Monument record BRG 076 - Iron Age and Roman occupation site

2014/2015: Archaeological evaluation in advance of a proposed housing development revealed evidence of Iron Age-Roman occupation. Archaeological remains dating from the earlier prehistoric to the post-medieval were recorded. Most of the remains were Iron Age-Roman but a small assemblage of mostly Neolithic/Early Bronze Age worked flints were found as residual finds in later deposits. Two of the flint pieces could be Mesolithic or Early Neolithic. There was conclusive evidence of Early Iron Age occupation in the south of the site where a pit containing a moderate assemblsage of EIA/MIA pottery was found. Sampling provided evidence for the use of cereal crops. Activity on the sites appears to have increased in the Later Iron Age/early Roman period, a large assemblage of typical 1st century AD Gallo-Belgic influenced pottery was present as well as a large assemblage of early Roman pottery. Unabraded LIA/Early Roman pottery was found in features in association with animal bone, fired clay, and charcoal. These may be associated with an extensive curvilinear boundary ditch that was recorded by the geophysical survey. The Roman activity was concentrated in the north-western part of the site and was associated with an extensive network of ditched rectilinear enclosures. The ditches appear to have been backfilled in the mid-late Roman period, a significant Roman pottery assemblage and a moderate assemblage of animal bone were present. Several pits, an inhumation burial, and a horse burial also provided evidence of Roman occupation. There may have been further graves forming part of a formal cemetery as the excavated inhumation contained part of a possible pelvis from another individual. The apparent boundary of the Roman enclosure system runs parallel to the A143 suggesting that the road may have had Roman origins. There was no evidence for Anglo-Saxon or medieval occupation although post-medieval features including field boundary ditches, a possible trackway and at least one quarry were present (S1).

See also Mesolithic-Bronze age record.