Monument record 848/1 - Unenclosed middle Iron Age settlement, Northampton Road

An extensive area of middle Iron Age activity perhaps comprising more than one distinct area or phase of settlement. Excavation in 2014 revealed roundhouses, ditched enclosures, post-built structures and many storage pits. The densest area of activity lay in the northern part of the site. Further investigation of a small area to the north in 2018 revealed contemporary, but peripheral activity, largely comprising quarry pits.

{1} A notched flint blade, dated to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, was found on the field surface of the southern field during a site visit.

{2} A magnetometry survey undertaken in 2013 identified an area of concentrated curvi-linear and roughly-circular features, in the north of the area, indicating the presence of ring ditches and enclosures, whilst a number of pit features are also present.

{4} An area of c. 3ha was excavated; it was divided into two main parts of unequal size, exposing an unenclosed middle Iron Age settlement. The main part of the settlement extended over c. 1.6ha and was in the northern excavation area, possibly continuing beyond the limit of the development area. Evidence for c. 20 roundhouses was identified. They were defined by pennanular gullies with east-facing entrances. The area defined by the gullies ranged from 8–15m in diameter, whilst the gullies themselves were generally shallow and only a few had been redug. Five oval/sub-circular ditched enclosures were identified, generally defined by ditches up to 1.6m wide and 1.4m deep, distinguished from the roundhouses by having more substantial ditches. One in particular was exceptionally large compared to the other features and may have had a special function. There were large numbers of pits, about 250 of those investigated were of the classic 'storage'-type. At least 40 post-built structures, characterised by groups of four or more postholes, were identified; most were located closer to the roundhouses than the storage pits. One pit, adjacent to the enclosure defined by a large ditch, was exceptional in that it was lined with neatly constructed dry-stone walling. It was circular, c. 2.5m in diameter and 0.6m deep with a flat base.

Only one formal burial was found, a crouched inhumation, placed within a grave on the east side of the northern settlement. A small number of features contained disarticulated human bone but the precise number is unknown at this stage.

Artefacts found include ceramic loomweights, a weaving comb, a bone bobbin and a tanged knife. The range of crafts carried out at the settlement included textile production, antler and bone working, possibly leather working (awls), iron smelting and possibly non-ferrous metal working. Agriculture is attested by the presence of a pruning hook and grain-processing by saddle querns. The best dated artefacts in their own right were a copper alloy La Tene II involute brooch, and a possible iron involute dress pin, which attest to settlement in the middle Iron Age. As yet unparalleled, is a possible iron socketed ‘standard’ tip, found within a fill of a pit which also contained middle Iron Age pottery.

{6} Archaeological investigation at the Apex site in 2018 revealed a small number of ditches and postholes as well as nineteen quarry pits, likely to be contemporary with the middle Iron Age settlement remains to the south. A palaeochannel, which appears to have been present as a dry valley during the Iron Age, was also investigated. A small quantity of Iron Age pottery (25 sherds), animal bone, ferrous slag and an iron nail were recovered.

{7} The Northampton Road settlement was not entirely uncovered, but appears to have been a predominantly open settlement with some enclosures which may have enclosed clusters of roundhouses. The most striking element in the layout of the settlement was a linear cluster of storage pits aligned north-west to south-east. There were 328 pits, most of which fitted 'classic' storage-pit profiles, with one example of a stone-lined pit. There were a few four-post structures impinging on this area, but generally it appears to have been reserved for specific activities. The settlement may have had its origins in the early Iron Age period, but the vast amount of activity took place in the middle Iron Age. Two examples of carinated vessels suggest settlement persisted into the later middle Iron Age. There were up to 26 roundhouses including a small dispersed cluster and an isolated example. There was a total of 42 square and 15 rectangular small structures of the 'four-poster' type (although the number of posts they were constructed from varied).

<1> Tann, G., 2008, Land East of Northampton Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN108255.

<2> Prestidge, O.J., 2013, Land east of Northampton Road, Brackley, Northants: Geophysical survey report, December 2013 (Report). SNN111699.

<3> Koziminski, M, 2014, Land east of Northampton Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Field Evaluation (Report). SNN113965.

<4> Luke, M, Barker, J & Leslie, I, 2016, Preliminary report on the archaeological investigations at Northampton Road, Brackley, Northants (Report). SNN111232.

<5> Horne, B (editor), 2015, South Midlands Archaeology (45), p. 31-2 (Journal). SNN111358.

<6> King, A, 2019, Apex Site, Land off Northampton Road and Turweston Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire: Archaeological strip, map and sample investigation and archaeological observation (Report). SNN111875.

<7> Leslie, I, 2021, Radstone Fields and Northampton Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire: Two Major Iron Age settlements at the head of the River Great Ouse Catchment (Monograph). SNN113024.

Record last edited

Sep 1 2022 8:50AM