NHER 51993 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Earthworks of a small mound, possible barrow of Bronze Age, Roman or Saxon date, or a medieval to post medieval building platform

March 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of this circular mound, possibly relating to the remains of a small round barrow dating to the Bronze Age, Roman or Saxon periods are visible on aerial photographs (S1). An alternative explanation is that this mound formed the platform for a structure of some sort, potentially medieval, post medieval or modern in date. The site is centred on TG 2238 0073. The earthworks of possibly comparable monuments have been identified within the vicinity on aerial photographs (NHER 48963, 51992-3).
The aerial photographs would suggest that the mound is approximately 8.5m across with a small sunken pit-like feature on the top of the mound. This may relate to a primary or secondary interment into the mound, an antiquarian excavation or feasibly some sort of structure that was positioned on the mound. A similar sunken area was identified on the top of the mound to the south (NHER 51994). Partly due to the vegetation cover it is hard to ascertain the relationship between the mound and the slight bank of up-cast that runs alongside the drainage channel. It is possible that the mound slightly overlies this up-cast and this would indicate that the mound is a relatively late feature. However as the relationship cannot be clearly demonstrated by the aerial photographs, it remains a possibility that the site represents the remains of a barrow.
This mound is located approximately 550m to the northeast of another more convincing mound (NHER 48963), that is located in a similar landscape setting to a drainage channel, formerly a stream or minor tributary that feeds joins the River Tas to the east. This site was interpreted as Roman barrow due to its proximity to the Roman road (NHER 7947) 20m to the east. The interpretation of a Bronze Age barrow was discounted due to the landscape setting of the monument. However the recognition of Bronze Age round barrows within low-lying and river valley settings is becoming increasingly common. The mound would be at the lower end for size range for Early to Middle Bronze Age barrows. While it is possible that the positioning alongside the Roman road could indicate a contemporary date for the monument, this is by no means conclusive. The small size and shape of the mound does not easily fit into the characteristics of Roman barrows, which are generally held to large, high, steep-sided mounds (S2), although presumably there may have been some variation in form.
An alternative interpretation could be that this mound and the other nearby examples (NHER 48963 and 51994) all relate to Saxon barrows. Barrows ranging in size from 3m to around 9m are known to have covered Early (or early Middle) Saxon inhumations and these are often surrounded by a penannular ring ditch (S3-S4). Ring ditches 8m in diameter were excavated surrounding graves at Spong Hill (NHER 1012). At least one other example of Anglo Saxon barrows being positioned alongside Roman roads, as with NHER 48963 and 51994, have been recorded within Norfolk, such as at Sporle with Palgrave (see NHER 4598). Analysis of the relationship of the location of graves and cemeteries in other counties, in particular Wiltshire, has suggested that Roman roads played a significant role in the positing of these monuments (S4). Finds of an early Saxon date have been found within the general vicinity of the site and the assemblages recovered in the area could suggest at least one Middle to Late Saxon settlement nearby (NHER 9721, 9724). Although there is much uncertainty with regards to the date and function of these mounds, the interpretation of Saxon round barrows does seem quite persuasive, given the archaeological context for the monument.
S. Horlock (NMP), 11 March 2009.