Monument record 3869 - Middle Iron Age occuaption and possible Roman field system, Northampton Road

Archaeological evaluation found a number of gullies, although dating evidence was only found in two of them. The few fragments of pottery were of prehistoric date, possibly early Iron Age or earlier. Subsequent excavation identified a small unenclosed middle Iron Age occupation site which was overlain by the gullies; they have been tentatively dated to the Roman period.

{1} Archaeological evaluation at Northampton Road found several gullies, aligned roughly north-south and east-west, of which dating evidence was found in two suggesting that they were of early Iron Age date or even earlier. Very small quantities of animal bone, charcoal and fired clay were also found.

{2} Archaeological excavation of 0.93ha revealed a partial ring gully with a diameter of 14.5m containing a number of iron Age pottery sherds. Seven pits were located in the same area; four also contained Iron Age pottery. Radiocarbon determination on unidentified charcoal from one of the pits produced a date of 330-204 cal BC (UBA32428) (70.2% probability) and on unidentified charcoal from from another of the pits produced a date of 327-204 cal BC (UBA 32429) (65.8% probability). A segmented gully may also have dated to this phase. Three linear gullies in a rectilinear arrangement overlay the Iron Age features, but were truncated by medieval furrows. A single sherd of Roman pottery was recovered. They were tentatively dated to the Roman period and are probably part of a wider field system.

<1> Porter, S., 2015, Proposed Baptist Church, Northampton Road , Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological evaluation, 2015 (Report). SNN110686.

<2> Mundin, A., 2016, The Excavation of a Middle Iron Age occupation site and Roman field system at the proposed Baptist Church, Northampton Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN111429.

Record last edited

Mar 25 2019 1:46PM