Monument record 1952/1 - Middle Iron Age Shrine and Roundhouse

Excavation has revealed middle Iron Age activity including a large boundary ditch [1952/0/4]. At the western end was a rectangular structure which has been tentatively interpreted as a Middle Iron Age shrine. Very little material was recovered from this feature and there were no directly associated votive deposits although the articulated remains of a sheep and a cow were found nearby. A round house was identified close to the possible shrine. Both structures had been re-cut on a number of occasions and it is possible they were linked. The lack of domestic/settlement activity or associated artefacts implies the roundhouse is unlikely to have been used as a dwelling.

{3} Excavation ahead of residential development identified a discrete group of features at the western end of a long middle Iron Age boundary ditch. There was a rectangular structure comprising a series of beamslots, postholes and possible ditches or robber cuts, with at least three phases of construction. At its largest dimensions, the building measured 20m long and 15m wide. Only a small amount of material was recovered from the fills of this structure, including a small quantity of pottery of Middle Iron Age date.
Iron Age structures of this form are generally believed to have served a ritual function and are frequently referred to as shrines. The exact nature of the activity that took place in these unusual buildings is not clear. At Kettering it would appear that the structure had no roof, with no surviving internal postholes to support it. It is also probable that the entrance of the structure (facing to the west), was embellished, with a second entrance constructed around it.
Nearby was a round house formed by a penannular gully and two postholes. The gully had been re-cut on at least four occasions and was up to 1.8m wide and 0.4m deep. Each re-cut had a similar profile, with gently sloping sides and a flat base. The final fill of the last phase of the structure was different: it contained a significant quantity of stone. This material probably derived from the structure located within the gully, having been used as post-packing, hearth stones, within the wall fabric, or to form a surface. The majority of the finds came from the final re-cut, and all the finds were concentrated close to the south-eastern terminal.
Two postholes were identified in the entrance of this structure. The postholes both contained stones, that had been used as post-packing.
Two possible pits were cut by the gully. These features may represent an earlier phase of the structure, however, as none contained any finds and they were not regular in position or profile, it seems more likely that they were natural in origin.
The articulated remains of a sheep and a cow were deposited in two pits. One of the burials was severely truncated, but sufficient bone survived to show it was almost certainly a complete animal when buried. Neither of these features contained any finds other than the animal bone. They have been phased to the Iron Age period due to their location within an area of activity of this date.

Other features included a group of three undated postholes formed a north to south orientated line, a pit, the only large pit on the site, with a diameter of 2.3m and a depth of 0.64m. Pottery, animal bone and a worked stone object were found within this pit. A further pit contained a single struck flint and just under 1kg of burnt sandstone cobbles in the charcoal rich fill. It was sub-circular in plan, with a length of 1m and a width of 0.8m; it was 0.2m deep. Such pits containing burnt stone are often referred to as cooking pits.
Several other small pits and possible pits were also investigated, all of which were located in the vicinity of the two structures. Most of these contained no finds, although a small quantity of Iron Age pottery was recovered from two. Three of the excavated tree throws contained small quantities of pottery and these have been phased to the Iron Age. One also contained a fired clay object.

{4} English Heritage has been asked to assess an Iron Age shrine and roundhouse which was discovered following an archaeological strip, map and sample excavation in advance of a development of 334 dwellings as part of the Kettering East development. An earlier geophysics survey and subsequent trial trenching did not reveal these features, only a ditched enclosure. The excavation was to ensure preservation by record in advance of the development. Permission for the development has been granted. Conclusion: the possible Iron Age shrine and roundhouse should not be scheduled.

<1> Butler A., 2010, Archaeological geophysical survey on land east of Kettering, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN107967.

<2> Gilmour, N., 2012, Land east of Kettering, Phase A: Archaeological evaluation, 2012, p. 18 (Report). SNN110464.

<3> Gilmour, N., 2013, Iron Age Structures and Associated Activity on Land East of Kettering Areas R7 and R8: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design, p.13 (checked) (Report). SNN109332.

<4> English Heritage, Designation Advice Report, Middle Iron Age Shrine and Roundhouse, Kettering (Report). SNN113190.

Record last edited

Apr 8 2022 11:49AM