Monument record AKE 044 - Multi phase occupation on East Anglia One Area 9 at Land to the north of St Marys Church, Akenham

2019: Archaeological excavation of the East Anglia Offshore windfarm Area 9a revealed archaeological remains indicating four periods of occupation ranging from the Early Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age, medieval and Post medieval periods.

The first periods of the Early Bronze age was represented by a multi phase enclosure and boundary ditch , boarded by three circular pits interpreted as waste pits due to their stratigraphic location. The second phase of this period was represented by a re-established north east to south west ditch and a partially truncated sub-circular pit. The pit contained a single, complete, inverted and empty collared urn. This was interpreted as a votive pit.

The Later Bronze Age to Iron Age periods was represented by several pit interpreted as waste pits from which large quantities of Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age pottery was recovered indicating localised domestic occupation of the land bordering the site during the periods with possible small scale pottery production occurring within the vicinity.

The Third period comprised a single medieval field boundary ditch located in the south west corner of the site from which pottery from the 12th and 14th to 15th century was recovered. The eastern portions of the site was bisected by a series of eight parallel north-east to south-west aligned furrows spaced 3.5 to 8m apart, 0.5m in width and 0.30m deep. Residual prehistoric pottery fragments were recovered from the plough furrows.

The final periods extended form the Post medieval period to the early 20th century and was represented by a field boundary ditch marked on the second edition Ordnance survey, but was largely abandoned by the late 19th century. A large circular feature was identified on the western edge of the site of a small sand and gravel extraction quarry of late 19th century or early 20th century date (S1).

2019:Archaeological excavation of the East Anglia Offshore windfarm Area 9b revealed archaeological remains indicating periods of occupation ranging from the Prehistoric, Bronze age, Iron Age, Romano British, Medieval and Post Medieval to modern periods.
The Prehistoric was represented by residual lithic artefacts of Mesolithic through to the Late Neolithic. A post hole was identified in the northwest area of the site dating to the Late Neolithic from which sherds grooved ware was recovered.

The Bronze Age was represented by a cremation burial within the western portion of the site within a pit 0.43m in diameter and 0.13m deep. The burial contained fragments of charcoal and cremated human bone, however no pottery was recovered.

The Iron Age was represented by features within the western portion of the site included a possible ditched enclosure within which was a round house with five possible waste pits. Other features outside the enclosure was isolated bits and a cluster of four postholes. Pottery of Later Bronze Age to Early Iron Age and Early to Middle Iron age was recovered from the features fills. The probable round house was on the western extent and was characterised by the heavily truncated remained of three probable drip gullies. The gullied had an internal diameter of 11.57m and a depth of 0.23m forming a curving circuit separated by two entrances at the north east and north west, 1.35m and 4.31m wide. An oval pit was located within the centre of the roundhouse from which Early to middle Iron Age pottery was recovered. The Romano British period was identified through two pits. From which pottery and Roman VBM was recovered. One of the pits was capped by a poorly sorted dump of redeposited natural clay and may represent the remains of an oven or furnace. Residual Roman pottery fragments within the fills of later medieval and modern features.

The medieval periods was dated to the 11th to 14th century AD and was represented by boundary ditches flanking two drove ways, enclosure ditches, pits and postholes. Two enclosure ditches were dated to the 11th century and indicating agricultural exploitation of the landscape bordering Akenham during the 11th to 13th centuries AD.

The Post Medieval to modern period was represented by five field boundaries and drainage ditches, a hedgerow, hollow way and a late 19th century building. The building was the remains of an 19th to 20th century outside toilet made of machine made red brick. A circular pit to the east of this building contained the remains of a late 19th century wooden barrel. The majority of these features were identifiable on historic Ordnance Survey mapping. The final features were all undated and included 34 linear features representing the agricultural enclosure and 31 undated pits (S2).