NHER 44905 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Site of possible Neolithic mortuary enclosure

August 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A sub-rectangular enclosure is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), centred at TG 4231 1552. Its form is similar to that of the oblong class of enclosures identified in Lincolnshire and thought to represent the remains of Neolithic long barrows or funerary enclosures (S3). A similar interpretation can be made of the enclosure described here, although there is no direct dating evidence from the site. The presence of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery 90m to the south (NHER 15805), elements of which may themselves date back to the Later Neolithic, clearly demonstrates the significance of this site for funerary activity in the earlier prehistoric period. The site itself overlooks the upper reaches of Shallam Dyke to its northwest, a topographic position which may have been significant in the choice of location. At the same time, it should be noted that the cropmark of the enclosure is rather faint, and the possibility that it is the product of the underlying geology at the site, or of recent agricultural activity, cannot be ruled out.

The enclosure is sub-rectangular in plan with notably rounded ends. It measures approximately 24.5m long and 15.5m wide. A break in the ditch circuit at its north corner could represent an entrance or simply reflect the cropmark being masked. It should be noted that due to an inadequate number of control points, the photographs could not be properly rectified and this may have had an adverse effect on the accuracy of the mapping.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 10 August 2006.