West Stow, Suffolk: The Prehistoric and Romano-British Occupations

128 Pages·1989·21.374 MB·English

by  Stanley West

EAST ANGLIAN ARCHAEOLOGY

West Stow, Suffolk:
The Prehistoric
and
Romano-British
Occupations
by Stanley West
with contributions from
Pam J. Crabtree, Brenda Dickinson, Julie Gardiner,
Brian Hartley, Carole Keepax, Edward Martin
Elizabeth Pieksma and Valery Rigby
illustrations by
Rebecca Archer, Sheila Fisher and Michael Green
Produced by Ja ne Carr
East Anglian Archaeology
Report No. 48
Suffolk County Planning Department
EAST ANGLIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
EAST ANGLIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
REPORT NO. 48
Published by
Suffolk County Planning Dept
Old Shire Hall
Bury St EdmundsSuffolk
in conjunction with
The Scole Archaeological Committee Ltd.
Editor: David Buckley
EAA Managing Editor: Julie Gardiner
Scole Editorial Sub-Committee:
David Buckley, County Archaeologist, Essex Planning Department
Peter Wade-Martins, County Field Archaeologist, Norfolk Museums Service
Stanley West, County Archaeological Officer, Suffolk Planning Department
Typeset in Plantin by Spire Origination, Norwich
Printed by Derry, Nottingham
© THE NORFOLK ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT 1989
ISSN 0307 2460
For details of East Anglian Archaeology, see last page
This volume is published with the aid of a grant from
the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England
Cover lliustration
Excavations 1967, general view looking west.
Contents
Contents V
List of Plates Vl
List of Figures Vl
List of Tables vu
Contributors Vlll
Acknowledgements Vlll
Part 1. Introduction The Iron Age and Romano-British
I. Introduction brooches 68
II. Geology and Topography of the Lark Objects of bronze 71
Valley 1 Objects of iron 74
Ill. The Site 1 Objects of bone 74
Object of silver 74
Part 2. The Excavation Objects of stone 74
I. Excavation Method 5 Romano-British objects published in
II. The Mesolithic 5 Part I (West 1985) 74
Ill. The Neolithic 8 The Romano-British pottery, with
The ring-ditch 8 contributions by Valerie Rigby, Brian
Cremations 8 Hartley and Brenda Dickinson 76
IV. The Iron Age Settlement 9 Kiln bricks 93
Introduction 9 Querns 93
Phase 1: 3rd-1st century BC 9 IV. Medieval Objects and Pottery from the
Phase II: 1st century BC-early 1st Ploughsoil 96
century AD 15
Phase Ill: Early to middle 1st century Part 4. The Human Bone, by Carole A.
AD 22 Keepax
'Fire pits' of uncertain date 27 I. Introduction 98
V. Romano-British 29 II. The Cremations 98
Introduction 29
Parl 5. Faunal Remains, by Pam J.
The Romano-British pottery industry:
earlier discoveries 29 Crab tree
The 1965-72 excavations 33 I. The Iron Age Fauna 101
VI. The Medieval Field System 40 Quantification 101
Measurements 103
Part 3. The Artefacts Ageing 103
I. The Prehistoric Flint Assemblage, by II. The Romano-British Fauna 104
Elizabeth Pieksma and Julie Gardiner 46 Quantification 104
II. Iron Age Small Finds 59 Measurements 105
Objects of bronze 59 Ageing 105
Objects of iron 59 Ill. Conclusions 105
Objects of shale 60
Object of glass 60 Part 6. Discussion
Object of bone 60 I. The Prehistoric Settlement Pattern 106
Objects of fired clay 60 II. Romano-British Settlement in the Area 109
The Iron Age pottery, with a Ill. The Medieval Ploughland 111
contribution by Edward Martin 60 Bibliography 112
Ill. Romano-British Small Finds 68 Index
Finds distribution 68
V
List of Plates
Pl. I Pit 330. Primary burial in Neolithic Pl. V Romano-British Kiln 5. Kiln
ring ditch 8 bricks in situ 38
Pl. 11 Romano-British Kiln 3. Pierced Pl. VI Romano-British Building 1, pit
clay plate and kiln bricks in situ 37 with fragment of quem 40
Pl. Ill Romano-British Kiln 4. Pierced Pl. VII Romano-British pottery: decorative
central clay pedestal 37 schemes. Scale 1: 1 83
Pl.IV Romano-British Kiln 5. Filling of
clay pedestal filling the kiln 38
List of Figures
Key to Symbols and abbreviations used Fig. 27 Romano-British: Kiln 3, plan and
on the figures 2 section, showing positions of fired clay
Fig. 1 West Stow and Lark Valley: location and kiln bricks and perforated plates 36
geology 2 Fig. 28 Romano-British: Kiln 4, plan and section 38
Fig. 2 The Lark Valley showing topography, Fig. 29 Romano-British: Kiln 5, plan and section 39
the Icknield Way, Roman Roads and the Fig. 30 Romano-British: pit proftles 42
Black Ditches 3 Fig. 31 Romano-British: plan of Building 1 42
Fig. 3 (a) The location of the excavation in the Fig. 32 Romano-British: plan of Building 2 and
Lark valley in relation to other sites; (b) post-hole sections 43
West S~w Heath in detail 4 Fig. 33 Medieval cultivation: traces of rig and
Fig. 4 West Stow excavation: all periods, Iron furrow 44
Age in black 7 Fig. 34 Medieval cultivation: section of rig and
Fig. 5 Mesolithic: density of worked flints 6 furrow 45
Fig. 6 Neolithic: plan and section of the ring Fig. 35 Flint: rnicroliths 49
ditch with cremations 8 Fig. 36 Pebble macehead 49
Fig. 7 Neolithic: plan and section of central Pit Fig. 37 Flint: axes 50
330 with silhouette of crouched burial Fig. 38 Flint: arrowheads 52
and position of bead 9 Fig. 39 Flint: arrowheads 53
Fig. 8 Neolithic: cremation proftles, Nos 1-22 10 Fig. 40 Flint: arrowheads 54
Fig. 9 Neolithic: cremation profiles, Nos 23-49 11 Fig. 41 Other flints 55
Fig. 10 Iron Age: Phases I, 11 and Ill, plan l3 Fig. 42 Flints and stone bead from Pit 330 56
Fig. 11 Iron Age: Phases I and 11, plan 14 Fig. 43 Flint: Mesolithic flint concentrations and
Fig. 12 Iron Age: Phase I, pit sections 16 tools 57
Fig. 13 Iron Age: plans of enclosures of Phases I, Fig. 44 Flint: distribution ofNeolithic
11 and Ill 17 implements 58
Fig. 14 Iron Age: enclosures of Phases I, 11 and Fig. 45 Iron Age small fmds: objects of bronze,
Ill, ditch proftles 18 iron, shale, glass, bone, fired clay 61
Fig. 15 Iron Age: Phase 11, plan of Hut 1 and Fig. 46 Iron Age Phase I pottery 62
post-hole sections 19 Fig. 47 Iron Age Phase 11 pottery 64
Fig. 16 Iron Age: Phase 11, pit sections 20 Fig. 48 Iron Age Phase 11 pottery 65
Fig. 17 Iron Age: Phase Ill, plan 21 Fig. 49 Iron Age Phase Ill pottery 66
Fig. 18 Iron Age: Phase Ill, plan of Hut 2 and Fig. 50 Iron Age Phase Ill pottery (wheel-
post-hole sections 24 thrown) 67
Fig. 19 Iron Age: Phase Ill, plan of Hut 3 and Fig. 51 Iron Age loomweights 69
post-hole sections 25 Fig. 52 Iron Age and Romano-British brooches 70
Fig. 20 Iron Age: Phase Ill, pit sections 26 Fig. 53 Romano-British brooches 70
Fig. 21 Iron Age: Phase Ill, ditch proftles 28 Fig. 54 Romano-British objects of bronze 72
Fig. 22 'Fire-pits' of uncertain date 30 Fig. 55 Romano-British objects of silver, iron
Fig. 23 Romano-British: plan 31 and bone 73
Fig. 24 Romano-British: finds distribution 32 Fig. 56 Romano-British objects of stone 75
Fig. 25 Romano-British: Prigg Kilns 1 and 2 and Fig. 57 Romano-British pottery: Type 1 77
West Kilns 1-500 34 Fig. 58 Romano-British pottery: Types 2-4, 6 79
Fig. 26 Romano-British: Kilns 1 and 2 and Fig. 59 Romano-British pottery: Types 4.7-11.1 81
Fig. 60 Romano-British pottery: Types 12-26
section of smother pit (1949) 35
and miscellaneous 84
VI
Fig. 61 Romano-British: Gallo-Belgic pottery Fig. 66 Romano-British: Quernstones 97
stamps 87 Fig. 67 Medieval objects of bronze and stone 97
Fig. 62 Romano-British features with 1st-and Fig. 68 Neolithic ring ditch: Age and sex
2nd-century finds 90 distribution among the cremations 107
Fig. 63 Romano-British: Kiln bricks, Kiln 3 94 Fig. 69 Unassigned post-holes.with possible Iron
Fig. 64 Romano-British: Kiln bricks, Kiln 3 95 Age structures indicated 110
Fig .. 65 Romano-British: Kiln bricks, Kiln 5 96
List of Tables
Table 1 Mesolithic: concentrations of worked Table24 Romano-British pottery: painted ware 85
flints 5 Table 25 Romano-British pottery: Gallo-Belgic
Table 2 Neolithic: distribution of cremations 8 pottery stamps 86
Table 3 Iron Age pits: analysis by shape for all Table26 Romano-British pottery: samian sherds
three phases 12 from Romano-British pits and Kilns 4
Table4 Iron Age: Phase I pottery and published and5 92
sherds from illustrated pits 12 Table27 Romano-British pottery: Roman features
Table 5 Iron Age: Phase 11 pottery and published with samian 92
sherds from illustrated pits 15 Table28 Roman pottery: occurrence of forms with
Table 6 Iron Age: Phase Ill pottery and Kilns 3, 4 and 5 92
published items from illustrated pits 23 Table 29 Medieval pottery recovered from the
Table 7 Romano-British: Kiln 3, brick sizes 37 plough soil 96
Table 8 Romano-British: comparisons of pit Table 30 Human bone: numbers of certain bones
shapes 41 present 98
Table 9 Romano-British: analysis of pits by Table 31 Age and sex of cremations 98
shape, plan 41 Table 32 Average weights of cremations 99
Table 10 Romano-British: analysis of pits by Table33 Percentage weights of cremated and
shape, section 41 uncremated bone 99
Table 11 Romano-British: analysis of pits by size Table34 Cremations: age and sex 100
maximum width/length 41 Table 35 Fauna! remains: species represented in
Table 12 Composition of the flint assemblage 46 Iron Age features 101
Table 13 Flint: classification of cores 47 Table 36 Faunal remains: species/anatomy
Table 14 Flint: classification of microliths 47 distribution for Iron Age features 102
Table 15 West Stow flint flakes: length, breadths Table37 Faunal remains: comparison of MNI and
and length/breadth ratio 48 fragment count methods 102
Table 16 West Stow flint flakes: length, breadths Table 38 Fauna! remains: anatomical groupings
and length/breadth ratio (cont.) 48 for Iron Age pits and ditches 102
Table 17 Romano-British pottery: analysis of types 76 Table 39 Fauna! remains: specific proportions for
TablelR Romano-British pottery: Type 1 flagons, Iron Age pits and ditches 103
numbers and % within group 77 Table40 Fauna! remains: withers height estimates
Table 19 Romano-British pottery: Type 2 jars, for Iron Age cattle 103
numbers and % within group 78 Table 41 Fauna! remains: kill pattern tor Iron Age
Table20 Romano-British pottery: Type 4 bowls cattle 104
and dishes, % within group 80 Table42 Faunal remains: distribution of pig
Table21 Romano-British pottery: Type 5, analysis mandibles 104
of decorative features (compass rings and Table43 Fauna! remains: kill pattern for Iron Age
combed lines) 82 sheep and goats 104
Table 22 Romano-British pottery: Type 5 features, Table44 Fauna! remains: species present in
vertical combed lines 82 Romano-British features 104
Table 23 Romano-British pottery: size and Table45 Fauna! remains: specific proportions for
incidence of ring stamps 84 Romano-British features 105
Vll
Contributors
Pamela Crabtree, M.A., Ph.D. Edward Martin, B.A.,
Department of Anthropology, Princeton University. Field Officer, Suffolk Archaeological Unit, Suffolk
County Planning Department.
Brenda Dickinson, B.A.,
Research Assistant, Department of Archaeology, Valery Rigby, B.A.,
University of Leeds. Prehistoric and Romano-British Department, British
Museum.
Julie Gardiner, B.A., Ph.D., M.I.F.A.,
Managing Editor, Council for British Archaeology Stanley West, M.A., Ph.D., F.S.A.,
Principal Archaeological Officer, Suffolk Archaeological
Brian Hartley, M.A., F.S.A. Unit, Suffolk County Planning Department.
Department of Archaeology, University of Leeds.
Carole Keepax, B.Sc.,
Formerly of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory,
Department of the Environment.
Acknowledgements
The excavation was funded throughout by the Department thanks are due to Jenny Coy of Southampton University
of the Environment (now Historic Buildings and and to Roger Jones ofthe Department of the Environment
Monuments Commission for England), who also for their labours with the fauna! material, to other members
undertook the conservation and some drawing of the small of the Laboratory, especially John Price and other
finds. Special thanks are extended to John Hurst for his Conservation Section staff. J ane Carr was responsible for
support over the years and to the Laboratory and the co-ordinating, and the production, of this report. Thanks
Drawing Office of the Department of the Environment. also go to all the members of the Suffolk Archaeological
Over two hundred people assisted in the excavations Unit for helpful discussions and forbearance, and to Mrs
over the eight seasons, often in adverse conditions: their B.Colson for typing the report.
efforts are gratefully acknowledged here. The site assistants
deserve special mention, particularly Geoffrey Moss who
was my deputy for seven of the eight seasons as well as Summary
Tania Dickinson (nee Briscoe), Hugo Blake, John Cherry, This volume constitutes the second part of the report on
Christine Gordon, Catherine Hills, Edward Martin, Jan the excavations at West Stow, carried out by the author
Roberts, Stephen Taylor and Jan Walker. The between 1965 and 1972.
encouragement of Dr M. Bird and the kindness and Extensive earlier occupations of the site were revealed
consideration shown to the excavation team by Mr and Mrs by that excavation and form the subject matter of this
Jeffrys of Wideham Cottages is not forgotten. report; the Mesolithic industry; the Late Neolithic
The post-excavation analysis of the material was cemetery; the Iron Age settlement and the Romano-British
advanced by the efforts of Rosemary Luff, Joan Shaw and pottery industry; being important to local studies, each in
Ja n Walker. Thanks are due in particular to Elizabeth their own right. After the Anglo-Saxon settlement (West
Pieksma for her analysis of the large quantity of flints. 1985) decayed, in the 7th century, the site remained
Much of the pottery was drawn by Sheila Fisher and unoccupied until it was ploughed for a time in the 13th
Rebecca Archer also illustrated some of the small finds. century. Following a sand-blow the area reverted to
Michael Green provided valued assistance in the drawing heathland and remained undisturbed until the 19th
of plans and preparing illustrations for publication. Special century.
viii