NHER 32779 (Monument record) - Multi-period finds from Plantation Farm Reservoir

6 January 1984. Fenland Project fieldwalking.
Several sites identified:

Site HCW AK (TL 6482 8635; Context 1).
Neolithic/Bronze Age straight-edged flake knife. Identified by F. Healy (NAU). Previously recorded as NHER 19892. Site not listed in final publication.

Site HCW 12 (TL 6489 8632; Context 2).
Two overlapping scatters of material. To the west 'pot boilers' with no real flint component, while to the east a number of worked flints. Pot boilers more common than flints. All lie on part of island mostly composed of fairly heavy clayey silt with lumps of chert gravel. However, flints lie on what appears to be isolated patch of sandier material also containing gravel but rather lighter in texture. Maximum dimensions of combined scatters 60m x 30m. Worked flints (1 multi-platform core and 5 flakes) not closely datable. Previously recorded as NHER 19893.

Site HCW AL (TL 6491 8637: Context 3).
Few 'pot boilers' and flints in limited area of island sand with gravel. Worked flints not closely datable. Also medieval sherds. Previously recorded as NHER 19898. Site not listed in final publication.

See (S1) and (S2) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.

6-16 May 1997. Archaeological Evaluation.
Fieldwalking and trial trenching undertaken prior to construction of agricultural reservoir. The area examined also included the adjacent site (NHER 19899).

Fieldwalking finds included:
13 ?prehistoric burnt flints.
1 ?Mesolithic utilised flint blade with abraded platform.
1 ?Neolithic flint end scraper.
1 ?Bronze Age small flint scraper.
20 later prehistoric worked flints, including 10 flakes, 8 utilised flakes, 1 scraper and 1 side scraper.
3 undatable prehistoric pottery sherds, including 2 flint and grog tempered body sherds and 1 Neolithic/Iron Age flint-gritted pottery sherd.
1 Roman pottery sherd.
1 Middle Saxon Ipswich ware pottery sherd.
23 medieval pottery sherds, including Cambridge-type glazed, local unglazed Grimston and Hedingham type.
6 post-medieval pottery sherds. All Glazed Red Earthenware.
2 undated lead fragments.

The trench trenches excavated in this field revealed a number of linear features interpreted as land drains, several undated hollows and a number of undated pits that were probable modern features (associated with tree planting?). No finds were recovered from these features, which were of little archaeological significance.

See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.