Monument record RDL 002 - Phase A Land to the east of Kings Warren, Red Lodge

Evaluation of the southern part of the development area identified a few tentative prehistoric features and recovered mostly-residual worked flint attesting to land use activity of Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age date. The presence of the ring ditch was confirmed, although no diagnostic dating evidence was recovered from its lower fills though later Roman pottery dated its upper fills. Roman pits, ditches and some possible postholes were also found across the evaluated area and particularly in the vicinity of the ring-ditch (S1).

Following on from the Phase A evaluation a c.2ha excavation area was investigated within the south of the site. These investigations revealed a low incidence of isolated Early Neolithic pits and postholes, and residual artefacts in later features. The full extent of the 45m-diamter ring-ditch was exposed and Optically-Stimulated Luminescence dating of its lower fills established an Early Bronze Age date for its original construction. Although no evidence for an earthwork mound or bank, or associated burials was recorded, it is likely that this was the remains of barrow. Other than a few outlying pit, this probably finery monument stood in apparent isolation. A low density of Iron Age pits in the Phase B evaluation area attest to a continued low intensity land use, though the recovery of part of an Iron Age ceramic vessel from the ring-ditch attests to it surviving in the landscape as a remnant earthwork.

The majority of excavated remains were of Roman date. A rectilinear enclosure (previously detected by the geophysical survey) was imposed around the ring-ditch remains during the earlier Roman period. The prehistoric ring-ditch was recut and became infilled during the Late Roman period. A small rectangular structure, with painted plaster walls and tile roof, was built immediately to the east of the ring-ditch. Identified as a probable religious shrine, placed 'head and hoof' deposits of pig remains were found in association. Further structured animal bone deposits , pits containing probably votive deposition of artefacts, and layers containing shrine debris and votive material were present elsewhere within the enclosure. Less-obviously associated with their perceived religious function of this site were the further remains of a possible well, a tile-lined flue-like structure and an adult inhumation, the later seemingly opportunistically interred in the rectangular enclosure, close to its entrance. No use of the recut ring-ditch was discerned. The rural shrine site was abandoned by the end of the Roman period after which there was no evidence for land use prior to the modern period (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2016 (S4)