NHER 66621 (Monument record) - Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pit and other, undated remains

August 2017. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of site of proposed extension to Punch Farm Quarry.
Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2022.

January-February 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed extension to Punch Farm Quarry.
This survey identified a range of potentially archaeologically-significant responses. These include over 30 large discrete positive anomalies that potentially represent infilled sub-surface features, several of which are notably sub-rectangular in shape. Four high amplitude dipolar anomalies could represent thermoremanent features such as hearths or kilns.
A number of positive linear anomalies were also identified including an extensive north-east to south-west aligned feature crossing the central part of the site that is likely to represent a ditch associated with a former field boundary. Linear anomalies at the southern edge of the site possibly represent three sides of a small enclosure. An extensive possible palaeochannel was also identified in the southern half of the field.
Various discrete magnetic spikes were most likely the due to the presence of ferrous objects.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2022.

February 2018. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey of site of proposed extension to Punch Farm Quarry.
This survey recovered only objects of relatively recent date and limited archaeological significance. These included:
2 post-medieval pottery sherds.
34 post-medieval/modern peg tile fragments, 12 brick fragments, 5 field drain fragments and 3 iron horseshoes.
Various other iron objects recovered were mostly modern and agricultural in origin.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2022.

December 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed extension to Punch Farm Quarry.
The 20 trenches excavated revealed only sparse, scattered remains. By far the most notable feature was a sub-circular pit at the eastern edge of the site that was found to contain 40 sherds of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery, several potentially contemporary flint flakes and fragments of burnt flint. Samples taken from the fills of this feature contained charred remains, including hulled barley grains, a single naked barley grain and a small number of glume wheat grains (most likely emmer) – an assemblage consistent with the apparent date of the feature.
Two undated ditches were recorded in the central part of the site, one of which was an extensive north-east to south-west aligned feature that coincided with a linear anomaly identified by the preceding geophysical survey. Overall, there was though little correspondence between the results of this evaluation and those of the geophysical survey, with none of the other anomalies found to have associated sub-surface remains. This was despite a number of the trenches being deliberately placed to coincide with specific anomalies.
The only other features recorded were another isolated pit and a gully - neither of which produced any finds. A sample from the pit was found to contain charcoal but nothing else in the way of charred plant macrofossils.
There was clear evidence for at least a degree of plough truncation, with no subsoil present and plough scars noted in one of the trenches.
See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2019.97).
P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2022.