Site Event/Activity record ESF20732 - Excavation at Cherry Tree Farm, Wortham

An archaeological excavation was conducted for Baker Construction ahead of construction of a new housing development and roads to service the houses during March 2009. Evidence for agricultural activity during the early Iron Age was discovered, with post-holes, pits and gullies all dated to the period. A probable raised granary, seen as five post-holes arranged in a sub-square was uncovered. Also a possible 'working hollow', an area dug to perhaps provide shelter whilst processing grain was seen. An area of hard standing seen in the base of a pit may also be an area used for the drying of grain, and may be in association with post-holes, and therefore possibly had a wattle fence shelter built over it. Pits containing the remains of this wattle material were discovered. Post-holes and pits that appear to have been placed randomly may be the remnants of further occupation, possibly representing fencelines, and an enclosure. Dating material was almost exclusively of early Iron Age date. Only one pit contained Early Bronze Age pottery (which was likely to be residual in an Iron Age pit) and there was some residual Neolithic flint found alongside Iron Age pottery and lithics. The small amount of Late Saxon and medieval pottery, totalling just three sherds, was probably intrusive. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous Yes, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. WTM 044 Contracting Unit No. BAU1995 NMR No. 1521291 Project Type: Recording project Investigation Type: Open-area excavation Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Site status: None Current Land use: Cultivated Land 4 - Character Undetermined Monument Type(s)/Period(s): PIT Early Bronze Age , PIT Early Iron Age, POST-HOLE Early Iron Age, DITCH Iron Age , PIT Iron Age , POST-HOLE Iron Age , HOLLOW Iron Age Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): FLINT Late Prehistoric, POT Early Bronze Age , POT Early Iron Age, POT Early Medieval , POT Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 50.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TM08467708 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Services (Jess Tipper) Design originator: NAU Archaeology (David Whitmore) Director/Manager: Nigel Page Supervisor: John Ames DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: NAU Archaeology Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Survey, Worked stone/lithics, other Media: Database, Images raster / digital photography, Images vector, Spreadsheets, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: SCCAS Contents: Stratigraphic, Survey, Worked stone/lithics, other, Animal Bones, Ceramics Media: Context sheet, Photograph, Plan, Report, Section PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: SCCAS Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Worked stone/lithics BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: An Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation at Mellis Road, Wortham Author(s)/Editor(s): Sillwood, R. and Morgan, S. Other Bibliographic Details: Report No 1995b Date: 2010 Issuer/Publisher: NAU Archaeology Place of Issue or Publication: Norwich Description: A4 paper; spiral-bound; colour-printed; PDF