Monument record 1383 - Late Neolithic to Roman settlement, Harpers Brook

Archaeological investigation prior to the construction of the A43 Corby Link Road identified a prehistoric watercourse, several isolated late Neolithic/early Bronze Age pits and a Bronze Age round barrow [HER 1383/0/1]. In the middle-late Iron Age there were a series of segmented enclosures and associated pit/post-hole groups. Following its abandonment, a small farmstead was established in the early Roman period on the south side of Harpers Brook. It comprised a main enclosure and series of smaller sub-rectangular plots, which included possible fence lines, pits, postholes and two cremation burials.

{4} Archaeological excavation ahead of and during the construction of the A43 Corby Link Road identified an abraded or shifting prehistoric watercourse comprising three palaeochannels. It was likely to have been active when the Bronze Age round barrow [1383/0/1] was constructed. Four isolated pits were found in the same area. They contained a small number of early Bronze Age pottery sherds as well as eight flint flakes of a similar date.
During the middle Iron Age a possible segmented ditched enclosure was constructed to the north of Harpers Brook. Associated pit and posthole groups were also found.
An early Roman farmstead of the 1st-2nd centuries AD was established to the south of Harper's Brook. It comprised a main enclosure and series of smaller sub-rectangular plots, which included possible fence lines, pits, postholes and two cremation burials. The full extent of the enclosure and its focal point probably lay to the east.

{5} Three of the early Bronze Age pits were located on the northern side of Harper's brook and an isolated example was located on the southern side. One of the early Bronze Age pits in the northern group contained a horse metatarsal, as well as pig remains, and a fragment of roe deer antler was found in another. The pit to the south contained eleven sherds of decorated Beaker pottery. An undated cremation burial was found 13m to the south. A dispersed group of eight possible early Iron Age comprised five postholes and three small pits based on size, but no clear plan of a structure was uncovered. The dating consists of a few early Iron Age pottery sherds found in one of the postholes.

<1> MARSDEN P; COURTNEY P, 1997, An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment for the Corby South Trunk Main, Northamptonshire, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN72896.

<2> COWARD J., 1997, A Fieldwalking Survey along the Route of the Proposed Corby South Trunk Main, Corby, (checked) (Report). SNN72895.

<3> Coward, J., 1997, Evaluation and Excavation of Archaeological Sites Along the Line of the Corby South Trunk Main, Corby, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN62876.

<4> Brown, J, Markus, S, and Morris, S, 2019, An archaeological assessment and updated project design for the A43 Corby Link Road, Northamptonshire, June 2012-October 2013, p. 13-24; 52-60 (Report). SNN113099.

<5> Morris, S, Markus, S and Brown, J, 2023, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon settlements along the route of the A43 Corby Link Road, Northamptonshire (Monograph). SNN115671.

Record last edited

Nov 28 2023 12:22PM