Monument record ING 044 - Later Prehistoric Pits and Post medieval linear boundary ditches on land At Place Farm The Street

2020: Evaluation trenches 31 to 34 revealed Later Prehistoric and Post Medieval archaeological features and deposits prior to the opening of evaluation area A. Fifty five later prehistoric sub circular pits were revealed, of which two separate clusters were identified containing eight intercutting pits towards the southern end of the area and fourteen pits to the northern end. The distribution indicated the pitting was part of a wider zone of activity extending east and west of the pipeline trench. The fills of the majority of the pits were sterile, however a few fill deposits contained flintwork including a small broken Mesolithic to Early Neolithic Bladelet, burnt flint, animal bone, charred cereal grain. Two pits did contained Oak ad Alder/hazel charcoal, from which one sample provided a radiocarbon date. Truncating eight of the pits with within trenches 31-34 was a group of former linear boundary ditches running across the northern end of the site of broad east to west and north to south alignments. These were of Post Medieval date and corresponded with boundaries visible on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1888. Animal bone and residual Prehistoric worked and burnt flint was recovered from the fills. <S1>

2020: Evaluation and subsequent excavation revealed five areas of later prehistoric and Romano-British features along the route of a proposed service trench. Within a tributary valley at the N end of the scheme, many pits were uncovered in Areas A and B, probably representing an E-ward extension of Neolithic to Iron Age settlement activity previously excavated at Ingham Quarry. To the S, Area C investigated Romano-British settlement remains, probably one part of an Early to Middle Roman farmstead. Overlooking the river Lark at the S end of the scheme, Areas D and E encountered further settlement remains, which add to previously identified areas of later prehistoric occupation excavated at Fornham Park and Ingham Quarry. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2020 (S2). Full report to follow.