Monument record BEL 058 - Prehistoric pits, a Roman barn, and Anglo-Saxon settlement at East Anglia One Area 18

2017: Full excavation encountered three phases of activity at the site. The first phase dates to the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age (c.1300-400 BC) and is represented by a limited number of ditches, pits and postholes with clusters of larger postholes probably being the remains of a building (possibly a domestic house).
The second phase dates to the late Romano-British period (c.mid 3rd to 4th century AD) and comprised the edge of a rural settlement/farm. Features included a regularly laid-out (co-axial) system of parallel ditches oriented southwest-northeast, running down the northeast slope of the Little Bealings ‘ridge’ which projects out from the north side of the Fynn valley. Between the ditches were arranged a large rectangular post-built structure, possibly an agricultural barn, and two corn-drying ovens, as well as clusters of other postholes and pits probably related to agricultural activities.
The third phase of occupation at Site 18 is dated to the early Anglo- Saxon period (c.5th-7th century AD), and comprised the remains of at least ten, possibly eleven structures, including both sunken featured buildings of different sizes and forms, and a large (partially sunken) ‘hall’ structure. The different sizes, architectural forms, and finds assemblages from the structures suggests different uses and functions, including one with good evidence of on-site metalworking. Their spatial arrangement strongly suggests either continuity of site use from the late Romano-British occupation, or the re-use of a short-abandoned site; one of the middle posts in the large Romano-British aisle-building appears to be have been re-placed in the early Anglo-Saxon period, suggesting continued (re-)use of this building (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2017 (S1).