‘Particularly interesting’ artefacts were uncovered in an archaeological excavation at the site of a new park and ride.
The discoveries at the planned site of Oxfordshire County Council's A40 Science Transit Park and Ride at Eynsham give insight into the area’s rich history.
They include a Bronze Age pin – likely made with the toe bone of a golden eagle – Iron Age pottery, and loom weights – which show the area was used for textile manufacture.
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“It is wonderful that through these excavations we have improved our understanding of past residents of Oxfordshire,” said councillor Duncan Enright, the council’s cabinet member for travel and development strategy.
“These discoveries highlight the importance of archaeological investigations as part of development work.”
The excavation took place last year and was led by Cotswold Archaeology’s Milton Keynes team on behalf of the council.
Finds included an Early Bronze Age cremation burial of a child, which contained the unique eagle-bone pin made with the bird’s phalanx.
A statement from Cotswold Archaeology said: “The identification of the Bronze Age cremation burial with its golden eagle pin is, not just in its rarity, extremely exciting.
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“The choice of eagle bone is likely to have been significant and it is possible such an object could have been considered talismanic, or was linked perhaps with afterlife beliefs, raising further questions about its use as a pyre good for a child.”
Evidence of a Middle Iron Age settlement was also revealed, as archaeologists uncovered possible roundhouse buildings, post-built structures, and probable livestock enclosures.
Near two of the roundhouses, a near-complete triangular object and fragments of a second were found, which were described as ‘particularly interesting’ by project manager for Cotswold Archaeology, Jo Barker.
The objects are loom weights, used on a vertical warp-weighted loom. It shows textile manufacture took place in the area.
"In an area famous for the Witney Blanket, it is fascinating to find the evidence of textile manufacture going back millennia,” said Cllr Enright.
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“Truly West Oxfordshire is the birthplace of the blanket.”
A moderate quantity of Iron Age pottery was also found at the site. It will be carefully preserved for posterity along with the other archaeological finds by the Oxfordshire Museums Service.
The planned park and ride in Eynsham is designed to help improve congestion on the A40 and provide regular and reliable public transport services into Oxford.
A new roundabout will make it easy to access from either direction on the A40.
When completed, it will provide 24-hour security, dedicated cycle storage, public toilets, and electric vehicle parking bays.
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