NHER 64826 (Monument record) - Multi-period prehistoric and post-Roman remains

September-October 2006. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of three areas on proposed route of A47 Blofield to North Burlingham dualling.
Examination of three blocks at northern and eastern edges of site (Areas M, P and Q).
A north-to-south aligned curvilinear anomaly identified at the northern edge of the field (Area M) was potentially of archaeological origin. A positive area anomaly flanked by two negative linear anomalies in the north-east corner of the site (Area P) may represent some form of bank and ditch arrangement. A possible pit was also noted, as well as bipolar anomalies that indicate the presence of buried ferrous objects.
Area Q in the south-east corner of the site was dominated by the magnetic disturbance caused by a modern service. It was though still possible to identify a number of positive area anomalies that may represent archaeologically-significant features.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.297).
Previously recorded under NHER 39847.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 10 June 2015 and 29 March 2021.

January 2007.
Environmental Statement produced (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 June 2015.

March 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on route of proposed A47 Blofield to North Burlingham upgrade works.
Examination of remainder of site (Area BLO10).
Several fragmentary curvilinear anomalies are regarded as potentially archaeologically-significant, being tentatively interpreted as representing ring-ditches of some kind.
Several straight, parallel linear anomalies were of probable agricultural origin.
A number of discrete low magnitude anomalies are thought to be the result of changes in the underlying natural geology.
Small, scattered ferrous anomalies are likely to represent modern ferrous debris within the topsoil.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 March 2021.

May-July 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed A47 Blofield to North Burlingham upgrade works (Trenches 73-82 and 84-87)
The fourteen trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of dispersed linear and discrete features, the most notable of which were two prehistoric pits. The first was found to contain a large quantity of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery, all of which was recovered from a relative thin layer of dark, charcoal-rich material. A sample from this deposit produced charcoal and hazelnut shell fragments. The pottery consists primarily of relatively coarse sherds decorated with finger tip or finger nail impressions and can therefore be categorised as a probable 'domestic' assemblage. The second prehistoric pit was a shallow feature that contained more than 40 sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery. A sample taken from the fill of this feature produced a small assemblage of charred plant macrofossils, including probable wheat grains, hazelnut shell fragments and an elder pip.
The various ditches displayed a variety of alignments and were therefore almost certainly associated with multiple phases of past activity. The earliest were probably those aligned north-west to south-east or north-east to south-west -two of which produced small quantities of undiagnostic prehistoric pottery. One of these potentially prehistoric ditches appeared to continue the line of a curvilinear geophysical anomaly identified by the 2018 survey. This feature also contained a number of burnt flints and stones.
The remaining ditches were all aligned either north-to-south or east-to-west and were most likely associated with post-Roman phases of activity. These included two east-to-west aligned ditches in the south-east corner of the site, one of which produced medieval pottery sherds and lava quern fragments and the other a mix of Roman, medieval and post-medieval sherds. A north-to-south aligned ditch to the north was found to contain a fragment of medieval glass and a pottery sherd of late post-medieval/modern date. A large, undated probable extraction pit in this part of the site was also probably post-Roman in date.
The small number of other, undated remains included a small curvi-linear features of uncertain nature and a single possible post-hole.
See report (S4) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.103).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 August 2021. Amended 27 July 2023.