Archaeological investigations of Romano-British settlement at Parkengear, Probus.

Archaeological works on land at Parkengear to the east of Tregony Road, Probus, established activity of predominantly Romano-British date, including two enclosures of the type known locally as rounds. One round, Parkengear round, survived as a slight earthwork and was tested in three evaluation trenches, revealing inner and outer enclosure ditches and features internal to the enclosure. Five open area excavations were undertaken external to the round. Partly encroaching on the southern edge of the site was the large curvilinear ditch of a probable second round. Both rounds appear to date to the Romano-British period, and there was also evidence for contemporary activity outside the rounds. To the west of Parkengear round excavation revealed a ring gully with internal features representing at least two phases of roundhouse, probably pre-dating the round, alongside numerous pits in all excavation areas: this late Iron Age or early Roman-period settlement appears to have consisted of scattered roundhouses and small enclosures. Finds were present in most areas, with types of pottery in use in the Late Iron Age and Romano-British periods, as well as a Roman copper-alloy bell-shaped stud; a fragment of Roman-period tile, fromthe ditch of the second round, is one of only a few examples known from Cornwall. A single pit containing oat grains was dated to the early medieval period, indicating some continuing use of the site adjacent to the medieval village of Probus. The phasing of the site is supported by four radiocarbon dates. Finds of a Beaker pottery vessel and other ceramics indicate some limited activity on the site in the Early and late Bronze Age periods