Find Spot record 6778/0/0 - Unstratified Romano-British & Early Middle Saxon Pottery, Roman Coins & Limestone Scatters

{1} Pratt's Pasture, Site 27 (TL 00137028): 227 sherds of Romano-British pottery from 1.16ha. 25% of the assemblage represents the early Roman period, 64% the middle Roman period and 11% the late Roman. Pratt's Pasture was one of a number of smaller settlements on the higher boulder clay plateau which continued into the late Roman period, showing that abandonment of farms here was not total during the early Roman period. Metal detecting here also supports this view, with the collection of coinage dating to the mid to late C4th.
Metal detecting from Site 27 [on p.83 called Pastures Lodge], collected 8 coins dating 259-275, 6 dating to 330-348, 5 dating to 348-364 and 2 dating to 364-378, a total of 21 coins.
While no major concentrations of early middle Saxon pottery were found on Roman settlements located on the boulder clay three sites, including Pratts Pasture (Site 27), provided between 6 and 10 sherds. The interpretation is uncertain, but may be little more than variation within wider manuring scatters.
The finds assemblage shows a linear concentration of pottery, together with limestone scatters, associated with low earthwork platforms and dark soil, suggesting that the main focus for settlement lay to the west of the two groups of cropmarks. A slight concentration of early Roman pottery within the northern enclosures may be contemporary, but by the late Roman period the focus was entirely in the west and the enclosures were marked by a total absence of sherds, suggesting that if contemporary, they may have been used for livestock.
The main concentration is about 195m long and up to 75m wide, suggesting that settlement was arranged across the neck of the spur. The full range of Roman pottery was collected, possibly denoting that the origins of the settlement lay in the late C1st, although perhaps with a greater emphasis in the mid-Roman period. Continuation into the late Roman period is attested by the presence of colour-coated wares and 13 C4th coins, the latest issued by Gratian (AD 375-8).
A scatter of 10 early middle Saxon pottery sherds was found on the edge of the promontory, coinciding with the northern part of the Roman settlement, and further sherds were dispersed on the higher ground to the south-east. Interpretation is difficult, for although the sherds could denote settlement the low quantities may merely indicate activities like stone-robbing or agriculture.

<1> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.74+80+83+94+219 (checked) (Book). SNN105780.

Record last edited

Sep 9 2008 2:35PM