NHER 52921 (Monument record) - Middle Saxon fish trap

July 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of new soke dyke as part of Broadland Flood Alleviation Project (Compartment 12).
At this location these groundworks uncovered a wooden structure likely to represent the remains of a Middle Saxon fish weir. This structure crossed the base of the dyke on a north-to-south alignment and comprised wooden hurdles consisting of upright sails and horizonal rods. It is likely these remains were part of a static fish weir constructed on the intertidal flats of the Yare Valley and designed to catch fish on the receding tide. A concentration of marine shell at the upper horizon of the deposit surrounding the hurdles had probably been deposited by a high energy tidal event –perhaps one that destroyed the structure. Analysis of the timbers making up this probable fish trap indicated that the posts were made from a number of tree species, with alder the most commonly used. A range of cutting ages is represented, suggesting selection based on diameter and suitability rather than age. It is likely that the posts had been grown within a managed woodland. The vertical elements of the wattle hurdles (the sails) were mostly hazel, with lesser amounts of alder, willow and fruitwood. The horizontal elements (rods) were also mostly hazel, with the remainder being willow, ash, oak and alder.
A Middle Saxon radiocarbon date of AD 655 to 764 at 95% probability (Beta-451469; 1320 ± 30 BP) was obtained for one of the bottom rods of an excavated hurdle (which had probably been cut shortly before its construction).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
The results of this work are summarised in (S1).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 February 2025.