SNN110369 - Neolithic and Iron Age to Saxon activity at Warth Park, Raunds, Northamptonshire: Post-excavation assessment

Between October 2013 and January 2014 Oxford Archaeology East carried out an open area excavation on farmland off Warth Park Way, Raunds, Northamptonshire (NGR 498330, 273171) ahead of the construction of an industrial estate with associated amenities. Further to this, a watching brief was undertaken on the site between September and October 2014. The four hectare excavation and three hectare watching brief revealed evidence for archaeological activity spanning from the Late Neolithic through to the Middle Saxon period, along with post-medieval agricultural remains. The site had suffered from the effects of continual ploughing since the post-medieval period, resulting in features uncovered being extremely truncated. Late Neolithic remains consisted of three unurned cremations containing sherds of highly decorated pottery. The majority of the archaeology identified was of a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date, including pit groups and posthole structures along with a cobbled trackway. Artefacts recovered from these features consisted of pottery, animal bone, baked clay loomweights and glass beads. A number of solution hollows were also present, which contained low levels of highly abraded Early Iron Age pottery. Romano-British activity was represented by a number of large postholes and a pit group containing high levels of 2nd to 3rd century pottery, including a complete Samian flanged bowl. Anglo-Saxon archaeology was present in the form of six sunken-featured buildings (SFBs) which contained large quantities of Early to Middle Saxon pottery, along with loomweights and animal bone. A significant number of small finds were also recovered from these features, including a set of copper alloy tweezers, multiple iron nails, along with fragments of glass, bone combs and bone pins. The archaeology uncovered at Warth Park has demonstrated that this area has been occupied since the Neolithic period, and makes a significant contribution to the study of the development of this landscape. The results complement those from other known archaeological sites in the immediate environs that have been identified through the Raunds Area Project in particular.