Archaeological Monitoring and Excavation

31 Pages·2014·2.33 MB·English

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Great Ellingham
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Sewerage Scheme, o
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Norfolk
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Archaeological Monitoring
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and Excavation Report
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September 2014
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Client: Anglian Water
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OA East Report No: 1671
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OASIS No: Oxfordar3-190952
NGR: TM 601893 297151 t
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Great Ellingham Sewerage Scheme, Norfolk
Archaeological Monitoring and Excavation
By Michael Green (Bsc Hon)
With contributions by Chris Faine MA MSc BABAO AIfA
Editor: Stephen Macaulay
Illustrator: David Brown BA
Report Date: September 2014
© Oxford Archaeology East Page 1 of 22 Report Number 1671

Table of Contents
Summary.......................................................................................................................................5
1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................7
1.1 Location and scope of work.........................................................................................7
1.2 Geology and topography..............................................................................................7
1.3 Archaeological and historical background...................................................................7
1.4 Acknowledgements......................................................................................................8
2 Aims and Methodology.............................................................................................................9
2.1 Aims.............................................................................................................................9
2.2 Site Specific Research Objectives...............................................................................9
2.3 Methodology.................................................................................................................9
3 Results.....................................................................................................................................11
3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................11
3.2 Chequers Lane...........................................................................................................11
3.3 Mill Lane.....................................................................................................................12
3.4 Church Street.............................................................................................................13
3.5 Attleborough Road.....................................................................................................14
3.6 Town green.................................................................................................................14
3.7 Finds Summary..........................................................................................................14
4 Discussion and Conclusions.................................................................................................15
4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................15
4.2 Chequers Lane...........................................................................................................15
4.3 Mill Lane.....................................................................................................................15
4.4 Church Street.............................................................................................................15
4.5 Attleborough Road.....................................................................................................16
4.6 Town Green................................................................................................................16
4.7 The Roman cemetery.................................................................................................16
4.8 Significance................................................................................................................17
Appendix A. Road Descriptions and Context Inventory........................................................18
Appendix B. Finds Reports.......................................................................................................20
B.1 Ceramic Building Material (CBM)..............................................................................20
B.2 Animal Bone...............................................................................................................20
Appendix C. Bibliography.........................................................................................................21
Appendix D. OASIS Report Form.............................................................................................22
© Oxford Archaeology East Page 3 of 22 Report Number 1671
List of Figures
Fig. 1 Site location map
Fig. 2 Location of works around Great Ellingham
Fig. 3 Section 4 of ditches (6) and (8), Section 1 of Pit (2) and Plan 1 of pit (2)
List of plates
Plate. 1 Chequers lane: Drill pit 4 showing pit (2) looking North
Plate. 2 Chequers lane: Open cut 5 looking North
Plate. 3 Mill lane: Drill pit 6 and lateral 9 looking North west
Plate. 4 Church Street: Drill pit 13 showing layer (5) looking North east
Plate. 5 Church Street: Dill pit 14 showing ditches (6) and (8) looking South west
Plate. 6 Attleborough Road: Drill pit 20 showing topsoil (13) looking North
Plate. 7 Town Green: Compound topsoil strip looking South
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Summary
A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was conducted
during the ground works associated with the Great Ellingham sewerage scheme (SEW-
09346-S101a) by Oxford Archaeology East between May 20th and September 22nd 2014 on
behalf of Anglian Water.
Although no evaluation has occurred in advance of the works, the route was going through
an area of known archaeological interest and is considered a very sensitive historic
landscape. The village of Great Ellingham sits on top of a Roman cemetery (first
investigated in 1955) and as recently as 2012, 85 burials were found during a residential
development at the northern edge of the village off Attleborough Road and Home Close.
The works uncovered very little evidence for archaeology remains, a total of three features
and four layers were seen, all of which were late medieval or post medieval. The works
(which were all located on the current roads) showed signs of heavy truncation by the
creation of the new road surfaces and the potential for survival therefore was very low. The
lack of evidence of Roman inhumations has however tentatively pointed to the cemetery
boundaries not extending into the areas of works on this project and thus helped define the
cemetery.
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© Oxford Archaeology East Page 6 of 22 Report Number 1671
1 I
NTRODUCTION
1.1 Location and scope of work
1.1.1 An archaeological monitoring and excavation was conducted at Great Ellingham,
Norfolk (TM 601893 to 297151). The work was carried outover 3 months between May
20th and September 22nd 2014.
1.1.2 This archaeological monitoring and excavation was undertaken in accordance with a
Brief issued by Ken Hamilton of Norfolk County Council, supplemented by a
Specification prepared by OA East. The work was monitorined by James Albone for
Norfolk County Council.
1.1.3 The work was designed to assist in defining the character and extent of any
archaeological remains within the proposed redevelopment area, in accordance with
the guidelines set out in National Planning Policy Framework (Department for
Communities and Local Government March 2012). The results will enable decisions to
be made by NCC, on behalf of the Local Planning Authority, with regard to the
treatment of any archaeological remains found.
1.1.4 The site archive is currently held by OA East and will be deposited with the appropriate
county stores in due course.
1.2 Geology and topography
The site lies on the Lowestoft Formation, an extensive sheet of chalky till, together with
out wash sands and gravels, silts and clays onto lewes nodular chalk formation (BGS,
Geology of Britain Viewer; http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html).
1.3 Archaeological and historical background
The proposed works are occurring in an area of known archaeological interest, already
recorded on the Norfolk Historic Environment Record (NHER), recent investigations (in
2012) have recovered further remains of a large Roman cemetery located at the
northern end of the village.
1.3.1 Prehistoric
The Norfolk HER does not record any prehistoric remains within the proposed
development area.
1.3.2 Roman-British
The Norfolk HER records a significant Roman cemetery (NHER 4257). This cemetery
was first identified in 1955, in 'meadows next to the police house', nine burials were
found during road widening in 1957, further burials were recovered in 1957-1958 during
excavations by the Norfolk Research Committee, and Saxon pottery was also noted in
1958. Further human remains were observed in 1959, In 1967 a school project
excavated two more burials and another burial (part) was noted during the excavation
of a utility trench (water) in 1968. Excavations in 1975 by the NAU during house
construction did not record any archaeological remains, however a further burial was
discovered in 1978 during the excavation of foundations for a new garage and
excavations in 1978 at the Police house recovered further Roman burials. Finally, and
most recently 85 burials were found during house construction at the northern edge of
the village off Attleborough Road and Home Close.
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1.3.3 Saxon to medieval and post-medieval
The Norfolk HER records St James the Great's Church, a mainly early 14th century
church, restored between 1900 and 1920, with much attractive chequered flintwork on
its exterior is located within the area of works. The building consists of a battlemented
west tower with a lead spire, a nave and chancel in one, north and south aisles with a
clerestory and a north porch. There are various interesting features inside, including a
mid 14th century octagonal font with its original lead lining, part of a 15th century
painted screen and various medieval wall paintings.
The Norfolk HER records medieval (or early post-medieval) remains, predominately
from Aerial Photographs to the north (NHER 57408), south-west (NHER 58554) and
south-east (NHER 58559). These remains suggest house platforms, boundaries,
possible enclosures and track ways. A later date might be considered as some of the
remains survive as earthworks today (NHER 58559 and appear on historic maps and
1st edition OS.
1.4 Acknowledgements
1.4.1 The author would like to thank the One alliance, and Anglian water who funded the
project and Craig Kellard who commissioned the archaeological works. The author
would also like to thank the site staff John Diffey. Thanks are also extended to Stephen
Macaulay who managed the project and James Albone who monitored the project on
behalf of Norfolk County Council.
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2 A M
IMS AND ETHODOLOGY
2.1 Aims
2.1.1 The original aims of the project were set out in the Brief and Written Scheme of
Investigation (Macaulay. S).
2.1.2 The main aims of this excavation were
▪ To mitigate the impact of the development on the surviving archaeological
remains. The development would have severely impacted upon these remains
and as a result a full excavation was required, targeting the areas of
archaeological interest highlighted by the previous phases of evaluation.
▪ To preserve the archaeological evidence contained within the excavation area by
record and to attempt a reconstruction of the history and use of the site.
2.2 Site Specific Research Objectives
2.2.1 The importance of investigating and understanding Iron Age and Roman rural
settlements.
2.2.2 The site may have the potential to contribute to our understanding of the Iron Age-
Roman transition and the process of economic and social change and the development
during the late Iron Age and the Iron Age/Roman transition.
2.2.3 Investigation of the adoption of an agrarian economy and changing patterns in
agricultural production and consumption through full quantification and standardised
reporting of environmental remains.
2.2.4 The process of Romanisation, Burials, Ritual and Religion
2.2.5 The investigation will seek to establish the character, date, state of preservation and
extent of any archaeological remains within the proposed development area.
2.2.6 In the event that significant and exceptional archaeological remains are present the
investigation will seek to consider appropriate methodologies for excavation, should this
be required.
2.3 Methodology
2.3.1 Topsoil and the remaining overburden will be stripped using a mechanical excavator
with a toothless ditching bucket. All mechanical excavation will take place under the
constant supervision of a suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist.
2.3.2 If any archaeological features/remains are identified, then trench excavation will cease
and the archaeologist on site will map, record and excavate them. If necessary
additional archaeologists will be brought in to aid in the cleaning, excavation and
recording of archaeological remains revealed.
2.3.3 All excavation areas will be cleaned as necessary to facilitate the identification of
archaeological features and buried soils. All features will be mapped onto a base plan
either by hand (1:50 or 1:100) or using a Total Station Theodolite, as appropriate.
Subsequent planning will be at a scale of 1:20. The survey data will be made available
in digital format for transfer to the Heritage Environment Record (HER) GIS system. A
plan showing all significant features will be located on the Ordnance Survey National
Grid.
2.3.4 Established excavation and recording methodology will be used as has been generally
employed on rural sites in Eastern England, a system closely based upon the DUA
© Oxford Archaeology East Page 9 of 22 Report Number 1671