Monument record 1641/0/55 - Middle Iron Age Enclosure with late Iron Age burials, Irchester Roman Town

A ditched and walled enclosure with an entrance on the eastern side. Above the filling of the enclosure ditch were three late Iron Age inhumations

{5} Ditched and walled enclosure. As first seen the ditch was 8-12ft wide and from the sections the calculated size was 13ft wide at the top, 6.5-8 ft deep, and 4ft across the flat bottom. It enclosed an area of about 1500 sq. yards and had an entrance to the east about 4ft wide. Unsilted limestone building rubble (mostly flat stones) was found on the inner side and bottom of the ditch all the way round, except on parts of the east and south sides. Around the north arm of the entrance, just on the ditch edge, a course of laid stone 14in. thick and semicircular in plan survived in situ, the outer face of a wall which can be assumed to have surrounded the enclosure. At a later, lower stage of grading, the entrance causeway was observed to be 10ft wide, demonstrating that the ditch was not vertical-sided at the entrance. Each entrance arm of the ditch had a great deal of limestone sloping in all round. This limestone was also seen in pit 123, which is similar in form to a Roman tutulus so could be a defensive feature. The sections show that the enclosure did not last long: the ditches show little silting and the wall rubble lay near to the bottom of the ditch.

Above the filling of the enclosure ditch were three human skeletons in a layer of ash. One of these was destroyed by the road construction but the other two were obtained fairly complete. The three lay almost side by side in the ditch. Skeleton 2 lay on its side, skull face down with arms outstretched above, suggesting that the body was thrown in the ditch rather than buried properly. The skeleton was female, probably over 30 and possibly nearer 50 at time of death. Skeleton 3 was also laid on its side with one arm outstretched above. It was of a male, probably over 45 years and showed many signs of arthritis. The cause of death for both sekeltons was uncertain.

<1> 1962, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Article). SNN59545.

<1> Hall D.N.; Nickerson N., 1967, Excavations at Irchester, 1962-3, p.71 (checked) (Article). SNN76281.

<2> 1962, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Article). SNN59496.

<3> 1963, The Journal of Roman Studies, 135 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN59544.

<4> Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), (unchecked) (Series). SNN34832.

<5> Hall D.N.; Nickerson N., 1967, Excavations at Irchester, 1962-3, p.68-9 (checked) (Article). SNN76281.

Record last edited

Nov 27 2018 12:00PM