Monument record 3998/0/1 - Middle to late Iron Age settlement, Bozeat Quarry

Archaeological investigation ahead of and during quarrying identified a middle to late Iron Age open settlement and field system. Survival of features was generally poor but fragmentary remains of up to two roundhouse ring ditches, two interconnected enclosures, a routeway, up to 40 pits and other shallow/ploughed ditches were identified. It is likely that the settlement was relocated to the north in c30AD.

{1} Cropmarks of possible roundhouse, enclosures and pit visible on aerial photograph.

{2} Magnetometry survey of the site was carried out ahead of quarrying. The pattern of magnetic features in Field 4 may have become fragmented by recent agricultural activity, or possibly quarrying. The excavation of the adjacent Roman building in 1964 was occasioned by the threat of deep ploughing to the site, which could account for the degradation of features in this area. Most of the area ppears to be devoid of meaningful archaeological activity. There are linear anomalies at the eastern and southern edges of the area. The additional area surveyed to the south showed a number fo ditches aligned north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east.Most of the survey area appears to be devoid of meaningful archaeological activity, apart from a small double rectilinear enclosure, aligned north-east to south-west.

{3} Two trenches were excavated in Field 4. Features in both had been identified during the preceding geophysical survey. In Trench 19, three ditches were revealed which could be related to anomalies identified as an enclosure by geophysical survey. All three contained late Iron Age/early Roman pottery. Further features were identified in Trench 20.

{4} Archaeological excavation and watching briefs undertaken prior to and during gravel extraction at Bozeat Quarry identified a middle to late Iron Age open settlement and field system in the southern part of the site. The activity extended over an area of c170m by 150m, but only survived as fragmentary remains including up to two roundhouse ring ditches, two interconnected enclosures, a routeway, up to 40 pits and other shallow/ploughed out ditches. Due to this poor survival, stratigraphic reltionships between features were uncertain.

The interconnected, square enclosures were located at the northern edge of the settlement some 50m away from the other features. At the south, a possible trackway, identified by the two flanking ditches, appeared to lead towards the two ring ditches. Several discrete pit groups lay to the south-east. The settlement appeared to be bounded to the south by a substantial boundary.

Much of the pottery from this phase came from the fills of two pits- all the pottery from one of the pits was of a brown ware with darker core that was of middle-late Iron Age date.



{1} Most of the survey area appears to be devoid of meaningful archaeological activity, apart from a small double rectilinear enclosure, aligned north-east to south-west.

{2} Trench 19, Contexts 19/5,6,9, Fig.15. Three ditches were revealed in the trench which could be related to anomalies identified as an enclosure by geophysical survey. Ditch 19/5 was 0.6m deep, 19/6 was at least 0.25m deep and 19/9 was 0.25m deep. All three contained late Iron Age/early Roman pottery.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP: SP8959/002 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<2> Holmes M., 1996, Archaeological Assessment of Land at Bozeat, Northamptonshire: Stage 2, p.11 (checked) (Report). SNN72802.

<3> Not specified, 1997, Archaeological Assessment of Land at Bozeat, Northamptonshire: Stage 3, p.28 (checked) (Report). SNN72910.

<4> Atkins, R., 2018, Late Iron Age and Roman settlement at Bozeat Quarry, Northamptonshire: Excavations 1995-2016, p. 15-20 (Monograph). SNN111152.

<5> Crank, N. (Editor), 2019, South Midlands Archaeology (49), p. 74-5 (Journal). SNN111755.

Record last edited

Nov 25 2019 2:48PM