Monument record MNL 165 - Haylands Drove; F27 & F28; OS Fields 3200 & 6100 (BA)

1968-1986: Fieldwalking by Colin Pendleton on field previously fallow for a number of years located scatter of flint, pottery, bone, burnt flint etc., including collared and biconical type urn, beaker, a barbed and tanged arrowhead, a triangular arrowhead, three plano-convex knives, a bificial knife, worked and cut bone including two awls, a quern stone and a stone rubbing stone. Further finds in field to SE, from extension of sand ridge, include barbed & tanged & unfinished barbed & tanged (triangular) arrowheads (P Norman, A6 & A24), and a reworked triangular arrowhead (CP, A203). From circa 1978-1985 other finds were made by D Pannifer (a rectangular worked bone) and Raymond Forsdike, including 2 flint triangular arrowheads, worked flint and pottery (S1).
1980: Freshly disturbed pottery and bone found upturned by plough led to trial excavation in 1981, which located surviving BA horizon, artefacts and environmental remains (S1)(S2).
1982-1986: Full scale (seasonal) excavation by SAU. Main BA occupation located at NW end of NE arm of sand ridge (Neo at SE end). Large amount of artefacts, environmental samples and features, plough damaged on sand ridge but surviving in lower areas. See lists in excavation archive. Notable features were post-ring houses (one porched), a `flax retting' pit, water- holes and various industrial working pits. A group of 7 jet `toggles' (cf one from MNL 225), jet beads, human bone (including a thigh bone fragment with cut marks), about 60 bone awls, fragments of stone `maces', worked wood and fragments of two bronze `pins' were among some of the more notable finds.
At end of 1986 an estimated 41% (3700 sq m) of the total settlement area excavated. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the BA horizons so far for a burnt oak tree, 1700 +/- 100 bc (HAR-5637); the occupation spread, 1470 +/- 80 bc (HAR-5638) and 1240 +/- 70 bc (HAR-4629); pits, 1470 +/- 80 bc (HAR-5639), 1440 +/- 90 bc (HAR-5635) and 1330 +/- 70 bc (HAR-5634)(S2,S3,S4,S5,S6,S7,S8). [There are now a total of 10 radiocarbon dates calibrated to between 2870-1410 BC from the site (plus one for charcoal that is much earlier) - see site file].
Further publication of excavations in (S9)(S10).
Also see Mes & Neo.