SNN114990 - Land at Tannery Cottages, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Excavation Report

In 2017 Irthlingborough Archaeology Society undertook its inaugural excavation on land at Tannery Cottages, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire with the assistance of Oxford Archaeology. Previous excavation close to the site by Oxford Archaeology in 2014 had established the presence of Iron Age and Roman activity in the form of ditches, pits and possible postholes with layers of alluvium between. Subsequent geophysical survey was commissioned by the society in 2016, identifying a series of probable enclosures. The 2017 excavation area measured 10m by 20m and was targeted on the results of this survey with the principal aims of providing practical fieldwork experience and teaching to the society members and public and to identify and define the types of archaeological remains present. This revealed several pits, including one sealed by a layer of alluvium and the remains of two rectangular stone-built Roman buildings. The southern building was the earlier of the two probably dating to the early to middle Roman period while the northern building was associated with a large assemblage of later Roman pottery. The northern building was the better preserved structure having been subjected to less stone robbing than the southern building, although this was also a much less substantial construction making the foundations unworthy of robbing. This had an internal floor surface of flat limestones and was associated with an occupation layer and metalled surface or demolition layer also of limestone. Cleaning over the internal and immediate external area of this building revealed a piece of relief sculpture, several coins and iron nails as well as pottery. The relief sculpture was an exceptional discovery and depicted a mythical scene comprising a female figure, presumably a nereid (sea nymph), riding upon a sea creature such as a hippocamp or ketos. It appears that this was an unfinished piece, dating from the second or third century, that was intended to be part of a frieze for a tomb, probably a tower tomb.