NHER 49750 (Monument record) - Potentially prehistoric, post-medieval and undated features

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Summary

Trial trenching at this site in 2015 revealed a sparse scatter of discrete features and ditches, none of which could be firmly dated. The former included a potentially prehistoric pit that produced a single sherd of Early Bronze Age pottery, a post-hole containing a single Roman sherd and an undated pit that was possibly associated with Saxon or medieval charcoal production. The majority of the ditches produced no dating evidence, the one exception being a feature that contained scraps of post-medieval pottery. These negative results were somewhat surprising given that Little Rackheath Church (NHER 12639) is believed to have lain immediately to the east of this site. Significant medieval remains were though revealed during work in the fields to the south (see NHERs 51049 and 50501).

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TG21SE
Civil Parish	RACKHEATH, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

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Full Description

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2015.

September 2006. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field 55).
According to the interim report (S3) three flints were recovered at this location. However there is no mention of these in the final report (S4), possibly suggesting that they determined to be unworked pieces.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 17 September 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 5 April 2021.

April-September 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field R1).
The eleven trenches excavated in this field revealed only sparse, scattered remains. These included a small potentially prehistoric pit identified towards the southern end of the site that produced a single sherd of Early Bronze Age pottery (possibly from a Collared Urn), a single flint flake and a small amount of burnt flint. Stratified finds were otherwise limited to a single sherd of Roman pottery found in a post-hole at the southern end of the site and two sherds of post-medieval pottery recovered from a north-west to south-east aligned ditch. The small number of other, undated features included a pit, several ditches in the northern half of the site and two additional post-holes towards its southern end. Of these the pit was the most notable as it contained charcoal-rich deposits and its base displayed evidence for in situ burning. It is similar to features identified during work to the west, which were regarded as probably associated with charcoal production. These pits appeared to be associated with Late Saxon to medieval phases of activity and were found in close proximity to evidence for an iron smelting industry. The interpretation of this feature is supported by the fact that samples from its fills produced just charcoal, with no other plant macrofossils or other debris present.
A medieval/post-medieval copper alloy ring was the only unstratified find recovered.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 April 2021.

Associated Sources (5)

<S1> SNF56373 Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 2004. A Desk-based Assessment for a Stage 2 Environmental Assessment Norwich Northern Distributor Road (eastern routes). Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 932.
<S2> SNF93125 Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 2005. A Desk-based Assessment for a Stage 2 Environmental Assessment Norwich Northern Distributor Road (western and eastern routes: revised). Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1065.
<S3> SNF70174 Unpublished Contractor Report: Trimble, G. 2008. Norwich Northern Distributor Route. Fieldwalking and metal detector survey - Interim statement. NAU Archaeology. 1213.
<S4> SNF72219 Unpublished Contractor Report: Morgan, S. and Hoggett, R. 2008. Norwich Northern Distributor Route: Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey. NAU Archaeology. 1369. p 55.
<S5> SNF98868 Unpublished Contractor Report: Pooley, A., Phillips, T., Haskings, A. and Nicholls, K. 2015. Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR) and Heath Farm. Archaeological Evaluation Report. Oxford Archaeology East. 1779.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (12)

Object Types (8)

BURNT FLINT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC? to 42 AD?)
FLAKE (Early Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age - 10000 BC to 1501 BC)
POT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
PLANT REMAINS (Unknown date)
XFIRED CLAY (Unknown date)
POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
RING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)