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Excavation carried out by Headland Archaeology in August - September 2018 to investigate two areas on the east side of the development site identified by earlier trial trenching evaluation (NJ71NE0216) revealed significant remains associated with the Bronze Age settlement and burial and Iron Age settlement. The earlier activity comprised four cremations, a possible tree root hollow containing the cremated remains of two individuals, a pit group with ceramic vessel and a grinder, and a roundhouse. The roundhouse (Structure 1, in Area A) comprised two curvilinear ring ditches and two post holes. A radiocarbon date from a sample of the fill of one of the ring ditches gave a date of 1415-1260 BC. The four urned cremations were in the centre of Area A, all four vessels (and possibly the pits) being truncated to varying degrees, and possibly originally covered with a mound of earth. Each vessel appeared to contain a single individual, two certainly of adults and one containing the bones of a child, these radiocarbon dated to 1385-1260 BC (Middle Bronze Age). In the southeast of Area A was a cluster of five pits, one containing an urn although not burnt bone. Form the later period of activity, the second roundhouse (Structure 2) was to the southeast, comprising two opposing curvilinear ditches, an inner post-rig, a southeast facing entrance porch, a C-shaped feature and a spread of material in the centre. A radiocarbon date of 1505-1410 BC (Middle Bronze Age) was obtained of a sample from one of the ditches. Within the porch area was a large pit which yielded a fragment of 1st to 2nd century AD glass. Immediately south of this roundhouse was a souterrain, originally comprising a single large chamber, the western end having been divided by a rubble cross-wall. Overall it was 18m long and partially lined with large sub-rectangular stones. Near the northwest ends were a series of interconnecting pits which possibly provided access. The lowest of the pits, at the edge of the souterrain, yielded two abraded saddle quern fragments and a rubber, and small quantities of undiagnostic pottery: this material may have been deliberately placed as a solid base. The primary deposits of the souterrain contained flecks of charcoal, and was dated to 25-210 AD (Middle Iron Age). A stone sharpener or work surface was recovered from this layer. A fragment of cannel coal bangle recovered from the topsoil over the souterrain may have been waste from the occupation of the roundhouse. Two features were recorded in the southwest part of Area B, initially thought to be possible cremation pits based on the presence of burnt human bone within one (representing at least two individuals, an adult and a child), but now interpreted as possibly tree root hollows, the cremation remains being incidental. The adult skeleton was radiocarbon dated to 1055-900 BC (Late Bronze Age). At the eastern side of Area B excavation recorded a curvilinear ditch (possibly representing another roundhouse), two post-holes and eight pits, although their function and date (other than likely late prehistoric) could not be established. The pottery recovered from the excavation represented at least 19 vessels, the most intact from the cremation burials. The cremation urns were all undecorated bucket shaped urns of Middle to Late Bronze Age date. From the pit group in Area A came a plain, jar-shaped urn, with a stone lid. Pottery from the souterrain and adjacent roundhouse mostly comprised a few rims or undiagnostic body sherds, including a vessel with a decorative line of fingernail impressions along the rim. A single sherd of Roman Samian ware was recovered from the central spread of the southern roundhouse. Vitrified material was mostly diagnostic of ironworking, both smelting (material from a single pit northeast of Structure 2) and blacksmithing. Environmental sampling recorded hulled barley as the dominant grain throughout, with the charcoal consisting of oak, alder, birch and hazel.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)