Monument record STU 094 - A Late Bronze Age Settlement at Land at Church Rd/Land west of 35-40 Stutton Close (MAGNITUDE) GEO (OAE) EVL EXC

2020: An excavation was udertaken following the results of geophysical survey and subsequent evaluation. The presence of Neolithic flintwork attests to a background earlier prehistoric presence in the area, with several residual retouched flakes and a scraper recovered. Exposed within the excavation areas was a single Middle Bronze Age pit (Area B) and a discrete area of Late Bronze Age settlement (Area A), including at least one post-built structure consisting of six postholes and a cluster of 20 pits. The pits produced a varied assemblage of occupation debris, including a large quantity of Late Bronze Age pottery, five fragmentary fired clay loom weights, two spindle whorls, a rare fragment of flint quern and a fragment of sandstone saddlequern, with the majority deriving from four pits close to the structure. One of the pits close to the structure was radiocarbon dated to 917-814 cal. BC. A regionally significant assemblage of Late Bronze Age briquetage relating to salt-working (115 fragments, 1791g) was recovered from six pits, with diagnostic pieces including bar fragments, pedestal fragments and pedestal terminals. The vast majority of the briquetage came from a single pit in the centre of Area A, which was radiocarbon dated to 983-830 cal. BC. The same pit contained the largest assemblage of Late Bronze Age pottery from a single feature. Despite there being briquetage finds, there are no features from the site directly connected to the salt production process, nor any obvious waste deposits. A post-medieval boundary ditch was also revealed along the western and southern edges of the investigation area. (S1). Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2020 (S2).

Evaluation identified a single Middle Bronze Age pit and two intercutting pits of Late Bronze Age date; one pit contained large quantities of domestic pottery and fired clay salt-making briquetage, along with loom weight and quern fragments. Post-medieval and modern field boundary ditches were uncovered across the full extent of the site, appearing to be either parallel with, or perpendicular to, extant boundaries in the surrounding area. A series of parallel gullies were interpreted as possible planting beds of post-medieval date, while sand and gravel extraction pits of a similar date were also found. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2019 (S3).