The early Bronze Age Beaker Pit identified on site D marks one of the earliest (confirmed) features along the whole A2 scheme. It sat on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Tollgate dry valley, a location that was chosen in Roman times as an auspicious locality for the aristocratic high status burials. A double Beaker burial, each with its own complete beaker, was discovered only 140m to the south-west during the CTRL works, and this was the only Beaker feature found along the adjacent route. The large pottery assemblage from the pit makes this an important group for the south-east of England, while the variety of finds has potential to shed light on several aspects of Beaker activity. Such rich pit deposits are not simply a haphazard collection of domestic waste, but represnet the careful selection of materials for ritual deposition, and as such also inform us about Beaker beliefs.

The Beaker pit, and the stray sherd from a nearby feature, show that Beaker settlement activity did occur in the vicinity of the burials found on the line of the CRTL, and the scatter of struck flint from Site D may prove to include further artefactual evidence from that period. Together with the occasional sherd from elsewhere along the route, particularly on Sites B and F, this does suggest a greater presence in the landscape than indicated by the discoveries along the CTRL, but only assessment will reveal the overall scales of that presence. Detailed information on the activities represented by the pit will have to await post-excavation assessment and analysis.

Early Bronze Age activity is represented only by the one pit and by residual flint and a sherd. The duration of activity is therefore not likely to be very great, although it remains to be seen whether the Beaker burials and the Beaker pit are broadly contemporary, or date from different parts of the Beaker period, which spans at least 500 years. (1)

Oxford Archaeology, 2009, A2 Pepperhill to Cobham Widening Scheme: Archaeological Post-excavation Assessment Report and Update Project Design: Volumes 1-3 (Unpublished document). SKE17942.

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2008, A2 Pepperhill to Cobham Widening Scheme - Further Archaeological Works Report: Offline Route Chainage 6080 to 6400 (D) (Unpublished document). SKE13636.