SNN111020 - Dunsmore Farm, Watling Street, Lilbourne: Archaeological Investigation

An archaeological investigation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during the excavation of a service trench in the northbound verge of the A5 at Dunsmore Farm, Lilbourne Northamptonshire, following the discovery of human skeletal remains. The site is situated on the western boundary of the parish of Lilbourne adjacent to the modern alignment of Watling Street, which functioned as a major road from the first century AD to the present day. The investigation revealed that the skeletal remains originated in a light-orange brown sandy silt deposit, although it was not clear within the if there were any grave cuts, or whether the skeletons had previously been articulated. A radiocarbon determination on one of the skeletons returned a date of 666–863 cal AD (95.4% probability; SUERC-74117). The layer containing the human bone was sealed by a layer of modern made ground, which had been truncated by a modern roadside ditch.