NHER 62658 (Monument record) - Potentially prehistoric ring-ditch and undated pits

November-December 2017. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The three trenches revealed several archaeologically significant features, the most notable of which was a ring-ditch that almost certainly corresponds with a cropmark feature previously identified on aerial photographs of this field (NHER 45212). The easternmost edge of the ring-ditch was exposed in one of the trenches, several metres to the north of its mapped location. It was between 1.1m and 1.29m wide and up to 0.62m deep, with both of the excavated slots revealing unremarkable deposit sequences likely to represent natural silting. Although the exposed section of ring-ditch was almost fully excavated finds were limited to a single prehistoric flint flake and a fragment of modern glass; the latter recovered from what appeared to be an area of fairly recent root disturbance. Despite the lack of dating evidence the form and topographical context of the ring-ditch mean that it must still be regarded as most likely the remains of Bronze Age round barrow.
Two pits were identified close to the ring-ditch but these were also undated, producing only a single flint flake. One of these features appear to contain a dark organic-rich fill, although a sample taken from this deposit produced only charcoal. A third possible pit identified in the southernmost trench had an unremarkable fill and also produced no dating evidence. The only other feature was a probable natural tree throw hollow or plant root hole exposed in the northernmost trench.
Although the three trenches coincided with several previously recorded fragmentary linear cropmarks (NHER 45213 and NHER 45229) no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.36).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2018. Amended 20 June 2020.