NHER 65184 (Monument record) - Multi-period remains including Late Bronze Age/Early Iron pits and Roman ditches

November 2019-February 2020. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works (Area F6).
This survey identified a cluster of potentially archaeologically-significant linear anomalies close to the western edge of the field. These included adjoining west-north-west to east-south-east and north-north-east to south-south-west aligned anomalies likely to represent ditches associated with some form of field or enclosure. Although the age of these features is uncertain their orientations are notably distinct from the late post-medieval and modern field boundaries in the vicinity.
An amorphous area of magnetic disturbance towards the eastern end of the field potentially represents an infilled quarry pit.
Linear trends running parallel to the boundaries of the field were of likely agricultural origin.
Areas of magnetic disturbance around the margins of the site and scattered discrete dipolar anomalies were probably caused by ferrous material in the topsoil (most likely modern debris).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 May 2022.

July-October 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works (Area 7; Trenches 41-61, 63-64 and 67).
The 24 trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of linear and discrete features, which appear to have been associated with multiple phases of past activity. Evidence for prehistoric activity included two flints of probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date and a small assemblage of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery, the bulk of which (55 sherds) was recovered from a single pit in the central part of the site. Similar pottery was also recovered from two additional pits, one of which also contained part of a flint quern.
The probable enclosure identified by the preceding geophysical survey was shown to be associated with substantial ditches, both of which produced pottery and ceramic building material of Roman date. Several features in the immediate vicinity of the enclosure also produced Roman pottery, including a ditch that potentially coincided with another of the linear geophysical anomalies. The lack of Roman remains elsewhere on the site suggests that the main focus for activity during this period lay to the west, beyond the area investigated.
Potentially post-Roman features included a pit in the eastern half of the site with a fill of charcoal rich material and poorly-fired clay that produced a sherd of possible Early Saxon pottery. Although a small assemblage of medieval pottery was also recovered this material all came from a small cluster of pits and post-holes at the western end of the site. The large geophysical anomaly recorded at the eastern end of the site was found to coincide with a substantial former quarry pit, the fill of which contained a fragment of a post-medieval bottle glass.
Although numerous other probable ditches were recorded these produced few finds and therefore remain of uncertain date. The only exceptions are two north-to-south aligned features that appear to coincide with former field boundaries depicted on the Hockering tithe map of 1838 (S1). The orientations of the remaining features do though suggest that most were probably associated with much earlier phases of activity; particularly a series of north-east to south-west aligned features in the western half of the site. Two linear features produced small quantities of prehistoric pottery and it is suggested that many were potentially contemporary with the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pits.
The undated discrete features appear to have been mostly fairly unremarkable and a number were interpreted as being of natural origin.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.131).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 May 2022. Amended 8 December 2022.