NHER 65421 (Monument record) - Multi-period remains including prehistoric ring-ditch and Saxon building

January 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site of proposed quarry extension (Area 2).
This survey identified two linear anomalies, both of which appear to correspond with former field boundaries depicted on an estate map of 1770-71 (S1). These boundaries can also be seen on later, 19th-century maps.
It appears there were no other potentially archaeologically-significant anomalies, the only other response on note being thought to represent a natural palaeochannel.
Somewhat surprisingly, there was no clear evidence for surviving subsurface remains associated with a penannular ring-ditch visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs at TM 3166 8942 (NHER 17334). The was also no trace of a ditch associated with a linear cropmark mapped at the northern edge of the site (part of a small group recorded as NHER 43605).
Details from (S2). Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 February 2022.

January 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed quarry extension (Area 1; Trenches 1-28).
The 28 trenches excavated at this location revealed a range of archaeologically-significant remains including a prehistoric ring-ditch, a probable Saxon sunken-feature building and a range of other linear and discrete features.
A small assemblage of worked flints provides limited evidence for activity on the site during multiple prehistoric periods, with diagnostically Mesolithic/Early Neolithic pieces present alongside implements and debitage of later, Neolithic or Bronze Age date. Although much of this material was probably residual within later features, there were some notable exceptions. These included a pit in the southern half of the site that contained more the 50 sherds of Late Neolithic Grooved Ware pottery and 15 worked flints that were probably of a similar age, including relatively thin flakes, a possible knife, a scraper and what appears to be a flake-based core tool. A sample taken from the dark fill of this feature was found to contain a relatively large amount of charcoal but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils.
The most significant prehistoric feature was a substantial ring-ditch that corresponds with a penannular feature visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs and regarded as probably Late Neolithic to Early Bronze in date. (NHER 17334). Two trenches were positioned to investigate this feature, with a reasonably substantial ditch encountered at all three points where they intersected with the mapped cropmark – a result that was in marked contrast to the largely negative results of the preceding geophysical survey. This feature was up to 2m wide and survived to a depth of 0.80m. Finds were however limited to a small number of worked flints and samples taken from its fills produced only small quantities of charcoal. Several pits were recorded within the ring-ditch and whilst it is suggested that they could have been post-holes their nature remains uncertain, particularly as none produced any dating evidence. Without any evidence to the contrary it remains most likely that the ring-ditch was indeed associated with a barrow monument of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date.
Later prehistoric activity on the site was represented by features containing what was probable Early Iron Age pottery, with the bulk of this material recovered from a cluster of pits in the south-east corner of the site. An outlier from this group was potentially associated with a number of adjacent post-holes and Early Iron Age pottery was also recovered from two of the post-hole groups elsewhere on the site.
This work also uncovered further evidence for Roman-period activity in the area, with a pit in the northern half of the site found to contain a large quantity of Roman pottery, along with a number of iron nails and a 3rd-century coin. Significantly, this pottery assemblage includes sherds from several distorted wasters, which are likely to represent debris from pottery manufacture in the vicinity. Samples from the fills of this pit were also found to contain abundant plant remains, including cereal grains and chaff (a mixture of oats, rye, barley and wheat), hazelnut shell and a wild cherry stone. Large fragments of what was possibly charred bread or fruit were also present. Assessing the nature of Roman activity on this particular location is however currently difficult as although small numbers of Roman pottery sherds were recovered from several other features in this part of the site, most also produced sherds of handmade Saxon pottery. One such sherd was also recovered from the pit containing the large Roman pottery assemblage - at least raising the possibility that this represented material gathered and dumped during subsequent activity on the site.
Features of more definite Saxon date included what was almost certainly a sunken-feature building (grubenhaus), with an axial posthole present in the portion exposed. This feature also produced 17 sherds of handmade pottery, a fragment of a decorated glass claw beaker and an iron nail. A sample from its fill was found to contain cereal grains and charcoal. The handmade pottery recovered these features has been broadly dated as Early to Middle Saxon, although the presence of two stamped sherds and the glass beaker fragment suggest that the assemblage falls at the earlier end of this range. Similar pottery was also recovered from a pit at the southern end of the site, suggesting that activity during this period was potentially quite widespread.
The majority of the remaining ditches, pits and post-holes produced few finds and as a result are difficult to date, although the presence of what was probably a Saxon dwelling makes it likely that many were associated with this phase of activity.
The only ditches that could be convincingly dated were two that clearly corresponded with former field boundaries depicted on 18th- and 19th-century maps (both of which had also been identified by the preceding geophysical survey).
Investigation of a large curvilinear anomaly that had also been identified by the geophysical survey appears to have confirmed the suggestion that it was most likely an infilled palaeochannel. Although this produced the largest single assemblage of worked flints these are clearly of mixed date. A Saxon pottery sherd was also recovered from this feature.
The trenches at this location also contained numerous amorphous features, with all of those investigated determined to be either tree-throw hollows or glacial in origin.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 February 2022.

July 2019. Desk-based Assessment.
Cultural heritage assessment of site of proposed extension to Earsham Quarry (Area 2).
One notable source consulted as part of this study was a late 18th-century estate map (S1), which depicts the site in question.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 February 2022.