Monument record 9455/1 - Possible Roman enclosure and Early Middle Saxon Cemetery

Archaeological monitoring identified a Roman ditch, possibly part of a larger enclosure. Four inhumations immediately to the west of the ditch were recorded but left in situ. An early-middle Saxon pottery vessel lay by the skull of one

{1} Archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping identified a small number of features. A north-west to south-east aligned ditch. Its fill contained ironstone fragments and charcoal lumps containing Roman pottery, animal bone and tile. Four inhumation burials were observed and recorded, but not excavated. All were adult and east-west orientated. Exposed parts suggested that they lay in a supine position, with heads to the west. Two burials were laid in a line, head to toe, 1m apart. The other two were c.6.5m to the south of these, and lay side by side, 0.7m apart. All the grave cuts were elongated and sub-rectangular in plan. Details of each burial are given as far as possible, p.8-10.
Burial 4 had an early-middle Saxon pottery vessel (the rim of which was c.100-120mm in diameter), laid at the west end of the grave by the skull. The bowl was made of black burnished fabric.

The inhumations may have been within an earlier enclosure, partially defined by the ditch, which was still a visible feature. The graves are all probably closely contemporary.

<1> Foard-Colby A., 2013, Archaeological Observation, Investigation and Recording for the Rushton Loop River Enhancement Project: River Ise, Whitegates Farm, Rushton, Northamptonshire October - November 2013, p.7-15 (unchecked) (Report). SNN109683.

Record last edited

Jun 23 2021 4:13PM