NHER 64871 (Monument record) - Poorly dated pits and ditches

November 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation on route of new water main.
This section of the pipeline route was examined as it would pass through the site of a dispersed Bronze Age to possibly Iron Age barrow group (NHER 11675), intersecting with the cropmarks of a possible double ring-ditch at TM 3366 9301 (NHER 44853).
Although the four trenches excavated revealed a number of features, the majority produced no finds and there was nothing to suggest that any were associated with prehistoric activity.
The trench placed to investigate the possible double ring-ditch revealed an undated east-to-west aligned ditch but this lay to the north of the cropmarks. Occupying the southern half of the trench and partially coinciding with the mapped position of the cropmarks was a large pit or hollow that was still visible as an extant earthwork. What appeared to be the upper fill of a similar large feature was exposed in the trench to the south.
One of the two trenches in the southern half of the site revealed a north-east to south-west aligned ditch and the other a cluster of shallow pits. A pottery sherd of probable 11th-century date found in one of the pits was the only find recovered during this phase of work. A sample taken from this fill of this pit produced an extremely small assemblage of plant macrofossils consisting largely of charcoal.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 April 2021.

November 2011. Excavation.
This final phase of work saw the excavation of a relatively small area at the northern end of the site, where the cropmark double ring-ditch had been recorded (NHER 44853).
There was again no evidence for archaeologically-significant remains associated with these cropmarks.
The ditch identified by the preceding trenching was shown to be slightly curvilinear but again produced no dating evidence.
The large pit to the south was also subject to further investigation, with two sherds of post-medieval pottery and an iron nail recovered.
A single discrete feature exposed was deemed to be of natural origin following excavation.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 April 2021.

An archive comprising material from both phases of work at this site has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.718).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 April 2021.