Monument record FAS 050 - Land North-West of Bury St Edmunds, Fornham All Saints

2013: Phase 1 evaluation involved the excavation of 120 evaluation trenches across the northern and southern areas.
The surviving archaeology across Area 1 is characterised by a collection of later Iron Age pits at the eastern side, which are in close proximity to an undated, possible droveway. Several undated ditches in close proximity (including those recorded in Areas 7 and 2) have the potential to prepresent systems emanating from this droveway. However, some of thise undated ditches are post-medieval. A smaller collection of pits was recorded in the eastern section, which included a silt fill pit with as small assemblage of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age evidence. A second possible droveway containing Iron Age pottery was also recorded at the eastern end of Area 5. The area contained a number of ditches which on two occasions contained prehistoric pottery, the remaining ditches were undated. A concentration of Roman finds was recovered from two parallel ditches which are likely to represent a localised boundary system. Area 6 contained a few sparsely distributed pits containing prehistoric evidence. Additionally a shallow surviving Early Bronze Age cremation was excavated towards the south-east corner of the area. Ditches were recorded across the area 6 of which some reflected the alignments seen in Area 5 and may be a continuation of a larger boundary system (S1).

2013: Phase 2 evaluation involved the excavation of 156 trenches across the central and southern areas of the site, which recorded archaeological activity which chiefly concentrated towards the south corner of the site. A further 13 trenches were opened in Area 3 identifying a ditch which is a continuation of the now partial boundary marked by the tree line, post-medieval CBM was recovered. A single Roman coin was found in Area 4, as well as a large circular pit. Finds from the pit included post-medieval CBM. A small patch of burnt material containing fragmentary Iron Age pottery was cut into a silt filled hollow. The deposit may be the surviving base of a cremation deposit, no evidence of burning in-situ was present. Investigations in Area 5 targeted a linear anomaly identified by geophysical survey, which resolved that the anomaly was a ditch. A small quantity of prehistoric pottery was recovered, as well as a Roman knife dated to the Flavian era (70-100AD). Six ditches were recorded in close proximity and have tentatively been interpreted as the same features. Abraded pot fragments were recovered from the ditches and have been identified as Bronze Age and Iron Age. Roman CBM was also recovered. Early Prehistoric flint was recovered from three ditches, whilst the other 3 contained Iron Age, Roman evidence or undated. A posthole containing Bronze Age pottery and three pieces of struck flint was also revealed. Two quarry pits, a probable pit and a ditch were recorded in Area 7, pottery (12th-14th century) was recovered from the pits. A Modern pit, undated ditch, ditch terminus, posthole, pit were seen across the site.

Combined with the results from Phase 1, the evaluation had identified moderage concentrations of archaeology towards the northern and southern portions of the site. Bronze Age and Iron Age activity are primarily located in area 1 in the north of the site, with a lower quantity present across the souther corner of Area 4, 5 and 6 which is the middle and south of the site. Roman activity is well localised across the central portion of Area 5 in the south east of the site, whilst the occasional medieval archaeology is focused in Area 7 which is the western part of the site (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2013 (S3)