SNN117069 - Archaeological Excavation at Wollaston School, 100 Irchester Road, Wollaston, Northamptonshire

Following geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation, a 0.7 hectare area of grassland was excavated at Wollaston School, Northamptonshire, to reveal the north edge of a Mid-Late Iron Age settlement bounded by multiple lines of recut ditches. The main body of the settlement, which lies outside of the excavation area, is clearly outlined in the geophysical survey results that demonstrate a series of interlinked rectilinear enclosures aligned across the area’s landfall over a northeast-southwest orientation. Middle and Mid-Late Iron Age pottery was recovered from the excavated ditches, and part of a circular enclosure – probably an animal pen or corral – that was exposed within the excavated area is probably a late addition to the settlement, bearing several sherds of Late Iron Age grog tempered pottery. Two structures lay to the north and outside of the bounded settlement. Both were defined by a circular ditch. Shallow pits and postholes were identified within the interior of each structure, though these bore few cultural materials; however, each structure contained a possible hearth filled with burnt stone. One of the entrance terminals in Structure 1 contained a near intact pottery vessel, large and decorated, with a fragment of quern in millstone grit. The pot may have been set upright within the structure’s ring ditch. Though bearing small fragments of probable later Iron Age pottery, several ditches across the site may belong to later phase, with several sherds of Roman pottery having been found during the evaluation trenching. But no additional Roman finds were forthcoming during the open area investigations. Medieval–post Medieval cultivation furrows traversed the entire site and disturbed much of the prehistoric archaeology. Spacing between these differed between the east and west halves of the site, suggesting that two field systems are represented. One of these was bounded to the south by a thin headland deposit. A post-Medieval boundary ditch also present on historical maps may have later reified this distinction between fields. A dense lattice of modern ceramic land drains also passed through the entire site.