NHER 67151 (Monument record) - Prehistoric, Roman and undated remains

July 2010. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential impact of proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 July 2023.

September 2016. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified no potentially archaeologically-significant responses.
Although a number of linear and discrete anomalies were recorded these are all thought to be either of natural origin or the result of recent agricultural activity.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 July 2023.

October 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 63 trenches excavated revealed numerous linear and discrete features, although the majority produced little or no dating evidence. There was though clear evidence for early activity on the site, with small quantities of handmade prehistoric pottery recovered from a number of features. These included four in the southern central part of the site that all contained more than 10 sherds of what was identified as Early Neolithic pottery. These were mostly thought to be ditches or gullies, although subsequent excavation (see below) suggested several were probably discrete features of one kind or another. Similar pottery was also recovered from one of several post-holes recorded in this part of the site. Other finds included a number of potentially contemporary worked flints, including a large knife made from a blade-like flake. Samples taken from these features were though mostly unproductive, although one contained several charred cereal grains (one identifiable as wheat).
A number of other features produced pottery identified as probably Early Iron Age, although these were much more widely dispersed. The largest assemblages came from two pits, one in the north-west corner of the site and the other close to the southern edge (15 and 13 sherds respectively), one of which also contained a number of burnt flints. Small quantities of similar pottery were recovered from two possible post-holes, two ditches and a pit. Samples taken from features of possible Early Iron Age date also produced little in the way of charred plant macrofossils or other remains.
Arguably the most significant feature was a disturbed Roman cremation burial in the south-east corner of the site. Its fill contained 52g of cremated human bone, four iron nails and several sherds from a pottery beaker likely to date to the late 1st century AD. This vessel seems to have been exposed to heat, suggesting it may have been an accessory vessel scorched during the cremation process. A second possible cremation was identified approximately 150m to the north-west, although this small feature contained no finds and its fill was found to contain only a very small amount of burnt bone (none of which could be conclusively identified as human). No other Roman finds were recovered, although one ditch was found to contain a Late Iron Age brooch. There was also little direct evidence for significant subsequent activity on the site, with no post-Roman finds recovered.
Interpretation of the various ditches recorded is hampered by the lack of dating evidence and the fact that few could be traced into adjacent trenches. One notable exception was an extensive east-to-west aligned ditch that coincided with a former field boundary depicted on the Honingham tithe map (S2). It is likely that at least some of the similarly-aligned and perpendicular features were also post-medieval in date. Numerous north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east aligned features were though likely to represent elements of earlier, potentially prehistoric or Roman field systems. It is notable that the alignments of these potentially early ditches are similar to a dispersed group of linear cropmarks recorded in this area that are thought to represent enclosures and fields of probable Roman date (NHER 53628). There was though little direct correspondence between the excavated features and the recorded cropmarks, with none of the latter found to be to associated with surviving sub-surface remains.
Other undated features recorded included a number of scattered pits, none of which appear to have been particularly remarkable. Various probable natural features were also investigated.
See report (S3) for further detail.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 July 2023.

March-April 2018. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation saw the excavation of four areas, each of which targeted significant remains recorded during the preceding trial trenching.
The largest area (Area A) was positioned to coincide with the concentration of potentially Early Neolithic remains identified in the southern central part of the site. Various additional pits and post-holes were recorded, the majority of which were also likely to be prehistoric. The pottery recovered is though almost exclusively of probable Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date – the only exceptions being two Late Neolithic/Bronze Age sherds and a single Late Iron Age sherd. The small assemblage of worked flint recovered is also thought to be predominantly of Late Neolithic/Bronze Age date, with only three more blade-like flakes likely to have been associated with earlier, Mesolithic/Early Neolithic activity.
The bulk of the probable Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery came from a group of pits and probable post-holes in the central part of the excavated area. Many of these features produced pottery, although the number of sherds varied considerably. Other finds were limited to quantities of burnt flint and fragments of fired clay. Samples taken from a number of these features were largely unproductive, with little other than charcoal recovered.
Late Bronze Age radiocarbon dates of 1106-905 cal BC at 95.4% probability (UBA-38439; 2830 +/- 32 BP) and 972-823 cal BC at 95.4% probability (UBA-38440; 2746 +/- 28 BP) were obtained for samples of charcoal from two of the pits. These dates fit well with the pottery assemblage, with the range of fabrics and vessel types present consistent with 'Mature' Plainware of the 10th to 9th centuries BC.
Outlying features included a cluster of small post-holes, three of which contained single sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery.
The ditches included two features aligned west-north-west to east-south-east and an intercutting feature aligned east-north-east to west-south-west – all three of which corresponded with features recorded during the preceding evaluation. Two produced small quantities of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery, suggesting they may be contemporary with the adjacent pit group, although it is possible this material was residual.
As during the earlier work no Roman or later finds were recovered.
Two much smaller excavation areas targeting the Roman cremation burial and the possible cremation burial (Areas D and B respectively) both revealed no additional remains. The fourth excavation area (Area C) was positioned to allow further investigation of the ditch that had produced the Late Iron Age brooch. No additional finds were recovered from this feature and no other remains were identified at this location.
See assessment report (S4) for further details. Final report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 July 2023.