NHER 68666 (Find Spot record) - Multi-period finds

May 2018. Test Pitting and Metal-detecting.
Fieldwork undertaken as part of Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) Imagined Land Project saw the excavation of four test pits at this location (Test Pits 5-8). A metal-detecting survey of these fields was undertaken at the same time.

Test Pit 5:
This test pit located in the easternmost field of Burnhambreck encountered a hard chalky natural deposit at only 0.3m below ground level, which was overlain by a thin subsoil layer. Finds recovered included:
4 undated oysters shells, 6 winkle shells and 1 cockle shell.
1 Neolithic/Bronze Age flint flake.
1 Roman pottery sherd.
1 Late Saxon pottery sherd.
3 medieval pottery sherds and 1 brick fragment.
2 medieval/post-medieval ceramic building material fragments.
1 post-medieval roof tile fragment.

Test Pit 6:
This test pit in the middle field of the three forming Burnhambreck encountered a firm yellow clay natural deposit at a depth of c.0.3m below ground level, which was overlain by a thin subsoil layer.
Finds recovered included:
8 undatable iron slag fragments, 2 pieces of animal bone, 4 oyster shells, 10 winkle shells, 5 cockle shells and 1 whelk shell.
1 Bronze Age/Iron Age flint flake.
6 medieval pottery sherds.
1 ?medieval brick fragment.
2 post-medieval pottery sherds and 3 roof tile fragments.

Test Pit 7:
This test pit at the western end of Burnhambreck encountered firm clay sand natural deposit at a depth of 0.58m below ground level, which was overlain by a mid brownish orange clay sand subsoil. Finds recovered included:
4 undatable fragments of iron slag, 10 oyster shells and 4 cockle shells.
1 ?Mesolithic/Neolithic flint ?bladelet fragment.
1 Roman pottery sherd.
9 medieval pottery sherds.
4 medieval/post-medieval iron nails.
1 post-medieval pottery sherd and 1 fragment of clay tobacco pipe.

Test Pit 8:
This test pit located in the middle field of Burnhambreck encountered a firm mid brown orange clay sand natural deposit at a depth of 0.58m below ground level, which was overlain by a mid orangey brown silt sand subsoil. Finds recovered included:
2 Late Bronze Age flint scrapers, 1 retouched implement and 1 flake.
1 Late Saxon pottery sherd.
1 post-medieval brick or tile fragment.

The metal-detecting survey of the land surrounding the test pits recovered the following:
1 undatable lead ?weight, 1 unidentified lead object and 5 pieces of lead waste.
1 Roman coin.
2 ?medieval lead ?cloth seals.
2 medieval/post-medieval copper alloy sheet vessel repairs, 1 copper alloy rivet, 13 lead off cuts and 1 lead pot mend
1 post-medieval coin, 1 jetton, 9 buttons, 1 clothes hook, 2 crotal bells
1 post-medieval/modern harmonica fragment.

See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 October 2024.