SNN102276 - Peterborough Road, Warmington, Northamptonshire: Excavations 1998, Final Report

A programme of archaeological evaluation and excavation was undertaken by Northamptonshire Archaeology on land south of Peterborough Road, Warmington between 1996 and 1998. The investigations uncovered part of a settlement dating from around the 8th century (middle Saxon Period) until the 11th or early 12th century (early medieval period). The middle and late Saxon features comprised several phases of ditched enclosures, with numerous post-holes and pits. The post-holes indicated the presence of wooden buildings, but no clear building plans were recovered. The settlement appears to have been supersceded in the 11th century by enclosures exclusively for stock management, and in the 12th century the site was given over to arable cultivation. There was abundant pottery from the site, mostly dating from the middle Saxon period through to the 11th/12th century, with a small quantity of possible early Saxon pottery. Other finds were sparse and fairly mundane. A detailed report on the pottery, and briefer reports on the other finds, are presented. The settlement had a mixed arable economy. Cattle were the dominant domestic species with sheep common and pig also present. There is some suggestion that sheep became more important over time. The charred plant assemblages included domestic and crop processing waste. Bread wheat was the most common cereal, with smaller amounts of barley, oats and rye also grown. The presence of rivet-type wheat is noteworthy as it appears to have been introduced at a relatively early date in the south midlands. The site also yielded a background scatter of flintwork, indicatin activity in the Neolithic/Bronze Age period and a single pit dating to the early Iron Age. A small quantity of Roman pottery can also be attributed to general activity in the area, although there was no indication of the Water Newton to Titchmarsh Roman road whose course had been projected through the are under investigation.