ENN110836 - Land off Northampton and Turweston Roads, 2014 (Trial trench)

OASIS ID - albionar1-169608 {1} Albion Archaeology was commissioned to carry out the Stage I field evaluation, which comprised geophysical survey followed by trial trenching. The geophysical survey identified the presence of probable archaeological features across the survey area (Stratascan 2012). The subsequent trial trenching confirmed the presence of a number of archaeological features with moderate levels of sub-surface preservation. The layout and form of these features, together with recovered artefacts, suggest that the site contains remains of settlement activity, comprising roundhouse gullies, storage pits, enclosure ditches and postholes. A moderate quantity of artefacts was recovered from these features, including pottery and animal bone. The pottery is dated to the early-middle Iron Age. Two settlement foci were identified: one at the north end and one at the south end of the development area. The remains are likely to represent lowstatus settlement activity, associated with two or more unenclosed farmsteads and, as such, have the potential to be of local and regional significance. Project Results: rial trenching confirmed the presence of a number of archaeological features with moderate levels of sub-surface preservation. The layout and form of these features, together with recovered artefacts, suggest that the site contains remains of settlement activity, comprising roundhouse gullies, storage pits, enclosure ditches and postholes. A moderate quantity of artefacts was recovered from these features, including pottery and animal bone. The pottery is dated to the early-middle Iron Age. Two settlement foci were identified: one at the north end and one at the south end of the development area. The remains are likely to represent lowstatus settlement activity, associated with two or more unenclosed farmsteads and, as such, have the potential to be of local and regional significance.