Monument record 2148/1/1 - Possible unenclosed Iron Age settlement, Clay Lane

Ditches, gullies and roundhouse identified by archaeological excavation undertaken in 1980. The features pre-dated a late Iron Age enclosure and may be an earlier unenclosed phase of settlement.

{1} Boundary gullies. A group of small gullies on the of the enclosure, aligned approx north-south, interpreted as minor land divisions prior to the enclosure. There was no evidence of timber uprights having stood in the gullies. A small amount of undiagnostic pre-Belgic Iron Age pottery was found.
To the west, a large number of intercut gullies and ditches forming a major land-division maintained over a long period and giving rise to the ditches of the enclosure. The variation and complexity observed in excavation made identification of single gullies impossible. The gullies were all intercut, and pottery of both middle and Belgic Iron Age were found, indicating that the gullies survived in use into the period of the enclosure. A penannular gully, presumed to have been the drainage gully of a circular timber building, with a single internal pit. It showed no signs of recutting and clearly pre-dated the ditch of the enclosure. A small amount of undiagnostic pre-Belgic Iron Age pottery was found.

{2}Windell dates as late Pre-Belgic. In field 2, two series of boundary ditches and gullies (Groups 2 and 20) aligned north-south and delimiting an area c.75m wide. Both had been open gullies and had been considerably recut. Group 20 had a prolonged period of use and had formed north-south division of the whole site, traceable in cropmark for about 150m. Group 2 consisted of minor gullies forming a division traceable for about 30m but possibly associated with cropmarks extending over 200m. An arch of Penannular gully and a single pit or posthole, the remainder, having been cut away by the enclosure.

<1> Windell D., 1982, Excavations at Clay Lane 1980 Level III: Structural Evidence, p.7-8, 13 (checked) (Report). SNN75685.

<2> Windell D., 1983, Clay Lane 1980: Interim Report - An Iron Age and Roman Rural Settlement at Clay Lane, Earls Barton, p.37-38 (checked) (Article). SNN40207.

<3> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1981, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1980, p.200 (checked) (Article). SNN100418.

Record last edited

Oct 12 2020 12:27PM