NHER 66641 (Monument record) - Modern banks containing redeposited human remains and medieval to post-medieval finds

March 2021. Field Observation.
Site examined following discovery of human remains within spoil at margins of field. This assessment of the likely date, context and provenance of the remains was undertaken at the request of Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Forensic Services.
The bones were found to be eroding from within banks of spoil deposited along the north-eastern boundary of the field. The presence of modern ceramic tiles demonstrated that this material had been deposited relatively recently. The dumped material appeared to be composed of what had originally been multiple separate deposits and contained abundant archaeological finds. The objects noted included medieval to post-medieval brick and tile fragments, post-medieval pottery and clay tobacco pipe and oyster shells. Large flint nodules were also present.
The human skeletal remains came from the smaller of the two banks, which had been more extensively disturbed by recent digging. A total of 18 bone fragments were examined (including a partial skull), which came from a minimum of two individuals (but most likely more). Their condition was variable but all had clearly been buried for some time.
The source of this redeposited material is unknown but a plausible location suggested by [1] is a sunken tennis court that was constructed between 2015 and 2017 approximately 50m to the north-east of All Saints’ Church (NHER 12244; possible site of disturbed burials now NHER 66642). The presence of the flint nodules and ceramic building material within the dumped material suggests that structural remains of some kind were also disturbed.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 December 2022.