A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced po... more A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced pottery and animal bone suggesting that the settlement was of average status. Evidence for craft production included two triangular loomweights. The postholes of a small timber hall and other probable timber structures have been radiocarbon dated to the middle Anglo-Saxon period (mid to late 7th to 8thbcenturies AD). The settlement had been abandoned before the late Saxon period, but it may have been a precursor to medieval settlement at nearby Thorpe End.
In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch
and an adjacent ditch system, located by g... more In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch
and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical
survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were
subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been
shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping
ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow
Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby
pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated
Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given
the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating
that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were
constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries
of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular
at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch
and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of
an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone
that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow
pits within the interior and to the north-west the unurned
cremation burial of a 6-8 year old child was accompanied
by a jet bead. This burial and a deposit of carbonised oak
in the secondary fills of the ditch have given radiocarbon
dates in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, 1750-
1620 cal BC, indicating that the burial was a later
addition to the monument. A Middle Bronze Age sidelooped
spearhead also came from the fill of the henge
ditch, showing the survival of the henge as a substantial
earthwork. To the north of the henge there was an Lshaped
ditch system, and a red deer antler tine has been
radiocarbon dated to the Middle Bronze Age, 1190-1010
cal BC. The ditch also produced part of a human femur
and fragments from a cylindrical fired-clay loomweight.
An area of late Iron Age and Roman settlement, dated 1st-2nd century AD, comprised three large di... more An area of late Iron Age and Roman settlement, dated 1st-2nd century AD, comprised three large ditched enclosures constructed in two phases, as well as other features including at least one T-shaped corn-drying oven. There was also some activity in the 4th century AD. A second area contained parts of four plots that would have lain at the eastern end of the deserted medieval hamlet of Churchfield. Initial boundary ditches were constructed in the later 12th century. Two plots contained partially surviving building ranges in limestone, dated to the 13th to mid-14th centuries. A further plot inserted between the other two in the second half of the 14th century, contained a single building. The settlement had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.
A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced po... more A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced pottery and animal bone suggesting that the settlement was of average status. Evidence for craft production included two triangular loomweights. The postholes of a small timber hall and other probable timber structures have been radiocarbon dated to the middle Anglo-Saxon period (mid to late 7th to 8thbcenturies AD). The settlement had been abandoned before the late Saxon period, but it may have been a precursor to medieval settlement at nearby Thorpe End.
MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) carried out an open area excavation on land south of Towceste... more MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) carried out an open area excavation on land south of Towcester Road, Old Stratford. A Late Iron Age complex, dating to the 1st century BC to early 1st century AD, comprised a length of trackway flanked by minor domestic settlement. The trackway was later partially blocked, perhaps the creation of a stock control feature, with a new domestic focus immediately adjacent. The trackway eventually fell out of use, although some of the existing boundaries were respected by new boundary ditches, perhaps denoting a shift from pastoral to arable farming. Domestic activity ceased in the early to mid-1st century AD, prior to the arrival of Roman pottery forms. It is suggested that the trackway and the associated domestic settlement was part of a larger Late Iron Age estate. The tight dating is based on a relatively large assemblage of diagnostic Late Iron Age pottery. A few crucible fragments indicate that bronze casting was also practiced.
Two Neolithic long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn type were confirmed by geophysical and trial tr... more Two Neolithic long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn type were confirmed by geophysical and trial trench investigation, supported by fieldwalking, to the north of Flore, Northamptonshire. Each long barrow comprises substantial parallel ditches cut into the natural limestone rock. The ditch fills indicate that material extracted from these paired ditches was used to raise long mounds between them and possibly to form stone revetments. The sequence within the ditch fills shows the abandonment, the degradation of the limestone mound and gradual silting of the ditches. Within the deposits were faunal remains, which included an aurochs, pottery sherds and plant macrofossils that provided a source for dating the process of deposition. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the southern long barrow was built earlier in the Neolithic than its northern counterpart and that the process of ditch silting continued into the Middle Bronze Age; after which the ditches were no longer visible at ground level a...
In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch and an adjacent ditch system, located by ge... more In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow pits within the interior and to the north-wes...
Excavation at Upton, Northampton prior to residential development located settlement from the lat... more Excavation at Upton, Northampton prior to residential development located settlement from the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age and continuing through the Iron Age and Roman periods. A small group of isolated pits, radiocarbon dated to the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age, contained a small pottery assemblage and a saddle quern. A short length of a pit alignment was examined. A number of pits contained early/middle Iron Age pottery, but a radiocarbon date centred on the 4th to 3rd centuries BC indicates that the pits, which were unusually deep, were still open into the middle Iron Age. Middle to late Iron Age settlement comprised several enclosures of varying sizes and plan forms, and a possible roundhouse, all set alongside a linear boundary ditch with the same orientation as the pit alignment but lying 50m to the south. The linear boundary was later reinstated slightly to the south of its original line, contemporary with a second phase of enclosure construction. The landscape was re-or...
Archaeological fieldwork was carried out ahead of housing development on the former sports ground... more Archaeological fieldwork was carried out ahead of housing development on the former sports ground off Alma Road, Peterborough. A single radiocarbon date suggests that occupation had begun in the middle Iron Age, but the majority of the examined ditches and pits belonged to a late Iron Age/early Roman settlement. The quantity and nature of the finds suggest that the later features were peripheral to a farmstead of modest status which would have lain principally to the north of the site. There was a possible indication of pottery production nearby. A medieval pit was also excavated
Field survey and subsequent trial trenching in 1998 identified archaeological remains of an early... more Field survey and subsequent trial trenching in 1998 identified archaeological remains of an early Romano-British settlement located to the north of West Haddon. Northamptonshire Archaeology undertook an open area excavation of this settlement in 2005, followed by a series of watching briefs, in conjunction with the West Haddon Bypass road scheme. The earliest occupation was an oval enclosure subsequently truncated by a sinuous gully that probably formed a large rectangular enclosure. These are presumed to be of Iron Age to early Roman date but little pottery was recovered. The Romano-British settlement, established in the late 1st century AD, comprised a series of sub-rectangular ditched enclosures, covering an area of 2ha, set on higher ground either side of a sinuous trackway. This was a low status rural settlement, with little access to higher class metalwork or imported pottery. There is environmental evidence for crop processing, but the poor survival of animal bone leaves the ...
Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street are integral to our understanding of the layout and develo... more Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street are integral to our understanding of the layout and development of the medieval town of Northampton. The site is close to the heart of early Northampton and excavation has revealed a sequence of development that relates to the broader pattern of town growth. In the mid-10th to early 11th centuries there was a large late Saxon cellared structure, similar to others found within the early town, although this area was marginal to the main focus of late Saxon occupation in Northampton. The cellar was succeeded by a Saxo-Norman timber building on the same alignment, although the larger part of the site was open ground, and the roads appear to have been less formally defined. Intensive occupation of the site did not occur until the 13th-14th centuries when property boundaries were defined by areas of quarrying. Four medieval buildings were constructed within these plots, including a malthouse and a bakehouse. The arrangement of the buildings emphasise...
This paper describes the development of a prehistoric landscape by the river Nene at Grendon Lake... more This paper describes the development of a prehistoric landscape by the river Nene at Grendon Lakes, partly revealed in the 1970s and partly during excavations in 1998 and 2001, which are reported in full. Two major phases of archaeological activity are evident, one interpreted as Neolithic–Early Bronze Age, the other as Iron Age. The gap between these is bridged by an environmental sequence reconstructed with the aid of a pollen core from an adjacent palaeochannel, which shows that human activity continued in the intervening period. The landscape is comparable in form, though not in scale, with that investigated 13 km downstream at Raunds, and helps shed light on the distinctive features of Midlands river valleys like the Nene in prehistory. In conclusion it is suggested that the different characters of the Neolithic and Iron Age features at Grendon mask some underlying similarities in the way they structured people's movements and encounters.
MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook an archaeological excavation on land to the west of... more MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook an archaeological excavation on land to the west of Harbidges Lane, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire. The site fronted onto the northern side of the postulated former Coventry to Northampton road. In the eastern half of the site occupation comprised a plot bounded by ditches enclosing two timber buildings dated to the 11th century. On the western side were a series of probable contemporary enclosed plots/fields. The timber buildings were replaced in the mid to late 13th century by two stone buildings along either side of a metalled track, which presumably joined the Northampton road. A ditched boundary on the east side of the site, which ran parallel with the road, was later replaced by a stone wall. These features had lasted for around a century when the site was abandoned in the mid/late 14th century and reverted to agricultural use until the present day.
A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now... more A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now MOLA Northampton) on behalf of CgMs Consulting, on land at the former Cattle Market site, Brackmills Point, Northampton, identified a pair of pits and an isolated pit. One of the pair of pits contained a number of worked flints and debitage, dating to the early Neolithic, while charred hazelnut shell has been radiocarbon dated to the end of the early Neolithic. The site was traversed by remnant furrows of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation
... I). They later became the subject ofa field investigation by Dr C. French, then of the Fenlan... more ... I). They later became the subject ofa field investigation by Dr C. French, then of the FenlandArchaeological Trust, when in 1991 a rigorous programme of fieldwalking and cxcavation recovcred large quantities ofpottcry, lead fishing weights and olhcr artcfacts:' ...
In 1998 a circle of timber posts within the intertidal zone on the north Norfolk coast was brough... more In 1998 a circle of timber posts within the intertidal zone on the north Norfolk coast was brought to the attention of the Norfolk County Council Archaeological Service. A subsequent programme of archaeological recording and dating revealed that the structure was constructed in the spring or early summer of 2049 BC, during the Early Bronze Age. Because of the perceived threat of damage and erosion from the sea a rescue excavation was undertaken during the summer months of 1999. The structure was entirely excavated, involving the removal of the timbers and a programme of stratigraphic recording and environmental analysis. A survey was also undertaken within the environs of the site which has identified further timber structures dating from the Bronze Age. Detailed examination of the timber from the circle has produced a wealth of unexpected information which has added greatly to our understanding of Early Bronze Age woodworking, organisation of labour and the layout and construction ...
A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced po... more A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced pottery and animal bone suggesting that the settlement was of average status. Evidence for craft production included two triangular loomweights. The postholes of a small timber hall and other probable timber structures have been radiocarbon dated to the middle Anglo-Saxon period (mid to late 7th to 8thbcenturies AD). The settlement had been abandoned before the late Saxon period, but it may have been a precursor to medieval settlement at nearby Thorpe End.
In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch
and an adjacent ditch system, located by g... more In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch
and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical
survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were
subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been
shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping
ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow
Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby
pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated
Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given
the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating
that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were
constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries
of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular
at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch
and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of
an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone
that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow
pits within the interior and to the north-west the unurned
cremation burial of a 6-8 year old child was accompanied
by a jet bead. This burial and a deposit of carbonised oak
in the secondary fills of the ditch have given radiocarbon
dates in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, 1750-
1620 cal BC, indicating that the burial was a later
addition to the monument. A Middle Bronze Age sidelooped
spearhead also came from the fill of the henge
ditch, showing the survival of the henge as a substantial
earthwork. To the north of the henge there was an Lshaped
ditch system, and a red deer antler tine has been
radiocarbon dated to the Middle Bronze Age, 1190-1010
cal BC. The ditch also produced part of a human femur
and fragments from a cylindrical fired-clay loomweight.
An area of late Iron Age and Roman settlement, dated 1st-2nd century AD, comprised three large di... more An area of late Iron Age and Roman settlement, dated 1st-2nd century AD, comprised three large ditched enclosures constructed in two phases, as well as other features including at least one T-shaped corn-drying oven. There was also some activity in the 4th century AD. A second area contained parts of four plots that would have lain at the eastern end of the deserted medieval hamlet of Churchfield. Initial boundary ditches were constructed in the later 12th century. Two plots contained partially surviving building ranges in limestone, dated to the 13th to mid-14th centuries. A further plot inserted between the other two in the second half of the 14th century, contained a single building. The settlement had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.
A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced po... more A late Iron Age to early Roman rectilinear enclosure, boundary ditch and field system produced pottery and animal bone suggesting that the settlement was of average status. Evidence for craft production included two triangular loomweights. The postholes of a small timber hall and other probable timber structures have been radiocarbon dated to the middle Anglo-Saxon period (mid to late 7th to 8thbcenturies AD). The settlement had been abandoned before the late Saxon period, but it may have been a precursor to medieval settlement at nearby Thorpe End.
MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) carried out an open area excavation on land south of Towceste... more MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) carried out an open area excavation on land south of Towcester Road, Old Stratford. A Late Iron Age complex, dating to the 1st century BC to early 1st century AD, comprised a length of trackway flanked by minor domestic settlement. The trackway was later partially blocked, perhaps the creation of a stock control feature, with a new domestic focus immediately adjacent. The trackway eventually fell out of use, although some of the existing boundaries were respected by new boundary ditches, perhaps denoting a shift from pastoral to arable farming. Domestic activity ceased in the early to mid-1st century AD, prior to the arrival of Roman pottery forms. It is suggested that the trackway and the associated domestic settlement was part of a larger Late Iron Age estate. The tight dating is based on a relatively large assemblage of diagnostic Late Iron Age pottery. A few crucible fragments indicate that bronze casting was also practiced.
Two Neolithic long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn type were confirmed by geophysical and trial tr... more Two Neolithic long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn type were confirmed by geophysical and trial trench investigation, supported by fieldwalking, to the north of Flore, Northamptonshire. Each long barrow comprises substantial parallel ditches cut into the natural limestone rock. The ditch fills indicate that material extracted from these paired ditches was used to raise long mounds between them and possibly to form stone revetments. The sequence within the ditch fills shows the abandonment, the degradation of the limestone mound and gradual silting of the ditches. Within the deposits were faunal remains, which included an aurochs, pottery sherds and plant macrofossils that provided a source for dating the process of deposition. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the southern long barrow was built earlier in the Neolithic than its northern counterpart and that the process of ditch silting continued into the Middle Bronze Age; after which the ditches were no longer visible at ground level a...
In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch and an adjacent ditch system, located by ge... more In October and November 2011 a prehistoric ring ditch and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow pits within the interior and to the north-wes...
Excavation at Upton, Northampton prior to residential development located settlement from the lat... more Excavation at Upton, Northampton prior to residential development located settlement from the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age and continuing through the Iron Age and Roman periods. A small group of isolated pits, radiocarbon dated to the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age, contained a small pottery assemblage and a saddle quern. A short length of a pit alignment was examined. A number of pits contained early/middle Iron Age pottery, but a radiocarbon date centred on the 4th to 3rd centuries BC indicates that the pits, which were unusually deep, were still open into the middle Iron Age. Middle to late Iron Age settlement comprised several enclosures of varying sizes and plan forms, and a possible roundhouse, all set alongside a linear boundary ditch with the same orientation as the pit alignment but lying 50m to the south. The linear boundary was later reinstated slightly to the south of its original line, contemporary with a second phase of enclosure construction. The landscape was re-or...
Archaeological fieldwork was carried out ahead of housing development on the former sports ground... more Archaeological fieldwork was carried out ahead of housing development on the former sports ground off Alma Road, Peterborough. A single radiocarbon date suggests that occupation had begun in the middle Iron Age, but the majority of the examined ditches and pits belonged to a late Iron Age/early Roman settlement. The quantity and nature of the finds suggest that the later features were peripheral to a farmstead of modest status which would have lain principally to the north of the site. There was a possible indication of pottery production nearby. A medieval pit was also excavated
Field survey and subsequent trial trenching in 1998 identified archaeological remains of an early... more Field survey and subsequent trial trenching in 1998 identified archaeological remains of an early Romano-British settlement located to the north of West Haddon. Northamptonshire Archaeology undertook an open area excavation of this settlement in 2005, followed by a series of watching briefs, in conjunction with the West Haddon Bypass road scheme. The earliest occupation was an oval enclosure subsequently truncated by a sinuous gully that probably formed a large rectangular enclosure. These are presumed to be of Iron Age to early Roman date but little pottery was recovered. The Romano-British settlement, established in the late 1st century AD, comprised a series of sub-rectangular ditched enclosures, covering an area of 2ha, set on higher ground either side of a sinuous trackway. This was a low status rural settlement, with little access to higher class metalwork or imported pottery. There is environmental evidence for crop processing, but the poor survival of animal bone leaves the ...
Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street are integral to our understanding of the layout and develo... more Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street are integral to our understanding of the layout and development of the medieval town of Northampton. The site is close to the heart of early Northampton and excavation has revealed a sequence of development that relates to the broader pattern of town growth. In the mid-10th to early 11th centuries there was a large late Saxon cellared structure, similar to others found within the early town, although this area was marginal to the main focus of late Saxon occupation in Northampton. The cellar was succeeded by a Saxo-Norman timber building on the same alignment, although the larger part of the site was open ground, and the roads appear to have been less formally defined. Intensive occupation of the site did not occur until the 13th-14th centuries when property boundaries were defined by areas of quarrying. Four medieval buildings were constructed within these plots, including a malthouse and a bakehouse. The arrangement of the buildings emphasise...
This paper describes the development of a prehistoric landscape by the river Nene at Grendon Lake... more This paper describes the development of a prehistoric landscape by the river Nene at Grendon Lakes, partly revealed in the 1970s and partly during excavations in 1998 and 2001, which are reported in full. Two major phases of archaeological activity are evident, one interpreted as Neolithic–Early Bronze Age, the other as Iron Age. The gap between these is bridged by an environmental sequence reconstructed with the aid of a pollen core from an adjacent palaeochannel, which shows that human activity continued in the intervening period. The landscape is comparable in form, though not in scale, with that investigated 13 km downstream at Raunds, and helps shed light on the distinctive features of Midlands river valleys like the Nene in prehistory. In conclusion it is suggested that the different characters of the Neolithic and Iron Age features at Grendon mask some underlying similarities in the way they structured people's movements and encounters.
MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook an archaeological excavation on land to the west of... more MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook an archaeological excavation on land to the west of Harbidges Lane, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire. The site fronted onto the northern side of the postulated former Coventry to Northampton road. In the eastern half of the site occupation comprised a plot bounded by ditches enclosing two timber buildings dated to the 11th century. On the western side were a series of probable contemporary enclosed plots/fields. The timber buildings were replaced in the mid to late 13th century by two stone buildings along either side of a metalled track, which presumably joined the Northampton road. A ditched boundary on the east side of the site, which ran parallel with the road, was later replaced by a stone wall. These features had lasted for around a century when the site was abandoned in the mid/late 14th century and reverted to agricultural use until the present day.
A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now... more A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now MOLA Northampton) on behalf of CgMs Consulting, on land at the former Cattle Market site, Brackmills Point, Northampton, identified a pair of pits and an isolated pit. One of the pair of pits contained a number of worked flints and debitage, dating to the early Neolithic, while charred hazelnut shell has been radiocarbon dated to the end of the early Neolithic. The site was traversed by remnant furrows of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation
... I). They later became the subject ofa field investigation by Dr C. French, then of the Fenlan... more ... I). They later became the subject ofa field investigation by Dr C. French, then of the FenlandArchaeological Trust, when in 1991 a rigorous programme of fieldwalking and cxcavation recovcred large quantities ofpottcry, lead fishing weights and olhcr artcfacts:' ...
In 1998 a circle of timber posts within the intertidal zone on the north Norfolk coast was brough... more In 1998 a circle of timber posts within the intertidal zone on the north Norfolk coast was brought to the attention of the Norfolk County Council Archaeological Service. A subsequent programme of archaeological recording and dating revealed that the structure was constructed in the spring or early summer of 2049 BC, during the Early Bronze Age. Because of the perceived threat of damage and erosion from the sea a rescue excavation was undertaken during the summer months of 1999. The structure was entirely excavated, involving the removal of the timbers and a programme of stratigraphic recording and environmental analysis. A survey was also undertaken within the environs of the site which has identified further timber structures dating from the Bronze Age. Detailed examination of the timber from the circle has produced a wealth of unexpected information which has added greatly to our understanding of Early Bronze Age woodworking, organisation of labour and the layout and construction ...
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and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical
survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were
subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been
shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping
ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow
Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby
pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated
Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given
the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating
that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were
constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries
of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular
at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch
and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of
an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone
that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow
pits within the interior and to the north-west the unurned
cremation burial of a 6-8 year old child was accompanied
by a jet bead. This burial and a deposit of carbonised oak
in the secondary fills of the ditch have given radiocarbon
dates in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, 1750-
1620 cal BC, indicating that the burial was a later
addition to the monument. A Middle Bronze Age sidelooped
spearhead also came from the fill of the henge
ditch, showing the survival of the henge as a substantial
earthwork. To the north of the henge there was an Lshaped
ditch system, and a red deer antler tine has been
radiocarbon dated to the Middle Bronze Age, 1190-1010
cal BC. The ditch also produced part of a human femur
and fragments from a cylindrical fired-clay loomweight.
and an adjacent ditch system, located by geophysical
survey and previously investigated by trial trenching, were
subject to open area excavation. The ring ditch has been
shown to be a henge monument, situated on high sloping
ground, just below the watershed, overlooking the Willow
Brook, which joins the River Nene to the east. A nearby
pit contained an assemblage of decorated and rusticated
Beaker sherds, and fragments of hazelnut shell have given
the earliest radiocarbon date, 2140-1950 cal BC, indicating
that the pit and perhaps the adjacent henge, were
constructed in the Early Bronze Age, the final centuries
of the 3rd millennium BC. The henge was near circular
at 31.0-33.5m in diameter, with a broad U-shaped ditch
and an entrance to the south-east. The former presence of
an external bank was indicated by deposits of limestone
that had come in from outside. There were a few shallow
pits within the interior and to the north-west the unurned
cremation burial of a 6-8 year old child was accompanied
by a jet bead. This burial and a deposit of carbonised oak
in the secondary fills of the ditch have given radiocarbon
dates in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, 1750-
1620 cal BC, indicating that the burial was a later
addition to the monument. A Middle Bronze Age sidelooped
spearhead also came from the fill of the henge
ditch, showing the survival of the henge as a substantial
earthwork. To the north of the henge there was an Lshaped
ditch system, and a red deer antler tine has been
radiocarbon dated to the Middle Bronze Age, 1190-1010
cal BC. The ditch also produced part of a human femur
and fragments from a cylindrical fired-clay loomweight.