NHER 55758 (Monument record) - Later Iron Age pit, possible Early Saxon graves and other multi-period and undated remains

March 2010. Geophysical survey.
Magnetometer survey of parts of large proposed development area (Field 12).
The survey of the larger of the two areas examined at this location revealed no responses of archaeological significance. A large area of broad, intense magnetic anomalies detected in the south-east part of the site corresponds with the location of a large sand pit shown on 20th-century Ordnance Survey maps. The nature of the responses suggests it has been at least partially infilled with magnetic debris (such as ceramic building material, iron objects and so forth). See NHER 9142 for details of finds recovered in this pit during the 1920s.
The speckled appearance of the data across the rest of the site is characteristic of ground contaminated by building rubble or other magnetic hardcore. This is consistent with both the fieldwalking results (see NHER 55777) and reports that much imported soil had been spread on the field in recent years.
There was no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with two possible cropmark ring-ditches that were noted on aerial photographs in 1989 (NHER 29829). It has though been noted that these marks were not particularly convincing as archaeological features and they were not mapped during a more recent thorough review of the available aerial photographs as part of a National Mapping Programme (NMP) project.
A smaller block examined at the western edge of the site recorded a continuation of a curvilinear anomaly that had been detected in the field to the west (Field 9; NHER 65432).
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
S. Howard (HES), 28 June 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 February 2022 and 10 October 2024.

November 2022-March 2023. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of narrow strip along route of proposed new access road (Field 2).
This survey identified a north-west to south-east aligned linear anomaly at TM 0448 9359. A similarly-aligned cropmark had previously been noted at this location (NHER 9183) but it is more relevant that the geophysical anomaly clearly corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Attleborough tithe map (S3). An adjacent irregular linear anomaly is thought to be of natural origin.
Other responses of potential interest include a discrete pit-type anomaly at TM 0452 9364.
A large highly magnetic zone at the eastern edge of the site adjacent to Leys Lane coincides with a former sand quarry shown at this location on 20th-century Ordnance Survey maps.
Scattered discrete dipolar anomalies were probably caused by ferrous material on or close to the surface (most likely modern debris).
There was no evidence for remains associated with a possible square enclosure visible as a faint cropmark on a 1946 aerial photograph (NHER 9196).
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2024.

March-July 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed new access road (17-22).
The six trenches excavated at this location revealed a range of features, the most notable of which were two pits interpreted as possible Early Saxon graves.
The finds recovered suggest this location saw at least limited activity during multiple prehistoric periods. These finds include a small assemblage of worked flints comprising pieces of likely Mesolithic/Early Neolithic, Late Neolithic/Bronze Age and Bronze Age/Iron Age date. Most, if not all, of this material was though probably residual within later contexts. This was probably also the case with a single grog-tempered pottery sherd of likely Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date and a small number of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age sherds (although a number of the later were recovered from otherwise undated pits and post-holes. There was though much more convincing evidence for significant later Iron Age activity on the site. The remains of this date include a pit containing more than 100 Middle Iron Age pottery sherds and a small amount of fired clay. A sample taken from the fill of this feature produced charcoal and a number of charred wheat grains. A larger area opened up around this feature revealed an additional pit and two possible post-holes – none of which produced any dating evidence.
The two possible burials were encountered within the same trench at approximately TM 0458 9365. This trench (which was expanded once these features were encountered) also revealed a number of ditches and various pits and post-holes – at least some of which were potentially associated with prehistoric activity. Of particular interest was an ovoid pit that contained approximately 200kg of burnt flint. Samples taken from its fill produced charcoal but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils. Although this feature produced no dating evidence, larger concentrations of burnt flint are general found to be prehistoric – representing material that had been used to heat or boil significant quantities of water ('pot boilers'). Such material does though tend to be encountered in low-lying situations close to a water source, usually in association with 'burnt mound'-type surface accumulations. Burnt flints were found in small quantities within a number of the other features, suggesting they were unlikely to relate to earlier activity. Several of the pits and post-holes contained pottery of probable Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date, including at least two that produced no other dating evidence - although in all cases the quantities were small. Small amounts of pottery identified as being of later Iron Age date were recovered from several other features, including two pits and three parallel west-north-west to east-south-east aligned ditches. A fourth ditch on a slightly more east-to-west orientation was probably post-medieval as this trench coincided with the line of a similarly-orientated former field boundary depicted on the Attleborough tithe map (S3). A fragment of what was probably post-medieval glass was found in a pit adjacent to this ditch.
The two possible graves were identified as such due to the presence of several objects of probable 7th-century date. One pit contained a dress pin bent into a circle, from which was hung an annular brooch missing its pin and a naturally-perforated stone (a ‘hagstone’). Such composite objects are known to be a feature of later 6th- and 7th-century graves. An iron whittle knife was also recovered from this feature, while a second such knife was the only find of Early Saxon date recovered from the second possible inhumation. No human remains or body stains were encountered, which is seen as a result of the acidic, sandy conditions. The presence of a pottery sherd identified as later iron Age within one of these possible graves prompted a limited re-examination of the Iron Age pottery (which is often difficult to distinguish from handmade Early Saxon pottery). The results were somewhat inconclusive, although it was noted that some of the sherds examined were potentially Early Saxon. This raises the possibility that features presumed to be prehistoric were actually associated with this later phase of activity. It should therefore also be noted that there are examples elsewhere of Early Saxon features being found to contain large quantities of burnt flint (interpreted as cooking pits).
Later remains included a clusters of pits that all contained post-medieval finds.
A number of undated pits and ditches were also recorded at this location. These included a pit containing a fragment of iron smelting slag, which lay equidistance between the main group of potentially prehistoric and/or Early Saxon remains and the cluster of post-medieval pits.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2024.