NHER 51048 (Monument record) - Middle Bronze Age enclosure and later features

The results of a systematic fieldwalking and metal-detecting survey at this site in 2007 are now recorded under NHER 28271.

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Archaeological assessment of western route options for Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 July 2019.

April 2012-April 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Block 16).
Two adjacent perpendicular linear anomalies identified towards the eastern end of the field may represent the western and southern sides of an enclosure aligned on the cardinal points of the compass. A number of north-to-south and east-to-west aligned linear anomalies to the west are likely to represent post-medieval ditches, the majority corresponding with the lines of former field boundaries marked on 19th-century maps.
Although a range of other anomalies were also identified these are not thought to be of archaeological significance, being most likely of agricultural or geological origin.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2015.

April-August 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field H8).
Two of the ten trenches excavated in this field work placed to investigate the possible enclosure ditches identified by the preceding geophysical survey. In both cases reasonably substantial corresponding ditches were identified. The finds recovered included several sherds of grog-tempered Bronze Age pottery, worked flints of probable later prehistoric type and large quantities of burnt flint. This material suggested that the enclosure was most likely Bronze Age in date.
Other features identified in the vicinity of the enclosure ditches included a large pit with steep sides and flat base, a post-hole and a north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch; all of which were undated.
The other eight trenches revealed only sparse, scattered remains including ditches, an irregular linear feature and two possible post-holes. The ditches, one aligned east-to-west and the other north-east to south-west were both exposed in the same trench. Although the former ran parallel to one of the former post-medieval field boundaries it was actually found to contain 16 sherds of Roman pottery. It should be noted that Roman material was also recovered from several similarly-aligned features exposed in the field immediately to the west (NHER 63577). The adjacent ditch was also produced a small assemblage of Roman pottery. Several presumably residual finds were also recovered from these features, including a prehistoric flint flake, burnt flints and single sherds of Late Bronze/Early Iron Age and later Iron Age pottery.
Other prehistoric finds of note included a probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic blade core found in subsoil and a blade of similar date recovered from one of the excavated post-holes.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 July 2019.

January-September 2016. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of site on route of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area 5).
The phase of work saw the targeted excavated of the probable enclosure at the eastern end of the site. This was found to be much more complete that the geophysical survey had suggested, being formed by two 'L' shaped sections of ditch, one of which had not previously been identified. These ditches were between 1.35m and 2.6m and 0.44m and 1.14m deep - sufficiently substantial for us to be reasonable certain that the gaps between them represent intentional openings at the north-west and south-east corners of the enclosure. This enclosure was almost certainly Middle Bronze Age, pottery of this date being recovered from eight of the excavated slots. Radiocarbon dating of charred grain from the one of the ditches also returned a Middle Bronze Age date of 1385-1128 cal BC at 95% probability (SUERC-71673; 3010 ± 29 BP). A range of other finds were recovered from these ditches including almost 300 worked flints, two hammestones, part of a Neolithic part-polished flint axehead, a possible sandstone macehead fragment, a flint quern fragment, a large amount of burnt flint (over 13kg), two pieces of fired clay (both probably fragments of unidentified objects), an unidentified copper alloy object (possible a droplet created during metal working) and an intrusive fragment of clay tobacco pipe stem. Although some earlier material is present the bulk of the worked flint assemblage is typical of later, Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age industries, consisting primarily of poorly-detached squat flakes, crudely retouched tools and minimally or irregularly reduced cores. It is therefore of interest that the assemblage also includes fragments of two ground implements that are unlikely to have been produced after the Early Bronze Age. Environment samples taken from the fills of the enclosure ditches produced relatively little in the way of charred plant macrofossils or other debris.
The only features identified within the enclosure was a small pit and a possible post-hole, neither of which produced any finds. A sample taken from the fill of the pit produced a single hazelnut shell.
The small number of other features exposed included several badly-truncated ditches and a probable solution hollow. A parallel pair of east-to-west aligned ditches immediately to the northern of the enclosure appears to correspond with a field boundary marked on the Horsford tithe map of 1841 (S5). This suggests that the similarity of their alignment to that of the adjacent enclosure was probably coincidental. An perpendicular ditch that appear to cut through the uppermost fill of the enclosure was also probably a post-medieval feature. The solution hollow lay within one of the gaps between the enclosure ditches and produced an assemblage of later prehistoric worked flints as well as several sherds of medieval pottery. The flints were broadly similar to those found within the Bronze Age ditches, although most were in a more weathered condition.
Information from draft assessment report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 July 2019.