Monument record THS 030 - Neolithic pits and ditches associated with the Roman road, Land West of Ixworth Road, Thurston

December 2016: A detailed gradiometer survey revealed twi linear anomalies marking the line of a probably Roman road in the west of the site, likely marking the line of Peddars Way. (S4)

December 2018: Archaeological evaluation found few archaeological features. An Early Neolithic pit containing 102 sherds of struck flints and a single sherd of pottery was uncovered in the north of the site adjacent to this was a second, undated but potentially related pit. Residual flints were found across the site. A pair of road-side ditches, marking Peddars Way, the Roman Road linking Chelmsford to Ixworth, were found in the south-west of the site. These were clearly visible on the results of a geophysical survey of the are and appeared in two of the four trenches that were sited to intersect with them. A single iron nail was found in one of the ditches. There was no sign of nearby associated settlement. Post-medieval quarry pits, some shown on the 19th and 20th century Ordnance Survey maps, were present in the south of the field. One had been back-filled in the late 20th century. A field boundary ditch, probably filled in during the 20th century, was found in the north of the site (S1).
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2018. (S3)

March 2019: Excavation revealed two more pits, one Neolithic and one Early Bronze Age in date. Few finds were recovered, most finds came from the Early Bronze Age pit. The pit contained 13 sherds of pottery including one of a possible rusticated beaker and 23 pieces of burnt stone and flint (S2).

2019:Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2019 (S5)