NHER 65214 (Monument record) - Potentially prehistoric ditch and other, post-medieval and undated remains

November 2019-February 2020. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works (Area F38).
The only response of probable archaeological significance was a short west-north-west to east-south-east aligned linear anomaly identified at the eastern edge of the site. This is a continuation of a feature recorded in the field to the east which appears to be associated with an adjacent rectilinear enclosure (Area F39; NHER 65216).
Although a number of other straight linear anomalies were identified at this location these are of much more recent date, coinciding with former field boundaries depicted on the 19th-century Easton tithe map (S1).
A large area of magnetic disturbance in the far north-east corner of the site is likely to represent an infilled quarry pit.
Various other irregular linear and discrete anomalies recorded across the remainder of the field are likely to be either the result of agricultural activity or of geological origin.
Areas of magnetic disturbance around the margins of the site and scattered discrete dipolar anomalies were probably caused by ferrous material in the topsoil (most likely modern debris).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2022.

July-October 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works (Area 44; Trenches 574-580 and 582-587).
The 13 trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of ditches and a single possible pit.
One of the ditches corresponds with a west-north-west to east-south-east aligned linear anomaly recorded by the geophysical survey at the eastern edge of the field. As noted above this feature continues into the field to the east, where it appears to be associated with a similarly-aligned rectilinear enclosure. This enclosure is now thought to be potentially of Bronze Age or Iron Age date, although the ditch at this location produced only single flints of Mesolithic/Neolithic and Neolithic/Bronze Age date and a small assemblage of animal bone. A north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch identified to the north-west was potentially contemporary with these remains, although for some reason this was left unexcavated.
At least two of the other ditches correspond with a former field boundary shown on 19th-century maps. These produced fragments of post-medieval clay tobacco pipe and a piece of modern wire.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.131).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2022. Amended 8 December 2022.