Monument record FSG 017 - Prehistoric activity at Ingham Quarry

2004: Evaluation located the remains of an extensive, dispersed Iron Age settlement was located, with four discrete clusters of features along the line of the natural slope, just above and south of the valley bottom. The features found predominantly consisted of pits and occasional postholes. In two trenches, curving gullies filled with dark, charcoal-rich sand and accompanied by small pits or postholes indicate the presence of structures, either buildings or funerary features. Occasional postholes were seen within the pit clusters, which also indicates the possibility of built structures. The pottery found throughout these features suggests that this is a single period settlement dating to between the 4th and 1st centuries BC. Trenches to the west clearly showed that this Iron Age settlement does not extend in this direction. A network of ditches is possibly related to it but are more likely linked to post-medieval field divisions (S1, S5).

2008: Arising from the Archaeological monitoring and recording the present excavation revealed 625 features consisting primarily of pits, ditches and postholes representing five archaeological phases from the late Neolithic to the modern. Notable features included a large round late Neolithic/early Bronze Age barrow with undated cremations, a pair of late Neolithic/early Bronze Age ring ditches, Iron Age pit clusters, and a series of ditches representing agricultural/field boundary systems dating from the Iron Age and early modern periods. The majority of the datable evidence comprises pottery, struck and burnt flint. The evidence of the barrow comprised a wide ring ditch with moderately sloping sides and a concave base, the finds recovered included 3rd-1st century BC pottery, cremated human bone and a flint blade. The upper fill contained two mid-late Iron Age sherds. A human cremation was contained in the central pit, other cremations cut the ring ditch of the barrow, they were also undated but thought to be later intrusions (S2).

2012: Excavation identified; dispersed Early Neolithic features and finds;
The Later Neolithic was represented by thirteen pits and short length of ditch, also Grooved Ware pottery and lithic implements;
The Neolithic/Early Bronze Age was represented by twenty pits and a ring-ditch; The Early Bronze Age was represented by numerous pits, post-holes, two ring-ditch, a causwayed ring-ditch and a possible cremation pit; The Early Iron Age was represented by three pits; The Middle Iron Age was represented by 185 pit and 19 ditches and gullies. There were 11 distinct clusters of pits in this phase of activity as well as isolated pits across the whole area, there were also a number of ditches on a roughly N/S alignment though at considerable distance apart; The Roman period is represented by two pits and a single ditch; The post-medieval period is represented by field boundaries (S3).

See also S4 and S6