NHER 32349 (Find Spot) - Roman settlement and multi-period finds

1996/1997. Fieldwalking.
Area described as 'Turfpool' examined as part of Little Ouse Study (see NHER 32610 for material recovered from southern half of site). Examination of ground disturbed by tree planting.

A number of worked flints were recovered including an unmodified blade and a two-platform blade core of Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date. Other flints found included:
2 waste cores
1 ?flake knife
2 utilised flakes
2 long narrow flakes [blades?]
2 convex end scrapers

The field was also found to contain well over 600 sherds of Roman pottery, of which a representative sample was removed. The approximate postion of unrecovered material was however recorded. These finds were spread across an area of approximately two hectares. Identified wares included greyware, grog-tempered ware, shell-tempered ware, Oxfordshire mortaria, Much Hadham ware, East Anglian Colour Coated, Oxidised Hadham, other oxidised wares and Nene Valley Colour Coated. No Samian ware was found. Other Roman finds included fragments of tile, a broken box flue tile and a fragment of millstone grit quern. This was clearly the site of a Roman period settlement, with at least one substantial building present.
No later ceramics were recovered.
See (S1) in file, which includes detailed identifications, distribution plots and finds illustrations. These discoveries were reported in (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 3 February 1997. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Mid 1997. Fieldwalking.
Additional fieldwalking of site before regrowth of forestry undergrowth. A further 21 sherds of Roman pottery were recovered including a single sherd of East Gaulish Samian, Nene Valley and Oxfordshire mortaria, oxidised wares (including Much Hadham), Much Hadham or Oxfordshire red ware, greywares and shell-tempered wares. Two additional fragments of millstone grit quern were also found.
See file for supplementary report which includes full descriptions and finds illustrations.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Early 1998. Stray Find.
One flange from tegula from edge of site.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 20 March 1998.

Second half of 2000. Metal detecting.
Prehistoric worked flints including three blades, eight flakes and two large rough worked fragments.
70 Roman coins.
4 silver Roman coins (siliquae, possibly hoard)
Over 100 sherds of Roman pottery including Nene Valley and East Anglian colour coated, East Anglian, Nene Valley and Oxfordshire mortarium, amphora, oxidised wares and shell-tempered wares.
3 fragments of ?Roman tile
Several Roman metal objects (all Ae unless specified) including dolphin brooch, sheet vessel fragment, finger ring made from bracelet terminal, ?harness fitting, two iron nails and a tanged spatula (S3).
Various post-Roman metal objects including medieval buckle and belt mount, medieval post-medieval iron buckle and 90 post-medieval or modern iron objects (mostly nails).
2 post-medieval coins.
2 post-medieval pottery sherds
4 post-medieval/modern tile fragments
Small amounts of lead/lead alloy and copper alloy metal-working debris.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 December 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Late 2001/early 2002. Metal detecting.
Flint bladelet and two flint blade segments of probable Mesolithic date.
Sandy handmade pottery sherd. ?Iron Age.
42 Roman coins.
13 sherds of Roman pottery (12 greyware, 1 shell-tempered)
Roman metal objects (all Ae unless specified) including two-piece Colchester brooch, incomplete and distorted Rosette brooch, two iron nails, three lead steelyard weights and a fragment of a cast unidentified object.
Post-medieval harness mount
2 sherds of post-medieval pottery.
Several undatable metal objects including lead weight or spindle whorl, conical lead weight, iron knife blade fragment and lead disc.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 23 May 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Before 19 July 2002. Surface finds.
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age or just conceivably modern, flint dagger or sickle fragment and undatable prehistoric flint core.
See descriptions with drawings in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 6 September 2002.