Published by Maney Publishing (c) W. S. Maney & Son Limited THE STUDY OF SMALL FINDS AT THE 1644 BATTLE OF CHERITON JAMES BONSALL Abstract A metal detection survey over a 2.6% sample of the Registered 1644 Battlefield of Cheriton yielded 355 metallic small finds, of which 92% were directly related to the battle. An archaeological analysis of the sample emphasises the use of non-valuable small finds as an aid to understanding the location, direction and participants of bat- tle. An appreciation of battle and the actions of warfare has been indicated via the social and functional aspects of weaponry. The finds have been assessed within their Civil War context and indicate that the presumed extent of the battlefield could be much larger than previously thought. The distribution of the finds confirms that the retreating Royalist army were pursued as they fled. Individual regiments within the armies have been identified based on find typology and distribution, to build up a coherent interpretation of the battle. Introduction This pilot study seeks to emphasise the benefits of the detection, mapping and recovery of non-valuable small finds as an aid to understanding the spatial extent of a battlefield. The study demonstrates the benefits of a multi-disciplined approach to the 1644 Civil War Battle field of Cheriton, near Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The ‘battlefield’ discussed here is defined by the geographical limits of the English Heritage Register of Historic Battlefields. The pilot study area concentrated on a single field (Dark Copse Field) on the battlefield. 355 non-contextual metallic small finds were recovered from the topsoil of the study area using metal detection. The analysis of these finds forms a basis for a pilot study and for future research. The metallic small finds analysis represents a body of evidence recovered systematically over an 18 year period, complemented by auger surveys, aerial photography and regression analysis of local mapping. A social context of human activity in warfare is explored through the weaponry of the soldiers to demonstrate the bloody violence of the battlefield. These studies provide new and relevant information pertaining to the archaeological understanding of the Royalist retreat from the Battle of Cheriton. The study area of Dark Copse Field is situated on the northern extent of the 454 ha Registered Battlefield, 1 km NNE of Cheriton village, Hampshire, in the south of England (Figure 1). The historic city of Winchester lies 10 km to the west, and the town of Alresford lies 3 km to the north. Dark Copse © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2007 DOI: 10.1163/157407807X257359