NHER 64514 (Monument record) - Prehistoric, Roman, and medieval features

December 2008-January 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of Anglian Water pipeline along eastern edge of site (Area C).
A cluster of features was identified adjacent to the northern edge of the field, the most notable of which was a probable hearth or oven of late medieval date. This feature had traces of a clay lining, evidence for in situ burning and was associated with several large fragments of Neidermendig lava quern (that had possibly been deliberately incorporated into one end of the structure). A sample taken from its fill produced a range of charred plant macrofossils, including hulled barley grains, some possible wheat grains, small peas and grass seeds. It is suggested that this feature may have been a bread oven, although this doesn’t really account for the range of material present. The picture is also further complicated by the fact that although both this feature and an adjacent possible pit produced late medieval pottery, the lava fragments are thought to represent the remains of Saxon or early medieval hand mills.
Both discrete features were overlain by a c.10m wide band of material interpreted as probable occupation deposits. These produced nearly 200 medieval pottery sherds of 13th to 15th century date, small lava quern fragments, several whetstones and a clenched rivet.
Immediately to the south was a group of three intercut features interpreted as a sequence of east-to-west aligned ditches. The latest of these produced a small quantity of medieval pottery.
A north-to-south aligned ditch identified a little way to the south of these remains produced no datable finds but is regarded as probably post-medieval.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2021.

August-September 2017. Geophysical Survey.
Detailed magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
This survey identified a cluster of linear anomalies in the south-western part of the field that were of uncertain origin and therefore potentially archaeologically significant. These include two roughly parallel north-west to south-east aligned anomalies that appear to correspond with similarly-aligned cropmarks recorded at TG 51057 12632 (NHER 27479). There was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with any of the other cropmarks in this group.
Two additional, roughly east-to-west aligned linear anomalies clearly correspond with former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps.
A number of discrete, isolated anomalies were also identified, although it is thought likely that most, if not all, were natural in origin.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 January 2021.

February-March 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site (Trenches 6-48).
The 43 trenches excavated at this location revealed remains of probable prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval date, along with numerous undated linear and discrete features.
Evidence for prehistoric activity included a relatively small, multi-period assemblage of worked flints, comprising possible Mesolithic bladelets, blades of Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date, various Neolithic/Bronze Age flakes and scrapers and several cruder implements of likely later Bronze Age date. Much of this material was though either unstratified or recovered in only small quantities from contexts in which it was likely to be residual. A small amount of prehistoric pottery was though also recovered, including several possible Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker sherds, three of which came from an otherwise undated elongated feature. A sample taken from the fill of this possible pit or ditch terminus was found to contain charcoal and a number of charred hazelnut shell fragments. Three widely scattered pits also contained small quantities of what is likely to be Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery and similar handmade sherds were also recovered from a number of other features. The later included an unusual linear feature which had a layer of flints and flint nodules at its base, apparently forming some of rough surface. This feature is of particular Interest as a fragmentary Middle Bronze Age copper alloy rapier was found in the uppermost part of its main fill. A ditch at the southern end of the site was found to contain as small quantity of probable Middle Iron Age pottery. Also potentially of prehistoric date were two pits in the northern half of site with charcoal-rich fills that contained numerous fragments of burnt flint – potentially the remains of material that had been used to heat or boil water ('pot boilers').
Roman remains included a number of ditches and several pits, the majority of which lay in the southernmost part of the site. This pottery assemblage suggests that the main phase of activity had occurred during the early Roman period, with the more diagnostic sherds dating almost exclusively to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Although activity probably peaked during the 2nd century AD it had clearly commended prior to the late 1st century AD, with small amounts of both handmade Late Iron Age pottery and wheel-made pottery dating to the mid 1st century AD recovered from features of likely Roman date (although it should be noted that in Norfolk none of this material is necessarily pre-Conquest). Although the range of Roman features uncovered was fairly limited it is notable that several of the ditches produced quite large assemblages of pottery (more than 40 sherds), suggesting some form of settlement or other significant focus of activity lay nearby. Other finds recovered from features of probable Roman date included fragments of animal bone and oyster shell, pieces of a copper alloy possible binding strip, fired clay bars, a possible fired clay loomweight fragment and various undiagnostic pieces of fired clay. The clay bars are of particular interest as they potentially represent kiln furniture associated with pottery production. A possible limestone tessera was also found but Roman ceramic building material was notable by its absence.
All four of the potentially archaeologically-significant linear anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey were found to correspond with Roman or potentially Roman ditches, including one extensive and securely dated north-west to south-east aligned feature that is also likely to relate to one of the scattered linear cropmarks mapped in this field (part of a group of probable field boundaries of uncertain date recorded as NHER 27479).
There was little evidence for significant post-Roman activity, although a number of the ditches recorded are likely to correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the early 19th-century enclosure and tithe maps of Caister next Yarmouth ((S2) and (S3) respectively). These include roughly north-to-south and east-to-west aligned ditches at the southern end of the site and east-north-east to west-south-west and north-north-west to south-south-east aligned features to the north. Various finds of late post-medieval to modern date were recovered from these features including China pottery, brick and tile fragments and bottle glass.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 July 2023.