Monument record 5134/0/1 - Iron Age Enclosure, Pits & Possible Hearth

Archaeological excavation in advance of road construction identified an Iron Age enclosed settlement and pit cluster of the 3rd to 2nd century BC.

{1} Excavation of 1965 by D.Jackson. Iron Age settlement. Possible enclosure with several phases of ditch. Outside lay at least 42 pits. Finds of late Iron Age pot sherds (C3rd-C2nd BC) BC), a Neolithic type discoid flint scraper from a pit, and a late Romano-British Castor ware bottle fragment from a Saxon context and possibly re-used as a weight.

{2} Areas of dark soil, burnt clay, stones and a possible hearth.

{4} Forty two Iron Age pits were recorded, although more must have existed originally. The majority had been dug into loose sand and contained brown earth with pieces of limestone, but some had been excavated in sandstone and given vertical sides and flat bottoms. Some of the pits contained burnt stones and one had a few pieces of charred grain at the bottom. No indication of lining was seen. Some areas of dark soil, burnt clay and stones were also noted and a semi circle of baked clay which may have been a hearth. Two parallel ditches were also found, which might have belonged to different phases of the same enclosure. Their relationship to the pits was not clear. The earliest ditch had been re-cut at least once and the later contained an Iron Age pottery handle.

{6} Finds at Ashmolean Museum.

{8} Letters regarding the organisation of the excavation, which was financed by the Ashmolean Museum.

{9} In 1965, during road works at Upton finds in a bulldozed area were brought to the attention of Mr D A Jackson, Upper Nene Arch Soc. He conducted a rescue excavation financed by Ashmolean Museum who retain all finds, but have not, as yet, published a report and no precis can be given.

{10} No further information.
Mr Jackson could not be contacted but Northampton Museum provided information about the Saxon site.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.402/Site 3 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SW18 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> 1969, The Antiquaries Journal, p.202-21 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58178.

<4> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1966, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies (Prehistoric), 1/5 (checked) (Article). SNN19308.

<5> 1965, Northants Archaeological Archive: Records Summary, (checked) (Notes). SNN57297.

<6> Ashmolean Museum Accession Register, (checked) (Catalogue). SNN10110.

<7> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Hardy S., 1978-1984, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Secondary Record Sheets, P55 (checked) R50 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN108.

<8> Correspondence, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN46655.

<9> Harper, F R, 1966, Field Investigators Comments, F R Harper F1 14.2.66 (Note). SNN110348.

<10> Seaman, B H, 1967, Field investigators comments, F2 BHS 18-MAR-1967 (Notes). SNN114635.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2023 2:25PM