NHER 52618 (Monument record) - Middle Iron Age post alignment and potentially prehistoric pit

November 2008. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed access road.
The desk-based assessment indicated that the site is within an area of known archaeology dating to the early prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods.
See report (S1) for further details.
S. Howard (NLA), 6 November 2009.

January 2009. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed access road.
The trenches in the central and eastern part of this area revealed a series of three main peat deposits overlain by marine clays which were more than 3.2m deep.
A potentially late prehistoric pit and a north-to-south aligned Iron Age post alignment were recorded in two trenches at the western end of the area of evaluation. Both features were located on the slightly higher gravel terrace, away from the deeper fen deposits identified in the more easterly trenches. The post alignment consisted of a linear arrangement of five upright oak posts orientated north to south. They were well preserved and revealed tool marks indicative of trimming using a broad and flat tool. A Middle Iron Age radiocarbon date of 390-170 cal BC at 95% probability was obtained for one of the posts (Beta-255942; 2220 +/- 50 BP). It is possible that the posts form part of a route or jetty which potentially extends further north or south outside the area evaluated. It is likely that the posts were established during peat formation as the peat was only partially formed when the posts were driven into the ground. A single undated sub-circular pit with shallow concave sides and a gently concave base and measuring 2m wide by 0.22m deep was recorded and was found to contain no artefacts. Environmental samples from the pit revealed low quantities of heavily fragmented charcoal, rare wild plant seed and one intrusive fat hen seed which does not indicate a specific use for this pit. As the pit was sealed by a buried soil which contained no artefacts the excavators suggest that it is likely to be prehistoric, and broadly contemporary with the post alignment.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
S. Howard (HES), 21 January 2011, updated by K. Hamilton (HES), 31 August 2011 and amended by A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 25 April 2019 and P. Watkins (HES), 13 July 2022.