of the structures were only partially revealed, and only the latest examples were examined outside of the pipe trench. The buildings were aligned in part on the Akeman Street and also on a side street, and ranged in date from the mid 1st century AD through to the 4th century. Closer to the settlement margin an ironworking area and a later enclosure containing a small late roman cemetery were examined. the features and associated artefacts provide us with the first opportunity to characterise the settlement, its development and economy.