SNN115877 - Archaeological excavations on land at Foxhills, Brackley, Northamptonshire: February-May 2016

The earliest evidence of activity was a small amount of residual Neolithic/early Bronze flint work. The site displayed limited early Iron Age activity with only two features, a pit and a possible posthole. The main occupation was middle Iron Age in date and comprised three separate foci within an agglomerated settlement. Each focus contained much the same type of features and structures that collectively comprised four ring ditched roundhouses, a rectilinear building, enclosing structural postholes and hearths. There were 18 other circular structures and rectilinear enclosures, 46 square four or six-post granary storage structures and as many as 115 grain storage pits. This also included five large intercutting pit groups. Other discrete pits and postholes were also present. There were clearly phases of reorganisation on more than one occasion throughout this period which was evident from the shift in land use in each of the settlements. The settlement declined by the late Iron Age by which point activity was limited to two circular enclosures, a stone spread and a few storage pits. A reasonable assemblage of finds, including locally made pottery, animal bone, eight saddle querns, 16 copper-alloy and iron objects; eight pieces of worked bone and antler, some charred cereal grains and small amount of slag were recovered from many of the features. The presence of a large number of grain storage facilities in association with the moderate number of saddle querns indicates grain production and processing was probably central to the function of this settlement during the middle Iron Age.