SNN114783 - Daventry North-East, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

The evaluation comprised the excavation of 89 trenches across the 247ha site. The trenches were primarily positioned to test anomalies of possible and probable archaeological origin as identified by preceding geophysical surveys. The results of the evaluation broadly confirmed the results of the geophysical survey identifying archaeological remains of an agricultural nature across the site, with concentrations of activity in Areas 1 and 6. The artefactual assemblage was small with dateable features indicating two broad phases of activity comprising Late prehistoric/ Roman and medieval/ postmedieval. The pottery assemblage indicates activity began in the Early Iron Age in the eastern limits of the site where the geophysical survey indicated considerable archaeological interest characterised by a series of recti-linear enclosures with smaller circular and rectangular enclosures (Trenches 3 and 4) with a possible continuation of activity through to the early Roman period. With the construction of Watling Street settlement focus likely shifted to the south around the Roman town of Bannaventa, or smaller settlement outside of Bannaventa. A potential burial was revealed in the eastern limits of the site adjacent to Watling Street. The grave was only partially exposed within the trench, but cranial fragments were revealed at what is considered to be the western end of the grave, suggesting a possible Roman date for the burial. Iron Age activity was also revealed in Trench 11, located in the north-eastern portion of the site, dating to the Middle-Late Iron Age. The paucity of finds and morphology of the fills indicate these features are on the periphery of any settlement activity, possibly associated with the Iron Age settlement identified at Thrupp Lodge, located directly to the northeast of the main body of the site. Evidence of ridge and furrow agricultural practice was evident across the site, surviving as truncated furrow bases, with multiple alignments identified, consistent with the geophysical survey. These remains are likely to represent evidence of a well-established medieval open field system and later post-medieval agricultural activity. However, the limited results of the evaluation are insufficient to establish any phasing to the furrows due to the extensive modern ploughing truncating the furrow bases which were not consistently cut into the natural substrate. Several field boundary ditches associated with the ridge and furrow were likely deliberately backfilled, probably associated with the modern amalgamation of smaller fields in the late 19th and 20th centuries.