NHER 68662 (Monument record) - Potentially Late Saxon and undated pits and ditches and multi-period finds

February-March 2024. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The three trenches excavated revealed a number of ditches and possible pits. Dating evidence was fairly limited, although small amounts of Late Saxon pottery were recovered from a north-west to south-east aligned ditch and two possible pits. Other finds from these potentially Late Saxon features included fragments of animal bone, oyster shells, a small amount of fired clay and a piece of iron slag.
The other features recorded included a number of additional ditches and another possible pit. Finds from these remains were limited to a small amount of animal bone and oyster and mussel shells.
Samples taken from the three potentially Late Saxon features and one of the undated linear features all contained notable assemblages of charred plant macrofossils that were dominated by cereal grains. Grains of free-threshing wheat were most numerous (and associated with some wheat chaff), with smaller numbers of hulled barley, oat and rye also present. One sample contained a larger proportion of rye, with both grain and chaff present. Various arable weeds were also noted.
A range of unstratified finds were recovered, including a flint blade core of probable Late Neolithic date; a small number of medieval, post-medieval and late post-medieval/modern pottery sherds; post-medieval roof tile fragments; a piece of post-medieval bottle glass; animal bone; oyster shells; undatable copper alloy casting waste; a Roman coin and a range of other, Early Saxon to post-medieval metal objects. These metal finds include an Early Saxon brooch fragment and buckle; a potentially Saxon pendant or spangle; a medieval/post-medieval box or furniture mount and unidentified copper alloy object; a post-medieval buckle, button, mount, thimble, furniture knob and lead window came; a potentially medieval mount and unidentified copper alloy object and undatable unidentified copper alloy objects, an iron nail and lead waste.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 October 2024.