NHER 40135 (Monument) - Earlier Iron Age, post-medieval and undated features

This site records a multi-phased programme of archaeological investigation undertaken prior to the construction of a new link road between the A11 Cringleford bypass and Colney Lane. For other sites related to this work, see NHERs 40130-40134, 40136-40137 and NHER 40205.

This site also records a programme of archaeological investigation in advance of development to the west and south of the link road. For other sites related to this work, see NHER 36138, 40130, NHER 40132, NHER 40133, NHER 40140, and NHER 60815.

The results of a systematic fieldwalking and metal-detecting survey undertaken in 2004 are now recorded under NHER 35178 (which also details earlier metal-detecting finds from this field). Metal-detecting finds from 2012 previously recorded under this number and NHER 40133 are now recorded under NHER 60745.
H. Hamilton (HES), 8 June 2015. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 March 2021.

February to April 2004. Geophysical Survey. Field 7, Areas A-B.
A magnetic susceptibility survey was carried out over the entire field and a gradiometer survey was undertaken within two discrete areas.
Magnetic susceptibility levels were generally very low and did not reveal any possible archaeological features.
The gradiometer survey identified one possible pit in the south-west part of the site.
See report (S1) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA), 29 June 2007. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 19 May 2015.

October-November 2004. Watching Brief. Contexts 150-154.
Topsoil stripping for creation of a new link road and associated junctions and excavation of a small lagoon for surface water collection was monitored.
Two small post-medieval pits were recorded in the northern portion of the field. The pit closest to the junction with Colney Lane contained charcoal, modern brick, tile and slate in its fill. The southern pit contained charcoal, glass, tile, slate, clay pipe, and sherd of modern domestic glazed pottery.
Unstratified finds recovered from the topsoil included:
7 post-medieval pottery sherds and 1 clay tobacco pipe fragment.
1 post-medieval domed cap.
1 fragment of burnt flint.
See report (S2) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA), 29 March 2005. Expanded H. Hamilton (HES), 8 June 2015.

March 2013. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large proposed development area.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 November 2018.

March 2013. Geophysical Survey. Sector 1.
A detailed magnetometer survey was carried out over three areas, encompassing approximately 44 hectares of land in total, in advance of development. Sector 1 of this survey was comprised of the area west of Roundhouse Way.
No magnetic anomalies of archaeological origin were identified within Sector 1.
The majority of the magnetic responses within this area are indicative of compositional changes in the soils and superficial ferrous deposits within the topsoil. A weak linear trend was interpreted as evidence of modern cultivation.
See reports (S4) and (S5) for further information.
H. Hamilton (HES), 30 March 2015.

April 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site to east of Roundhouse Way.
Seven of the eight trenches revealed archaeological remains, many of which appear to have been associated with a significant phase of earlier Iron Age activity.
There was also evidence for limited activity during earlier prehistoric periods although this was largely limited to a small assemblage of worked flints, the majority of which were residual in later features. These included a Mesolithic microlith and a number of blades and blade-like flake that can only be assigned a broad Mesolithic to Early Neolithic date. A single sherd of probable Early Neolithic pottery was also recovered from an otherwise undated natural feature.
Although earlier Iron Age pottery was recovered from a range of features the bulk of the assemblage came from three reasonably substantial pits dispersed across the central and northern parts of the area examined. These three features also produced the bulk of the worked flints recovered, most of which appear to have been the products of a simple flake and core industry and therefore probably contemporary with the pottery. Other finds from these pits included burnt fragments of flint and sandstone and several rounded hard siliceous sandstone cobbles that had possibly been used as grinders or pounders. Small quantities of earlier Iron Age pottery were also recovered from two other, smaller pits and a ditch. Samples taken from several of the Iron Age features produced only small plant macrofossil assemblages comprising charcoal, uncharred seeds and the occasion barley grain. The prehistoric pottery belongs to the Decorated ware phase of the Post Deverel Rimbury tradition, with certain diagnostic traits indicating that the assemblage is a ‘late’ or ‘mature’ group. A conservative possible date range of c. 600-350/300 BC is given, although it is noted that the presence of some vessel forms more typical of the Middle Iron Age suggest the assemblage most likely dates to the latter part of this range. Assemblages of this date are comparatively rare in the county. It is also notable for the presence of a haematite-coated/red-finished fineware vessel – these being extremely rare in Norfolk and almost certain non-local imports.
A number of undated pits and ditches were also recorded. The pits were mostly found close to features that had produced earlier Iron Age pottery and were therefore most likely of similar date.
The date of the ditches is less certain, particularly as their varied alignments suggest they were associated with more than one phase of activity. The lack of any later dating evidence from these (or indeed any other features on the site) does though suggest at least some may have been prehistoric.
See report (S6) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.21).
P. Watkins (HES), 22 March 2021.

April 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development area in southern half of site, to west of Round House Way (Trenches 1-10).
The ten trenches excavated revealed little in the way of archaeologically-significant remains, with only three ditches and a small number of discrete features recorded.
One of the ditches was aligned east-to-west and the others north-west to south-east. One of the latter contained fragments of post-medieval/20th-century ceramic building material but the others were undated. A sample from the east-to-west aligned ditch was found to contain moderate amounts of charcoal along with smaller quantities of charred seed and grain. It did however also contain frequent amounts of coal and industrial waste and was dominated by modern plant remains and other potentially intrusive material.
The discrete features included an undated shallow possible pit and two probable tree throw hollows.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S7) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.53).
P. Watkins (HES), 4 February 2022. Amended 5 December 2022.