There is information about the following recently investigated
sites on this page:
Barham Quarry
Beck Row (Mildenhall)
Flixton Park Quarry
RAF Lakenheath
South Lowestoft
Wattisfield Pottery
Bury St Edmunds Cattle Market
Washington Street, Beck Row, Mildenhall, (MNL 570)
A program of archaeological excavation, funded by Mansells PLC
on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Estates, was carried
out in advance of housing development at Beck Row in Spring 2007.
The excavation, on an area of 1900 square metres, identified
substantial evidence of late Iron Age to early Roman occupation
activity, a continuation of the multi-period site that lies
immediately to the north-east that was published in East Anglian
Occasional Paper 20.
(Further details of EAA20 are available here)
The archaeological deposits mainly consisted of several phases
of intercutting ditches and occasional scattered pits. The absence
of any structural evidence such as surfaces or patterns of
postholes, and the high density of linear ditches of varying size
and date indicates that this area was probably in general
agricultural use, with the many ditches likely to represent
shifting field or enclosure patterns. The finds assemblage,
generally consisting of ceramics and animal bone of late Iron Age
and early Roman date, represents low to moderate levels of waste
deposition, indicating that the associated settlement probably lies
somewhere nearby. Metal-detected finds included three 1st-century
copper-alloy brooches and a late Roman coin.
The complete, articulated skeleton of an adult male was identified
lying in an informal position within the fill of one of these
ditches and has been examined by Sue Anderson (a human skeletal
remains specialist). The skeleton is in fair condition but, like
most human bone recovered from the Mildenhall area, was extremely
brittle and highly fragmented as a result. His bones suggest a
short, stocky individual, probably well-muscled, with a relatively
long and narrow head. His teeth were heavily worn and dental
disease had resulted in the loss of several. Stress indicators
throughout his body may be related to occupational activities which
involved strains on his hands, neck and lower back, and potentially
required him to sit for long periods. It is unfortunate that his
bones were so fragmented as it is likely that the missing and
comminuted joints could have provided more information about the
physical stresses he had suffered during his life.
Due to the circumstances of his burial all the bones were
searched for cut marks or other evidence of trauma which may have
caused his death, but none was identified on the surviving remains.
The reason he was placed within what appears to be a partially
silted field boundary is unknown.
Following a press
release by the RAF Mildenhall Public Affairs department, and
with the co-operation of the Ministry of Defence and Mansells,
the excavation and removal of the burial was reported by the
regional media, including ITV Anglia News, BBC Radio Suffolk,
the Bury Free Press, the East Anglian Daily Times and other
local papers. Two classes from the local primary school
visited the site to see the discoveries and the archaeological
excavation during the next week.
Watson's Potteries, Wattisfield
A programme of archaeological evaluation, excavation and
monitoring, funded by Bakers Construction in advance of housing
development, was carried out in April 2006 on land that was
formerly a part of the family run business, Henry Watson’s
Potteries at Pottery Hill, Wattisfield.
The history of pottery manufacture in and around Wattisfield
dates back to the Roman period. Henry Watson’s Potteries was
established in the early 19th century; although various small
potteries existed in Suffolk during the late 18th and early 19th
centuries, Watson’s developed into a regional and national supplier
and survived as a business to the present day.
The
development area had formerly been occupied by a 19th century
yard and bottle kiln bordered by three ranges of buildings.
Subsequent changes saw a still extant kiln, built in 1940/41,
and then a modern factory after a devastating fire in 1963.
Archaeological fieldwork centred on the area adjacent to the
1940’s kiln after the demolition of the factory and
established that while the 19th-20th century bottle kiln had
been totally removed, traces of the contemporary building
ranges survived, as did two possible wells of 19th century
date.
The main area of excavation identified the flues of a drying floor
connected to the still standing down-draught kiln and chimney
constructed in 1940/41. After the fire in 1963 these flues
were infilled and covered by the new factory concrete floor.
Following excavation the area was re-covered and the structures
have been preserved in situ.
Two previously unknown structures were located, and are of
particular interest. The first was the base of a 19th
century kiln or drying floor which lay partially under the standing
kiln and has been preserved in situ. The second was a quadrant of a
circular brick pad, which was of unknown function but may be the
base of another 19th century kiln or a pug mill.
Post-excavation work relied heavily upon material provided by Mr
Jeremy Watson, from the substantial, documentary and artefactual
private archive of the family business. The co-operation of the
developer, Baker Construction, also meant that the 1940’s drying
floor and the possible 19th century kiln were preserved in situ.
This project has demonstrated that a full study could produce a
complete history of all aspects of the business and would be a
valuable exercise as the combination of the physical site, the
family business and its private archive forms a historical asset of
regional importance, being a rare, if not unique example of a
19th-20th century pottery in East Anglia.
South Lowestoft (Gisleham parish)
Trial trenching in November 2005 in advance of an industrial
development revealed scattered prehistoric features - pits,
post-holes and ditches including a probable Neolithic pit and an
Iron Age ditch indicating a multi-period occupation site.
Subsequently the entire area was excavated in February and
March 2006. A circular ditched enclosure was found with a
roundhouse within it. The enclosure was c.22m in diameter and had
an entrance to the west: a 4.5m gap in the ditch with a posthole to
one side, indicating a probable gate post and entrance-way.
The building inside was c.7.5m in diameter with a probable entrance
to the south-east and a central hearth. Although dating for this
enclosure and house is still ongoing, it would appear to be an
early Iron Age settlement, perhaps representing a small farmstead
early in the 1st millennium BC.
In addition a series of large pits containing a very clayey,
stoneless, fill were identified and machine sectioned as one, for
example, was over 20m across and 2m deep. These enigmatic features
appeared to be ‘old’ as their fill was very clean and some of the
field ditches of probable early date appear to respect their
location. Initial interpretation was that they were a
form of natural hollow, as the fill was so clean and they did not
‘feel’ archaeological. However after a visit from, and
discussions with, a soil scientist, it was suggested that that they
were possibly clay quarry pits, and that they were backfilled very
rapidly - hence the paucity of finds and lack of any homogenised
layers (McPhail, pers. comm.). It is thought they could be of
a similar date to the enclosure and structure and radiocarbon
dating may confirm or deny this. It is worth noting that in
places on the site, the natural Lowestoft Till is particularly fine
and would have been exceptional clay for working.
Evidence for earlier activity was sparser but two pits, in
particular, were noteworthy. Both were of Bronze Age date, with one
producing a small lozenge shaped jet plaque with geometric
decoration and a fine flint knife. The jet object's purppose is
unknown, but was probably for clothing or a neck ornament. Jet,
which comes from Whitby in Yorkshire, is a relatively common find
in Early Bronze Age contexts in the north of England and in
Scotland but is much rarer in East Anglia. Closer analysis of
this jet piece is currently ongoing. The other pit proved to be an
isolated cremation burial also of earlier Bronze Age date.
Although centuries of ploughing had damaged the archaeology the
excavation has added significantly to our knowledge of early
settlement in the north-east of the county. The extensive
redevelopment around Lowestoft recently, particularly in Carlton
Colville and Gisleham, is exposing a picture of life over several
thousand years in this area.
Barham Quarry Phase 2
In the spring of 2005 worked funded by Brett’s Aggregates
continued on a large (around 9.5 hectare) gravel extraction quarry
at Barham. The second phase of excavation revealed a large (7000m2)
sub-rectangular Roman enclosure containing a number of dispersed
pit groups and several post-built structures including a
substantial 14 post rectangular example. The fragmentary remains of
further ditches marking out internal divisions were also recorded
within the main enclosure. The features were relatively well
preserved despite some quite heavy vertical truncation.
Barham Quarry Phase 2: All features plan
The most significant finding of the Phase 2 excavations was a Roman
pottery kiln and associated quarry/clay extraction pits. These were
cut into the eastern boundary ditch of the main enclosure.
Preservation of the kiln fabric was such that it was possible to
carry out archaeomagnetic dating, which suggested a date of either
175-215 AD or 270-300 AD. In this case the late 1st/early 2nd
century date is most likely, given the forms and fabrics of the
pottery found within. The kiln was used for the
production
of local greywares, presumably supplying nearby Combretovium, as
confirmed by the presence of a number of wasters and other
potsherds within the kiln. Further analysis of the kiln fabric and
the ‘raw material’ from the nearby quarry pits has yet to be
undertaken. Within the quarry pits a number of other more
fragmentary fired clay structures were recorded, and these are
currently presumed to be contemporary bread or drying ovens.
Beyond the southern edge of the Roman enclosure a number of late
prehistoric features were recorded. These included numerous small
pits containing what has been interpreted as the truncated remains
of whole pots, as well as other pits displaying unusual finds
distribution – which may be interpreted as ‘special’ or
‘structured’ deposition. The material from these pits has yet to be
dated, but a circular group of 10 near identical postholes suggests
a roundhouse of typical early Iron Age date.
Phase 3
Further excavation in 2006 at Barham uncovered further enclosure
ditches and prehistoric features, including at least one circular
building, to the south of the 2005 area. An early
Roman bronze handle from a shallow pan or skillet was
found in one of the ditches, shown in the photo to the
right.
Liberty Village, RAF Lakenheath
Excavation has been taking place on the first phase of a major
rebuilding development at Liberty Village, jus south of Lord’s walk
at RAF Lakenheath. On the west side of the site an extensive
area of Iron Age pits has been found. These appear to
represent a single sequence of occupation and first impressions are
of a site type more normally associated with Wessex than East
Anglia! Some remnants of the late Iron Age or early
Roman field system identified on the north side of Lord’s Walk
was also found. Excavation here has only just finished and it
will be some time before more detailed analysis can be carried
out.
Work has just started in the north-eastern corner of the
development where a large Bronze Age ring ditch has been
found. There is at least one central prehistoric burial, but
as yet no others have been located.
Several sections through the ring ditch have been excavated and
these show it to be c. 4m wide and c.
1.5m deep with a wide flat base. The main fill is a mid brown
sandy silt from which numerous patinated flint flakes have been
recovered with occasional sherds of pottery. Below this is a
thick band of redeposited chalk which probably represents material
slumped back into the ditch from nearby earthworks. It is not
clear at the moment what form the central mound took or whether
there was an outer bank or not. Further examination of the
ditch sections will hopefully help with the
interpretation.
The central burial has been fully excavated and was shown to
contain the remains of five individuals, three women and two
babies/small
children.
The skeletons of two of the women have been well preserved and
both were shown to be crouched, one in a semi-sitting
position. Three of the bodies were fully articulated and it
was clear that each had been placed in the grave as separate events
demonstrating a deliberate process involving the re-excavating of
the grave fill down to the level of the previous body. This may
suggest that the central mound of the barrow was smaller than
previously expected in order to allow the practical location and
re-excavation of the grave.
The site has excited the interest of base personnel and the press
alike. During the week beginning 31st October 512 visitors
attended the site ranging from elementary and primary school
children to a 2* General. In addition 12 members of the Suffolk
Branch of the Young Archaeologists Club spent the afternoon of
Friday 28th October helping with the dig. It has only been possible
to show this site to the public by a combination of support and
assistance from Mansells staff, CEV, SFS, Base PA and MOD Defence
Estates. It was certainly rewarding to hear the appreciative and
awed cries of ‘cool’ from young visitors on viewing their first
skeleton and I’m sure that there are several more children now
aiming to be archaeologists, if the frantic searching of the soil
for flints is anything to go by!
Flixton Park Quarry (Cemex) FLN 069
Archaeological work continues at Flixton near Bungay in the
Waveney Valley in advance of gravel extraction. Previous
seasons have produced information about the use of the
landscape here throughout prehistory, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and more
recent periods.
In 2005 soil stripping of approximately 1.5 hectares revealed
continuing evidence for the multi-period use of the site in the
prehistoric and later periods.
Evidence in the form of ditches for at least three separate
field systems were recorded, the most recent of which was
associated with the metalled surface of the former route of the
Flixton to Homersfield road that became redundant during the later
19th century. Two earlier sets of ditches remain undated, but seem
to conform with the alignment of ditches which in other phases of
the quarry have been securely dated to the later Iron Age and Roman
periods.
However, the most significant archaeology recorded comprised
further elements of the extensive Early Bronze Age monumental
landscape that extends along the gravel terraces on both sides of
the River Waveney. In the ten years that we have been excavating at
Flixton Park Quarry a total of ten ring-ditches have now been
identified and recorded, the majority of which were unknown from
aerial photographs. A further example was excavated in the adjacent
quarry now run by Tarmac.
This year, two ring-ditches were revealed, along with a large
isolated burial, the latter included Beaker pottery dated from the
Early Bronze Age. At this juncture, only the smaller of the two
ring-ditches has been excavated with the larger, c.38
metres in diameter, to be dealt with later in the year.
The ditch itself was only c.1 metre wide and described
a complete circle of c.12 metres in diameter. Two pits
were recorded in the area confined by the ditch, one containing two
inverted biconical urns and the other just one. Each urn contained
a cremation. The pit with two urns was surrounded by a
c.1.8 metre square enclosure with defined on three sides
by a continuous slot and on the other, a possible entrance, by
three post-holes. No parallel has as yet been found for this
structure.
Former Cattle Market, Bury St Edmunds
Excavation was undertaken on the site of the former 19th and 20th
century Cattle Market in Bury St Edmunds. The excavation exposed
the surviving surfaces of the market and associated features,
including a late 19th century weighbridge.
To the south of the market a series of buildings dating from the
17th through to the 20th century were identified showing
the post-medieval development of the St Andrew’s Street frontage.
Little evidence survived from the medieval period as the site lay
outside of the medieval town defences and was likely in
agricultural use at this time. The excavation also had a very
successful open day that gave the opportunity for local residents
to see the archaeology of the town during the excavation
process.