NHER 13025 (Monument record) - Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age features and a medieval moot at Salter's Lane, Longham

Site of gibbet marked on (S1), information from (S2).
This is presumably the Hundred Court site mentioned by [1] as 'where the Norwich Road crosses the Launditch'.
See site NHER 7235.
E. Rose (NAU), 9 July 1984.

Context 1 at TF 9240 1710.

1990. Excavation.
Watching brief and excavation during topsoil stripping in advance of gravel extraction.
Approximately thirty pits and post holes were excavated, yielding prehistoric pottery and worked flints. Nineteen of these were of pre-Iron Age date.
The largest of the pits, measuring nearly 3m long and 0.7m deep, contained nine sherds of pottery, representing at least four undecorated earlier Neolithic bowls. Although the pit may have been used as a quarry or storage pit, the reason for its excavation is unclear. Two concentrations of pits dating from the Later Neolithic to Early Bronze Age were excavated in the northeastern part of the site. The more easterly of these groups of pits (nine pits in total) yielded a total of 203 worked flints and 344 sherds of Beaker pottery (representing at least 96 vessels). Three very similar pits further to the west produced a large assemblage of lithic material. Six features excavated in the northwestern corner of the site produced pottery of Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age date along with worked flints.
Later features excavated on the site included an Iron Age four-post structure and a small square enclosure measuring 10m by 10m. Eight pits of probable Iron Age date were recorded. A total of 221 sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered during the excavation.
See (S3) for further information on the pre-Iron Age finds and features and (S4) for further information on Iron Age finds and features. The results of this work are summarised in (S11) and the pre Iron Age pits are also discussed in (S16) and (S17).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2024.189).
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1992 and A. Cattermole (NLA), 18 December 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 October 2024.

Could the skeletons mentioned under site NHER 7236 in fact be burials around the gallows?
D. Gurney (NLA), June 1995.

According to map in (S5) the site of the 1990 excavation was not at the same location as Context 1, but further to the east. The actual excavation is not published in this volume. The NHER therefore has had to be extended to cover the whole area southwest of the road.
E. Rose (NLA), 2 September 1996.

January 1997. Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Survey across whole area prior to gravel extraction.
Prehistoric potboilers and worked flint including flakes, a scraper, a core and an awl.
Late Saxon Ringerike harness mount.
6 medieval pottery sherds.
Smithing slag.
See report (S6) for further details.
E. Rose (NLA), 25 April 1997.

March-June 1998. Excavation.
Excavation of features exposed during topsoil stripping. Contexts 1000-1179 used.
Numerous features were excavated, most of which were small pits and post holes. Some of these features contained sherds of Early Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery while a single small pit contained fragments of iron-smelting slag of probable Iron Age date.
Twenty-four pieces of worked flint were also recovered, most of which were small irregular flakes of probable Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date. Only two potentially earlier pieces were present: a probable long blade of Late Upper Palaeolithic or Mesolithic date and a Mesolithic/Early Neolithic blade.
This evidence indicates domestic occupation, perhaps on a seasonal or periodic basis, over a long period during the Bronze Age and Iron Age periods.
See report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S12).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2024.185).
E. Rose (NLA), 30 June 1999 and A. Cattermole (NLA), 18 December 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 October 2024.

June-July 2002. Strip Map and Sample Excavation. From Context 1200.
Excavation recorded prehistoric pits and post-holes, a fence-line and a burnt flint scatter associated with a hearth. Most features were Iron Age, with some Neolithic/Bronze Age evidence.
Details to come. The results of this work are summarised in (S13).
D. Holburn (HES), 14 October 2011.

August-October 2003. Strip Map and Sample Excavation. Contexts 12700 to 13192.
Prehistoric post holes.
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age and ?Iron Age and ?Roman pits.
Undated ditches, possible cremation.
Details to come. The results of this work are summarised in (S14).
J. Allen (NLA), 28 October 2004.

November 2004. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Contexts 14000-14105.
Details to come.
See (S8) and (S9).
J. Allen (NLA), 28 October 2004.

2005. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Contexts 14200-14332.
Details to come. The results of this work are summarised in (S15).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 19 November 2008.

2006. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Contexts 21500-21882.
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 19 November 2008.

2007. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Contexts 16000-16207.
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 19 November 2008.

2008. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Contexts 16300-16825.
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 19 November 2008.

2009. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2017.

2010. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2017.

2011. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2017.

August-September 2012. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2017.

August-September 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 February 2017.

September 2016. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 February 2017.

An archive associated with the various phases of archaeological work at this site has now been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.82 and NWHCM : 2017.270).
P. Watkins (HES), 5 July 2021.