SNN111582 - Archaeological mitigation along the route of the A45 Northampton to Daventry Link Road Northamptonshire September 2015 to January 2017: Assessment Report and Updated Project Design

Archaeology broadly dating from the early Mesolithic to the post-medieval period was encountered along the route of the link road. Geoarchaeological auger survey produced evidence of preserved Mesolithic and Neolithic to middle Bronze Age environmental remains at locations below deeply buried overburden. At Site A, prehistoric landscape features included a middle Bronze Age ditch. Two prehistoric pits were also excavated at Site C, whilst at Site B evidence of Bronze ditches and an Iron Age ditch were found. A Roman settlement dating up to the 3rd / 4th centuries was excavated at Site C which comprised a series of boundary enclosures that probably defined livestock paddocks, as well as a yard surface and a possible oven. The environmental and artefactual evidence indicate that the settlement was associated with mixed agriculture. A range of objects were recovered from a metal detecting survey by CLASP at Site C dating from a Bronze Age copper awl to a medieval horse harness pendant. A geophysical survey identified a series of linear and rectilinear magnetic anomalies aligned north to south that was observed, which may be components of a 'ladder’ enclosure settlement with Site C at the southern end. Observation, investigation and recording of trenches across the existing hedgerows and trackway at Glassthorpe Road confirmed the remains of an undated track surface. A late medieval to post-medieval trackway was identified at Site D. Ridge and furrow was also evident along much of the route of the link road.