NHER 54798 (Monument record) - Middle Saxon settlement with Late Saxon and medieval deposits

July 2010. Trial Trench.
Evaluation of site of proposed extension to Norwich School refectory building.
The earliest finds from the area were worked flints redeposited in later features dating from the late prehistoric period possibly Bronze Age. A large amount of Middle Saxon pottery was recovered from a small area along with evidence for possible smithing activity. Two fragments of juvenile human bone were recovered from the fill of a possible sunken-featured building, which were probably disturbed in antiquity. It would appear that domestic occupation continued up until and beyond the foundation of the cathedral in the 11th century. The latest date of medieval pottery is the 14th century which could suggest that occupation in this area ceased after the enlargement of the Cathedral precinct in 1318. The animal bone assemblage was derived mainly from butchering and food waste from domestic mammals with some remains of domestic birds. The large bird bones could suggest that some hunting activity in wetland areas was undertaken to supplement domestic food animals.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.285).
S. Howard (NLA), 19 August 2010.