Site Event/Activity record ESF20445 - Land adjacent to Park Grove, Euston Estate, Sapiston

An archaeological evaluation of arable farmland in advance of the construction of a farm reservoir identified two phases of activity. The earliest was a possible focus of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age occupation, which was indicated by the presence of scattered finds and one posthole, firmly dated to the phase by its pottery assemblage and the result of a radiocarbon analysis of its fill. The second was a more substantial scatter of pits and postholes, representing a period of domestic Iron Age activity in three areas, of which two were immediately investigated further in small open area excavations. The features hinted at the possible presence of small buildings and hearths although no discernable spatial patterns were apparent. Feature fills frequently contained small amounts of material likely to have originated from domestic refuse or hearth waste, the majority of the pottery dating to the Early Iron Age. A single feature contained material from a partially intact human cremation. Radiocarbon dates of the fills of two features confirmed the activity as occurring in the Early-Mid Iron Age. The third and main spread of Iron Age features lay wholly within the area of the reservoir bund and agreement was reached to exclude this area of c.2700sqm from the general topsoil strip. The bund was subsequently built over untouched ground, leaving the archaeological deposits preserved in situ. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future No Associated Identifiers: Planning Application No. SE/05/02844 Sitecode SAP 012 HER event no. SAP 012 NMR No. 1447873 Project Type: Field evaluation Development Type: Farm infrastructure (e.g. barns, grain stores, equipment stores, etc.) Methods and Techniques: Metal Detectors, Environmental Sampling, Sample Trenches Position in the Planning Process: After full determination (eg. As a condition) Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Current Land use: Cultivated Land 3 - Operations to a depth more than 0.25m Monument Type(s)/Period(s): PIT Late Neolithic, PIT Iron Age , PIT Iron Age , CREMATION Iron Age Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): POTTERY Late Neolithic, POTTERY Iron Age , HUMAN REMAINS Iron Age PROJECT LOCATION Area 8.00 Hectares Grid Reference: TL924763 Point Height 33.00 - 42.00 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Jess Tipper Director/Manager: Jo Caruth Supervisor: Jo Caruth DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Environmental, Human Bones, Wood, Worked stone/lithics Media: Database, Images raster / digital photography, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Wood, Worked stone/lithics, Environmental, Animal Bones, Ceramics Media: Context sheet, Photograph, Plan, Report, Section PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Environmental, Human Bones, Wood, Worked stone/lithics BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Land adjacent to Park Grove, Euston Estate, Sapiston. SAP 012. Author(s)/Editor(s): Craven, J. A. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report No. 2008/213 Date: 2008 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: SCCAS evaluation report