Monument record 7723 - Possible Late Iron Age Settlement &/Or Field System, Doddington Road

Archaeological excavation revealed Iron Age enclosures/field system. It is likely that the activity continues to the west and south of the investigated area

{1} The evidence suggests the presence of a prehistoric settlement or associated field system within the southern part of the development site. Extensive late Iron Age and Roman settlement has been excavated c.500m to the north, and another settlement c.1km to the south-east. Iron Age and Roman activity was also encountered c.100m to the north-east (Mills Lane) and c.250m to the south-east (Mount Pleasant). The site therefore fits within a wider landscape of Iron Age and Roman farmsteads with larger settlements in the Nene valley.
Archaeological features were identified in two trenches. Trench 5 contained a single ditch, orientated north-south. A single thumbnail scraper was recovered from the fill, probably dating to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age. Running east to west across the ditch was a small gully, with slightly sloping sides and a concave base. It contained no finds. The gully's relationship with the ditch is uncertain. In Trench 5, to the north was another probable gully (without finds) which also crossed the ditch, with which its relationship is unknown.
Trench 6. A gully orientated north-south. The fill contained 6 sherds of middle Iron Age pottery (early C4th BC to end of the C2nd BC), and a single sheep-sized bone fragment and sheep tooth fragment. Also in this trench was a north-west to south-east orientated ditch with straight sides and a central concave base. Its fill contained fire-cracked pebbles and very small charcoal flecks. 13 sherds of middle Iron Age pottery (early C4th BC to end of C2nd BC) were recovered from the fill.

{2} A small excavation was undertaken prior to development. The excavation exposed more of the features recorded during the evaluation, but few others were present. The ditches and gullies extended beyond the excavation limits and are likely to have been part of a wider boundary system or enclosures dating to the Iron Age. Most of the features contained few finds apart from a ditch aligned north to south.
The relatively small scale of the excavation means that a detailed understanding of the nature of the site has not been possible. However, the quantity of finds from the features suggests that the activity was likely to be domestic in nature, rather than part of a wider field system situated some way from settlement. It is considered likely that further remains are probably located to the west and south of the current site. The pottery was in the main recovered from a single ditch, which has enabled the site to be more securely dated from the late first century BC to the early first century AD . A single sherd of early Roman pottery from one feature indicate some continuity of activity into the Roman period although any domestic focus seems to have shifted elsewhere.

<1> Speed G., 2012, An Archaeological Evaluation on land to the Rear of 11 Doddington Road, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN109715.

<2> Walker, C., 2015, Iron Age hillside enclosures at Doddington Road, Earl's Barton, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN110154.

<3> Horne, B (editor), 2015, South Midlands Archaeology (45), p. 37 (Journal). SNN111358.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2020 11:46AM