Monument record ELV 120 - Cropmarks relating to Iron Age and Roman enclosures, field boundaries and trackways excavated under ELV 085, ELV 086

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Summary

The site of cropmarks related to or associated with Late Iron Age and Roman enclosures, field boundaries and trackways excavated in advance of the A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement Scheme; Areas 10-11/ELV 085-6) are visible on the aerial photographs. The patterned ground cropmarks dominate what is visible on the majority of the available aerial photographs, which has meant that the complexity and large spread of enclosures, fields and boundaries dating from the Late Iron Age through to the Late Roman revealed by the A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement Scheme would not have been immediately obvious from the aerial photographs, although they do indicate some components of the site.

Location

Grid reference Not recorded
Map sheet Not recorded
Civil Parish ELVEDEN, FOREST HEATH, SUFFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

Type and Period (13)

Full Description

January 2018. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
The site of cropmarks related to or associated with Late Iron Age and Roman enclosures, field boundaries and trackways excavated in advance of the A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement Scheme (S1); Areas 10-11/ELV 085-6) are visible on the aerial photographs (S2-S5).
The patterned ground cropmarks dominate what is visible on the majority of the available aerial photographs, which has meant that the complexity and large spread of enclosures, fields and boundaries dating from the Late Iron Age through to the Late Roman revealed by the A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement Scheme (S1) would not have been immediately obvious from the aerial photographs. Additionally some of the boundaries, in particular a series of broad bank-like boundaries, might have been interpreted as being historic in date.
The cropmarks to the west of the B1106, correspond with Area 11/ELV 086. The excavations revealed a series of major multi-ditch boundaries and trackways, dating to the mid Roman period, which were not clearly evident of the aerial photographs. The bulk of Area 11 consisted of Late Iron Age enclosures and boundaries – fragments of which were visible as cropmarks (S3-S4) – and an Early Roman trackway, which again fragments of which were visible (S3). The cropmarks appear to reveal additional enclosures and ditch fragments which were not detected during the excavations. It is not clear whether these features had subsequently been truncated by plough action or whether they were felt to be part of the complex periglacial troughs and ridges – known as ‘patterned ground’ – clearly evident on the aerial photographs. A possible polygonal enclosure was tentatively identified on the aerial photographs to the east (ELV 121) and could feasibly be Later Iron Age in date and contemporary with some of the mapped and excavated cropmarks.
The cropmarks to the east of the B1106 correspond with Area 10/ELV 085, where the bulk of the Roman boundaries, field system and corn driers were located. Compared to the excavation plans little of the Roman landscape was clearly visible on the aerial photographs. It must also be noted that some of the features mapped in this area may relate to underlying periglacial features. Additional ‘enclosure-like’ cropmarks were dismissed, particular in the northern part of this area, due to a suspicion that they were geological, but may warrant further examination.
The main trackway ‘Boundary 30’ appears to correlate to the cropmark and soilmark of a broad bank-like feature, which continues the length of the field. Two similarly aligned ‘banks’ were mapped to the south. A boundary, that shows on aerial photographs as both a bank-like feature and a double ditched boundary and/or trackway – which is consistent with the excavated evidence (Boundary 12) – running perpendicular to the parallel boundaries. The fact that the line of the double ditched excavated ditch boundaries appear to show as broad/spread bank-like features is unusual. It is possible that the trackway had formed hollow which subsequently became infilled with sandy material, although this would be expected to give the appearance of a broad hollow. In the case of Boundary 30, the excavators felt that the boundary/trackway must have had an accompanying hedgerow, and/or potentially a bank, due to the fact that the boundary continues to be respected by later features long after the ditches have become infilled (S1). It therefore seems likely that the broad bank-like features visible on the aerial photographs relate to the spread remains of either banks and/or hedges along the lines of the double ditched/trackways forming the main boundaries during the Roman period, and that this spread of material is obscuring the line of the boundary ditches underneath on the aerial photographs in most cases. It must also be noted that at least one of these boundaries, clearly present on the aerial photographs, was not detecting during the excavations (S2).
Without the excavated evidence it may have been assumed that this system of broad boundaries were medieval to post medieval in date. At least some of the boundaries are broadly aligned the same as the post medieval landscape and at least one of them appears to have the soilmarks of possible ridge and furrow and/or cultivation ridges alongside it (S5) (ELV 124), which could suggest it persisted into the historic period. Indeed some of the boundaries, in particular those within the southern part of the site may relate to later boundaries.
An area of possible vegetation marks within rough ground to the north of the main A11 excavation area was tentatively mapped (S3).These fragmentary linear marks, indicating a possible enclosure and boundary ditches, would appear to correspond to alignment and pattern of the excavated later Iron Age and Roman ditches and therefore represent further components of this landscape. Evaluation excavations within the western part of this field in advance of the creation of a new access road for Centre Parks also revealed evidence of Iron Age and Roman ditches (ELV 093). Additional possible cropmarks were visible within the northern part in this area on (S2).
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 5th January 2018.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • <S1> Unpublished document: Lees, M.. 2013. A11 Fiveways to Thetford road improvements. A post excavation assessment of archaeological excavations 2012–­2013.
  • <S2> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/540/1733 V 0027-0028 01-NOV-1955 (HEA Original Print).
  • <S3> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. OS/76129 V 343-345 02-JUL-1976 (HEA Original Print).
  • <S4> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. OS/89407 V 180-181 05-SEP-1989 (HEA Original Print).
  • <S5> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. OS/93043 V 008-009 19-MAR-1993 (HEA Original Print).

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Feb 9 2018 12:54PM

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