Monument record 1742/0/13 - Early Saxon Sunken Featured Building

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Summary

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Type and Period (2)

Full Description

{1} Early Saxon activity consisting of 2 postholes within a shallow depression associated with a group of Saxon sherds, a loomweight and spindle whorls. Though thought likely to have been a sunken-featured building, the posts were incorrectly positioned and there was no other structural evidence.

{6} Early Saxon sunken feature building discovered during excavation - produced a radiocarbon date of 421-597 cal AD.

{7} Early Saxon activity was limited to a single sunken-featured building, whichy produced a radiocarbon date of cal AD 421-597, and a second, poorly preserved, structure found 50m away.

{8} The early Saxon occupation comprised a sunken-featured building ES36. Early middle Saxon pottery was recovered as well as domestic items including loomweight fragments and spindle whorls, but the only personal items of this date (two brooches and a decorative mount) were recovered as residual finds in later contexts. This and ES37 appear to be isolated, individual structures, however fieldwalking to the east of Cotton Lane suggests that there may have been contemporary activity here, some 200-250m to the east.
The steep sided, flat bottomed pit was 2.5m wide x 0.35m deep and a single posthole lay at the centre of the slightly rounded eastern end. The southern end had been removed by a later ditch system. The fill contained substantial quantities of hazel charcoal (from which the radio carbon date was obtained), an assemblage of early Saxon pottery (as well as three sherds of Romano-British pottery), a spindle whorl, loomweight fragments and a perforated stone block with a worn surface, probably used as an anvil or hammer stone. The larger charcoal fragments lay above the basal fill and may have derived from a floor, or the walls and roof.
Immediately south of ES36 there was a linear ditch, 6.0m wide x 0.4m deep, which was largely filled with mottled water deposited silts. Some early Saxon pottery came from the upper fills and continued over and beyond the northern edge. This may derive from activity associated with ES36.


<1> Windell D., 1988, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE, (unchecked) (Interim Note). SNN51884.

<2> Windell D., 1988, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Note). SNN53805.

<3> 1989, EVENING TELEGRAPH, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN57416.

<4> 1989, EVENING TELEGRAPH, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN57415.

<5> 1987, Northamptonshire Archaeology Unit: Report for 1987, (checked) (Report). SNN55128.

<6> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.93 (unchecked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<7> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.175 (part checked) (Book). SNN105780.

<8> Chapman A., 2011, West Cotton, Raunds: A Study of Medieval Settlement Dynamics AD450 - 1450 (Excavation of a Deserted Medieval Hamlet in Northamptonshire, 1985-89), p.27-29 (part checked) (Book). SNN107508.

Sources/Archives (8)

  • <1> Interim Note: Windell D.. 1988. SUPPLEMENTARY FILE. WC 1985-87. (unchecked).
  • <2> Note: Windell D.. 1988. SMR REPORT FORM. (unchecked).
  • <3> Journal: 1989. EVENING TELEGRAPH. EVENING TELEGRAPH. (unchecked).
  • <4> Journal: 1989. EVENING TELEGRAPH. EVENING TELEGRAPH. (unchecked).
  • <5> Report: 1987. Northamptonshire Archaeology Unit: Report for 1987. NAU Annual Reports. 1987. Northants. County Council. (checked).
  • <6> Draft: Parry S.. 1993. Raunds Area Survey Report. p.93 (unchecked).
  • <7> Book: Parry S. et al. 2006. Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94. EH, NCC, Oxbow Books. p.175 (part checked).
  • <8> Book: Chapman A.. 2011. West Cotton, Raunds: A Study of Medieval Settlement Dynamics AD450 - 1450 (Excavation of a Deserted Medieval Hamlet in Northamptonshire, 1985-89). Oxbow. p.27-29 (part checked).

Finds (7)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Location

Grid reference SP 9753 7256 (point) Approximate
Civil Parish RAUNDS, North Northamptonshire (formerly East Northants District)

Protected Status/Designation

Other Statuses/References

  • None recorded

Record last edited

Mar 10 2014 4:11PM

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