Monument record 7833 - Middle Bronze Age cremation burial and middle Iron Age settlement, north of Thenford Hill Farm

Archaeological investigations undertaken as part of the Thorpe Mandeville to Greatworth pipeline discovered an un-urned cremation burial which was radiocarbon dated to the middle Bronze Age and a series of ditched enclosures and roundhouse ring ditch dated to the middle Iron Age. It is likely that the settlement extends to the north and south of the area investigated,

{1} Geophysical survey was undertaken prior to the laying of a new water main. In Field 2, there were anomalies representing ditches of up to four enclosures. Large positive anomalies may be the remains of former quarries or groups of smaller pits. These features are likely to represent later prehistoric and/or Roman rural settlements.

{4, 5} Archaeological excavation identified an area of settlement extending 90m along the pipeline corridor. The earliest feature was a pit containing cremated human bone which was subsequently radiocarbon dated to the middle Bronze Age. The remainder of the features were part of a middle Iron Age settlement. It was bounded on the western side by a curvilinear ditch apparently enclosing a concentration of features including postholes, pit groups, a gully and a probable roundhouse. Charcoal from a pit in this enclosure was radiocarbon dated to the middle iron Age. Another smaller enclosure was also partially exposed. Two radiocarbon dates from charcoal in the ditch fills provided a range of dates in the early to middle Iron Age, although the early Iron Age dates were considered to be a little too early. Two natural ponds were also exposed.

<1> Clements, P., 2007, Archaeological geophysical survey: Thorpe Mandeville to Greatworth pipeline, Northamptonshire, November 2007,
https://doi.org/10.5284/1005039; p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN106647.

<2> Horne B. (Editor), 2008, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (38), p.44 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN106282.

<3> Chapman P. (Editor), 2008, Archaeology in Northamptonshire in 2007, p.296 (unchecked) (Article). SNN106430.

<4> Patenall, M., 2008, AWS Thorpe Mandeville to Greatworth pipeline: archaeological excavations and watching brief January - February 2008 Assessment report and updated project design, https://doi.org/10.5284/1005372; p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN106728.

<5> Brown J., 2011, A Middle Bronze Age Cremation Burial, Middle Iron Age Settlement and Roman Occupation Along the Thorpe Mandeville to Greatworth Water Pipeline, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN108333.

<6> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP 5244/013-014 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<7> Horne B. (Editor), 2009, South Midlands Archaeology (39), 39/31 (checked) (Journal). SNN106544.

<8> Chapman, P. (Ed.), 2010, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2008, 36/179 (checked) (Article). SNN107502.

Record last edited

Sep 23 2024 3:58PM