Monument record 6315/0/2 - Middle Bronze Age burnt stone features and waterholes, Nortoft Lodge

Excavation in 2010 identified two 'burnt stone complexes' which comprised sub-rectangular troughs paired with waterholes. Burnt stone and charcoal were common to the troughs and the upper fills of the waterholes. Radiocarbon dating suggests that one trough/waterhole pair was later than the other suggesting a replacement. The features contained remains of burnt mounds, with the mounds of burnt stone having been ploughed out.

{1} Excavation in 2010 revealed several cut features found in association with burnt stone deposits. They comprised two complexes each consisting of a waterhole and a trough along with other, unexcavated, features that were presumed to be contemporary based on their proximity. Both waterholes were filled with clay deposits interleaved with burnt layers of stone and charcoal, which are suggestive of burnt mound debris. The troughs had no evidence of plank or wicker lining, although postholes found at the corners of one of the troughs may have retained a lining.
A column sample was taken from one of the waterholes which provided some evidence for woodland clearance during its use. Radiocarbon dates for the features suggest that one of the complexes was earlier than the other, although both were in use during the middle Bronze Age.

<1> Masefield R. (ed), 2015, Origins, Development and Abandonment of an Iron Age Village (DIRFT Volume 2), p. 170-171 (Monograph). SNN110565.

<2> Davenport, P., 2011, DIRFT Expansion (DIRFT II), Kilsby, Daventry, Northamptonshire: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN111415.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 8:15PM