Monument record 1816/0/1 - Probable Iron Age/Romano-British Double-Ditched Enclosure (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{2} Double-ditched enclosure with possible annexes or evidence of repositioning of original plan. Outer ditch 1.4m wide; inner ditch between 2.8m and 3.8m wide and was of substantial construction with a depth of at least 1.3m. 3 oval pits contained within the enclosure. Iron Age and Roman pottery was recovered from both ditches suggesting a late Iron Age/early Roman date for the enclosure.

{3} The western area of cropmarks is the most complex, comprising a double-ditched enclosure which either had annexes or was subsequently relocated to the north and east. The inner ditch is noticeably wider than the oithers, and encloses 0.18ha. Magnetometer survey identified elements of the western enclosure, but anomalies were poorly defined making an overall interpretation impossible.
The inner ditch of the double-ditched enclosure at the centre of the western group of cropmarks varied in width from 2.8m to 3.8m. While not fully excavated, it appears to be substantial with steep sides tapering by up to 50 degrees from horizontal to a depth of at least 1.3m. 16 sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from its fill.
By contrast, the outer ditch was only half as wide, 4 Iron Age and 3 Roman sherds were recovered from its junction with a further ditch, but due to the dry conditions their relationship was not established.
Apart from three aceramic oval pits the interior of the enclosure was otherwise devoid of features.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<2> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.182-85 (checked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<3> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.214-19 (part checked) (Book). SNN105780.

Record last edited

Apr 19 2013 12:51PM