NHER 56277 (Monument record) - Multi-period remains including Neolithic pits, Early Bronze Age 'burnt mound', Early Saxon pit and medieval pits and ditches

August 2011. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey of the northernmost part of the site recorded several strong linear and curvilinear anomalies likely of archaeological origin as well as two small clusters of enhanced response of possible archaeological or geological origin.
Three parallel curvilinear anomalies interpreted as ditches were present in the central portion of the surveyed area. These extended to Chalk Lane and may have been associated with the Devil's Dyke (NHER 3937) earthworks. A large trapezoidal enclosure measuring 140m x 80m x 130m appears to have surrounded the ditches, but additional fieldwork is required to determine the relationship between these features. The remaining clusters of anomalies were located immediately south of the enclosure and across the northern edge of the enclosure and have been interpreted as possible pits, but this interpretation remains tentative.
See report (S1) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 23 November 2011. Amended by H. Hamilton (HES), 29 May 2014.

October 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Fourteen trial trenches were excavated in the northernmost part of the site, with these placed to investigate anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey.
Human skeletal remains and Early Iron Age pottery dating from the 7th-6th centuries BC were recovered from a hollow. The bones are all large and robust and could all belong to a single individual. Sharp cuts across two of the bones of the lower arms suggest that this individual may have died violently.
A significant feature, possibly a pit or sunken-featured building, was located west of the Devil's Dyke, and produced Early Saxon pottery, typical of urns sometimes found in association with cremations and inhumations. Considerable quantities of animal bone were recovered from this feature, perhaps indicating an emphasis on animal husbandry.
See report (S2) for further details.
A. Cattermole (HES), 19 March 2015.

February 2012. Trial Trenching.
Two evaluation trenches were excavated along the roadside verge bordering Chalk Lane in order to investigate an earthwork bank located on the conjectural line of the Bichamditch (Devil's Dyke) earthwork (NHER 3937).
Both trenches were placed partially on the earthwork bank and extended westwards into the arable field. Within the northern trench, the earthwork bank was 1m deep at the eastern end and tapered towards the west for 2.3m before merging with the subsoil. In the southern trench the bank was very similar, but the deposit was not very distinct from the adjacent subsoil. Both bank sections were found to overlay a layer of subsoil and in both trenches this deposit in turn was found to overlay a north-south ditch. In the northern trench, auger sounding confirmed that the ditch was 0.9m deep, but in the southern trench it reached only 0.3m. However, it remains likely that these ditches are part of a single feature. Unfortunately, no finds were recovered from either trench and therefore these features could not be firmly dated.
Although these ditch and bank features were located along one of the posited routes of the Birchamditch (NHER 3937), it is believed that neither feature is actually associated with this earthwork. The upstanding bank west of Chalk Lane has been interpreted as the remains of a woodland bank, as indicated by an avenue of trees on Bryant's 1826 map of Norfolk (S3). The ditch pre-dates the bank and therefore is a more likely candidate to be connected to the Birchamditch. However, this ditch appears to have been sealed below the same subsoil deposit that sealed the medieval ditch system recorded in the adjacent trenches at this site in October 2011. This ditch is likely of similar date and may have formed part of the same system.
See report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
S. Howard (HES), 22 March 2012. Amended by H. Hamilton (HES), 29 May 2014.

January-February 2015. Excavation.
Final phase of archaeological mitigation in northernmost part of site, with three areas subject to open area excavation - each of these was placed to target significant remains uncovered by the 2011 trial trenching, including the large hollow that had produced Iron Age pottery and human skeletal remains.
This work produced a range of prehistoric finds, with the assemblages of worked flint and pottery recovered demonstrating the site saw significant activity during multiple prehistoric periods. The bulk of the evidence for prehistoric activity was associated with the large hollow, which lay approximately 200m to the east of a minor watercourse and may have been seasonally inundated. It measured approximately 33.5m by 34m and had a very uneven base, with buried soil deposits surviving within the lower depressions. The earliest of these soils is thought to potentially date to the Neolithic. This deposit produced the bulk of the worked flints recovered, the majority of which are blade-based pieces of probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date – with the nature of the more diagnostic pieces suggesting this material was most likely primarily associated with activity during the latter part of this range. The probable Neolithic soil was cut by a number of features, including two pits containing significant caches of Neolithic flint implements. The first comprised a group of seven leaf-shaped arrowheads in various stages of manufacture, along with several flakes that potentially represented unretouched blanks. The second pit contained a large bifacially-worked knife, a ground chisel, an extensively reflaked polished axehead and a flaked axehead with no trace of polish. All of these implements show signs of use and the chisel had been broken a considerable time after manufacture - raising the possibility that these objects had been collected and buried long after they were first discarded. Another Neolithic polished axehead was recovered elsewhere in the hollow and its fills also contained a number of what were potentially Neolithic axe thinning flakes.
The early buried soil was found to be overlain by the remains of a prehistoric 'burnt mount', comprised of a series of charcoal-rich deposits containing extremely large quantities of burnt flint. Such remains are typically found to be Early Bronze Age in date and that proved to be the case here, with a charcoal sample from one of the mound layers producing an Early Bronze Age radiocarbon dates of 2273-2034 cal BC at 95.4% probability (SUERC-60716; 3736 ± 31 BP). The layers associated with the burnt mound contained a small number of potentially contemporary worked flints, while samples taken from these deposits produced carbonised oat and wheat grains, indeterminate legumes and hazel nutshell fragments, along with a small number of animal bone fragments. It is estimated that over one million fragments of flint were collected, with evidence for the intensity of burning being fairly consistent across the assemblage. It is also noted that all of the samples collected contained some unburnt flint, demonstrating that the material was not being burnt in-situ, with the mound being comprised of dumped material that included the remnants of the stockpiles of unburnt flint that had been brought to the site. Two of the various features cut into the early buried soil were probably directly associated the activities that generated the burnt mound – a circular, vertical-sided pit with organic lower fills that had potentially been dug to function as a well and a rectangular possible trough. The former contained a single fragment of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age probable Beaker pottery, pieces of preserved unworked wood and a partial aurochs skull and horncore that potentially represented some form of ritual deposit. Charcoal recovered from the possible trough produced an Early Bronze Age radiocarbon date of 2266-2031 cal BC at 95.4% probability (SUERC-60712; 3728 ± 31 BP). Small amounts of probable Beaker pottery were also recovered from a number of other pits within the hollow, indicating these were also associated with the Early Bronze Age phase of activity. The same was probably true for at least some of the other, undated pits present at the same stratigraphic horizon, several of which also produced additional fragments of animal bone. The 'well-pit' and its adjacent pits were also surrounded by a ring of eight post-holes that potentially represented some form of broadly contemporary structure, such as a shelter or windbreak.
Slightly later activity was represented by a pit at the eastern margin of the hollow that contained 25 Middle Bronze Age pottery sherds, worked flints and fragments of animal bone.
Iron Age pottery was again recovered from deposits at the northern margins of the hollow, although the sherds found during this phase of work are all regarded as being of either later Iron Age or indeterminate Iron Age date. It is possible that those found during the earlier work were mistakenly attributed to the Early Iron Age.
The prehistoric features and deposits within the hollow were sealed by layers interpreted as post-Roman plough soils. These produced mixed assemblages of prehistoric finds and later material, including a small amount of Early Saxon pottery and a number of medieval objects. No further human remains were recovered from this feature, so the age of the fragments found during the preceding evaluation remains uncertain.
A series of discrete features surrounding the large hollow were mostly interpreted as probable natural tree-throw hollows. These produced little in the way of finds apart from several worked flints of probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date, although it was notable that none contained any burnt flint; suggesting they potentially predated the Early Bronze Age phase of activity. The one potentially prehistoric feature identified in the central excavation areas was a pit containing a moderate amount of burnt flint. Several pits in the easternmost excavation area were also regarded as potentially prehistoric but these produced no dating evidence.
There was only limited evidence for Roman-period activity on the site, with virtually all of the finds of this date being found unstratified either within either the uppermost fills of the large hollow or within subsoil and topsoil deposits elsewhere. The one exception was a brooch of Late Iron Age/early Roman date recovered from an otherwise undated pit at the margin of the hollow. The unstratified finds included a small number of early Roman pottery sherds, Late Iron Age/early Roman and early Roman brooches, a nail cleaner and a group of 3rd- and 4th-century coins.
The easternmost excavation area was centred on the Early Saxon feature identified during the preceding trial trenching, which was shown to be an isolated large pit, rather than some form of structure. It was fully excavated, with additional pottery sherds and animal fragments recovered. As noted above, the pottery from this feature includes sherds from a decorated jar of a type often associated with cremation and inhumation burials. It is therefore potentially significant that the unstratified finds recovered during the excavation include a number of objects that are also often associated with Early Saxon grave assemblages, including two cruciform brooch fragments and possible binding strips from a stave-built bucket. A pieced Roman coin probably also represents an object that had been converted to jewellery in the Early Saxon period. Earlier metal-detecting within this field has also recovered a number of Early Saxon brooch fragments (see NHER 32878). As no other features of definite Early Saxon date were uncovered the source of these finds remains uncertain.
Various features of probable medieval date were recorded in the westernmost excavation area, including several intercutting east-north-east to west-south-west aligned probable boundary ditches and an adjacent group of parallel and perpendicular ditches that potentially represented two sides of a small rectilinear enclosure. A group of intercutting quarry pits probably dug to extract chalk/clunch were also potentially associated with this phase of activity. These features produced pottery of predominantly high medieval (12th- to 14th-century) date, with little later material recovered. The one exception was the latest of the intercutting probable boundary ditches, which also produced a single post-medieval pottery sherd and post-medieval tile fragment. In the central and eastern excavation areas two phases of medieval or later ditches were identified, with an extensive north-west to south-east aligned feature truncated by a series of three north-to-south aligned ditches. The latter included two adjacent features at the eastern edge of the site, close to, and parallel with the line of the Birchamditch/Devil's Dyke linear earthwork (NHER 3937). There were though no remains uncovered that could be directly associated with the linear earthwork itself. A short, perpendicular and seemingly later section of ditch in the gap between these features was found to contain a small amount of post-medieval clay tobacco pipe. A pit containing a notable quantity of animal bone that was cut by one of the north-to-south aligned ditches is thought to have been medieval in date, although it produced no dating evidence and was also potentially associated with the Early Saxon phase of activity. Unstratified medieval finds included a number of silver coins (several of which potentially represented a small purse loss), various dress accessories and strap fittings, mounts and a probable casket key.
No other feature of potential post-medieval date were identified, with the unstratified finds of this date largely limited to three 16th-century jettons and a small number of dress accessories.
The one undatable find of note is an unstratified piece of folded gold sheet, which is potentially a piece of hack gold.
Information from Assessment and Updated Project Design report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy and final report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 July 2026.

January 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development area in central part of site (immediately to south of previously investigated area).
The 15 trenches excavated revealed several ditches and dispersed, diffuse clusters of possible pits and post-holes. Finds were scarce and as a result few of the features could be convincingly dated. One exception was an east-to-west aligned ditch encountered in four of the trenches. This feature appears to correspond with a former field boundary shown on the Narborough tithe map of 1837 (S6), a suggestion that is supported by the fact it produced several finds of post-medieval or later date. This feature also appears to coincide with one of the three geophysical anomalies that were thought to represent a trapezoidal enclosure.
Other linear features of note included two adjacent groups of intercutting north-to-south alignment ditches exposed at the eastern edge of the site that presumably represented a boundary that had been re-established on numerous occasions. One the earlier ditches was a particularly substantial feature but unfortunately this produced no dating evidence. A bar mount of probable medieval date found in one of the later features was the only find recovered from this group. It is possible that one of these groups is a continuation of the previously investigated ditch adjacent to Chalk Lane (which also produced medieval material). It should though also be noted that the tithe map indicates this boundary was still an extant landscape feature in the late post-medieval period.
The other possible ditches displayed a variety of alignments and with one exception were not encountered in more than one trench. Their nature is therefore uncertain.
The majority of the discrete features were regarded as potentially prehistoric although in most cases this could only be a tentative suggestion due to the lack of convincingly dating evidence. One pit produced a handmade sherd of Iron Age or Saxon date but otherwise finds were limited to occasional prehistoric worked flints and a small quantities of burnt flint. The flints represented activity during both the Mesolithic/Early Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age periods and it should be noted that not only were the quantities recovered small, in several cases adjacent features produced material of differing date.
The small number of unstratified finds recovered included additional Mesolithic/Early Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age worked flints; a Roman coin, post-medieval pottery; a post-medieval brick and a small number of post-medieval and undated metal objects.
See report (S7) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.287).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 March 2021.

August 2024. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetic gradiometer survey of proposed development area at southern end of site.
The most notable response is a broad curvilinear negative response that corresponds with a circular cropmark visible on recent aerial imagery (S8). This cropmark is likely the same feature as one previously noted on aerial photographs taken in 1974 and interpreted as a possible Bronze Age ring-ditch (NHER 11703). It is though noted that the geophysical anomaly may actually be either associated with the remnants of a bank or some form of natural feature.
The survey also identified a number of linear anomalies likely to represent infilled ditches in the eastern and southernmost parts of the area examined. These include a group of parallel roughly north-north-east to south-south-west aligned features at the eastern edge of the site, at least some of which potentially represent a continuation of ditches or medieval or later date recorded during earlier work to the north. They also coincide with former boundaries shown on the Narborough Tithe map (S6) and run parallel with and immediately adjacent to the suggested line of the Birchamditch/Devil's Dyke linear earthwork (NHER 3937).
Various other linear and discrete anomalies were also recorded, although the nature of these responses is uncertain. Some may be archaeologically significant but it is likely that many are either the result of recent agricultural activity or natural in origin.
See report (S9) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 July 2026.

August 2025. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development area at southern end of site.
The most notable feature was a substantial north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch which was encountered in four of the 12 trenches excavated and clearly corresponds with several of the linear anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey. This was a maximum of 4.76m wide, up to 1.04m deep and contained fills likely to represent natural silting. The small number of finds recovered from the three excavated interventions included several prehistoric worked flints, two Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery sherds and an iron horseshoe of medieval/post-medieval date. Samples taken from its fills produced small amount of charcoal but little else of note. At the southern end of the site two similarly-aligned but less substantial ditches lay immediately to the east of this feature. These also contained prehistoric worked flints and small amounts of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery. The largest ditch must have been associated with a significant boundary and it is argued that it likely represented an element of the Birchamditch/Devil's Dyke linear earthwork (NHER 3937). This may well be the case, although, as in the areas investigated to the north the situation is complicated by the number of features found to run adjacent with, and parallel to Chalk Lane. At least one of the excavated ditches potentially relates to the western boundary of a narrow strip of land shown adjacent to Chalk Lane on the Narborough tithe map (S6).
Only sparse, scattered remains of uncertain date were encountered across the remainder of the area investigated, including three differently-aligned, much narrower ditches and a number of probable pits and post-holes. The pits included a feature containing a notable quantity of burnt flint, although a sample taken from its fill produced little else of interest. These both also produced worked flints and small amounts of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery.
There was no evidence for archaeologically-significant remains associated with a possible ring-ditch that had previously been noted on aerial imagery of this location (NHER 11703). Although a geophysical anomaly appeared to correspond with this cropmark this didn’t have the characteristics that would be expected of a response associated with a cut feature. The excavated evidence suggests that this anomaly corresponds with a natural rise in ground level, a layer to the south of which was investigated and deemed to be of natural in origin.
Unstratified finds were limited to a single early Roman pottery sherd and a small amount of animal bone.
See report (S10) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 July 2026.