NHER 55994 (Monument record) - Multi-period prehistoric and undated remains

May-June 2009. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development area (Field 2).
The survey revealed a ring ditch which could represent a Bronze Age ploughed out barrow (Context 1).
See report (S1) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 18 August 2011.

July 2012. Desk-based Assessment.
Heritage assessment of proposed development site.
This study emphasises the extensive evidence for prehistoric activity in the area, with the potential for remains of this date adjudged to be high.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 January 2021.

August 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of additional strip immediately to the south of the area examined in 2009 (Field 1).
No other anomalies of potential archaeological significance were identified.
A broad north-to-south aligned linear anomaly extending southwards from the ring ditch is believed to represent a natural channel or some form of geological feature.
Another linear anomaly running parallel to the western edge of the field probably relates to the modern plough headland.
A small number of scattered discrete anomalies are likely to represent either modern debris or natural features.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 January 2021.

November 2012. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site (Trenches 17-25).
Only one of the nine trenches excavated in this field revealed archaeologically-significant remains. This trench had been positioned to target the possible ring-ditch identified by the 2009 geophysical survey and revealed a potentially corresponding curvilinear gulley. This feature was 0.9m wide, relatively shallow at only 0.18m deep and produced no finds. A sub-circular pit and a possible gully on the ?interior side of the ring-ditch were also undated.
As in the field to the north (NHER 61168), no subsoil deposits were recorded, with topsoil lying directly above natural sands and gravels in all of the trenches.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021. Amended 18 January 2024.

February 2013. Strip, Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of site of temporary car park at eastern end of site.
Only two features were recorded, both of which were interpreted as ‘tree holes’. These did though contain notable quantities of burnt wood and charcoal and the edges of one were also heat reddened. It is therefore at least possible that these were pits associated with charcoal clamps. A single hand-forged iron nail was recovered from one of these features.
A single sherd of handmade pottery identified as potentially Early or Middle Saxon in date was the only unstratified find recovered.
As during the preceding work it is recorded that no subsoil deposit was present, although several substantial sondages were excavated to investigate what were regarded as colour changes in the natural deposits. It should however be noted that photos of the excavation appear to show traces of what would typically be regarded as a subsoil layer and subsequent work at the same site (see below) noted the presence of a 0.2m thick subsoil layer.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021. Amended 18 January 2024.

April-May 2020. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of new car park and access road.
The stripping of topsoil and subsoil deposits from a relatively narrow corridor at the southern end of the site exposed a number of archaeologically-significant features, the majority of which appear to have been prehistoric in date.
The earliest evidence for activity at this location came from a large, shallow natural hollow, which produced 15 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery and 114 worked flints of Mesolithic/Early Neolithic and Neolithic/Bronze Age date, much of which was in notably good condition. Similar flints were also found residual in a number of later features excavated elsewhere, suggesting that the material in the hollow was a relatively undisturbed sample of material distributed fairly widely across the site.
The feature of arguably the greatest interest was a pit that contained an Early Bronze Age cremation burial covered by an inverted Collared Urn (the base and lower extremities of which had been removed by ploughing). This vessel was surrounded by charcoal-rich deposits that contained additional burnt bone and therefore presumably represented additional pyre debris. Slight heat reddening visible on the sides of the pit indicated this material was deposited whilst still hot. An Early Bronze Age radiocarbon date of 2027-1828 cal BC at 95% probability (Beta-562425; 3580 +/- 30 BP) was obtained for cremated bone from within the Collared Urn. The human remains were identified as belonging to an adult individual, although it was not possible to determine their sex. Interestingly, turquoise staining was observed on several of the bone fragments, which is probably the traces of faience beads or metal objects placed on or with the body. An unburnt but clearly utilised plano-convex flint knife found amongst the material surrounding the urn was also potentially a grave good or offering of some kind. Samples from the cremation deposits were inevitably dominated by charcoal, which was found to consist primarily of oak heartwood and sapwood, with smaller quantities of oak roundwood and hazel likely to represent tinder or accidental inclusions.
Other prehistoric features included a tight cluster of 11 pits and post-holes in the south-eastern corner of the site, most, if not all of which are likely to have been of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date. The pits varied considerably in size, with the largest regarded as possible water holes or quarry pits. The function of the post-holes was uncertain as they don’t appear to have formed a substantial structure. As is often the case with prehistoric feature groups of this type, the distribution of finds was markedly uneven, with one of the larger pits found to contain by far the largest assemblage of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery (65 sherds), along with three worked flints, 282 burnt flints and several burnt fragments of what appears to have been a deliberately broken flint quern. The other features all produced much small quantities of similar material. A single sherd of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery and several worked flints were also recovered from an isolated pit identified a short distance from the main group. The main group of pottery includes vessel forms that conventionally indicate a date in the latter part of the Late Bronze Age to Earliest Iron Age period, which is consistent will a radiocarbon date of 971-816 cal BC at 95% probability (Beta-562423; 2740 +/- 30 BP) obtained for charred material recovered from the same feature. The worked flints from these features included several cruder, 'squat flakes' that could well be contemporary with the pottery, along with a number of presumably residual pieces of Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date. It is noted that the consistent nature of the burnt flint suggests it was deliberately heated as part of some specific process. Samples from these features produced wood charcoal and a range of charred grains and seeds. Analysis of the charcoal indicates that it was derived from a wide variety of sources.
Another feature elsewhere that was initially thought to be prehistoric was an isolated, small pit with a dark, charcoal-rich fill. A sample taken from this deposit was found to contain two fragments of burnt bone, one of which was identified as human, leading to the suggestion that this was a badly truncated cremation burial. It was therefore a surprise that charcoal from this feature returned a Middle Saxon date of cal AD 688-882 at 95% probability (Beta-562424; 1230 +/- 30 BP).
Undated features included an unremarkable pit and a pair of parallel north-west to south-east aligned ditches; all of which lay relatively close to the Early Bronze Age cremation. Given the lack of evidence for more recent activity on the site it is suggested that the ditches may have bounded a prehistoric trackway.
Unstratified finds were limited to a small number of worked flints.
See report (S6) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.74)
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021. Amended 27 September 2022 and 8 December 2022.