A Late Iron Age and Romano-British Farmstead at Cedars Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk

A Late Iron Age and Romano-British Farmstead at Cedars Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk
Author: Kate Nicholson
Publisher: East Anglian Archaeology
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780993247712

A late Iron Age farmstead remained occupied until the mid-4th century AD. A ditched enclosure contained roundhouses and rectangular timber buildings for most of this time. Although the buildings fell into decay in the late 3rd century, surface spreads of dark earth containing 4th-century material suggest that the site continued to be occupied.

Territoriality and the Early Medieval Landscape

Territoriality and the Early Medieval Landscape
Author: Stephen Rippon
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Total Pages: 407
Release: 2022-04-05
Genre: Anglo-Saxons
ISBN: 1783276800

All communities have a strong sense of identity with the area in which they live, which for England in the early medieval period manifested itself in a series of territorial entities, ranging from large kingdoms down to small districts known as pagi or regiones. This book investigates these small early folk territories, and the way that they evolved into the administrative units recorded in Domesday, across an entire kingdom - that of the East Saxons (broadly speaking, what is now Essex, Middlesex, most of Hertfordshire, and south Suffolk). A wide range of evidence is drawn upon, including archaeology, written documents, place-names and the early cartographic sources. The book looks in particular at the relationship between Saxon immigrants and the native British population, and argues that initially these ethnic groups occupied different parts of the landscape, until a dynasty which assumed an Anglo-Saxon identity achieved political ascendency (its members included the so-called "Prittlewell Prince", buried with spectacular grave-good in Prittlewell, near Southend-on- Sea in southern Essex). Other significant places discussed include London, the seat of the first East Saxon bishopric, the possible royal vills at Wicken Bonhunt near Saffron Walden and Maldon, and St Peter's Chapel at Bradwell-on-Sea, one of the most important surviving churches from the early Christian period.

Journal of Roman Pottery Studies

Journal of Roman Pottery Studies
Author: Steven Willis
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Total Pages: 652
Release: 2022-08-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 178925826X

The main focus of this volume is upon pottery production sites. The major contribution comprises 'Excavations of Roman pottery kiln sites in Cantley Parish, South Yorkshire, 1956-1975' by Paul Buckland and the late John Magilton. Other contributions publish the well-preserved kiln complex and products at Lavenham, Suffolk (Andrew Newton, Andrew Peachey, et al.), mortaria and color-coated production at Newport, Lincoln (Ian Rowlandson and Hugh Fiske), a large typology of Roman pottery from Old Station Yard, York (Rob Perrin), an exploration of actions applied to pottery placed in graves across Kent (Martha Carter), and a review article considering the pottery assemblage from the Saxon Shore Fort at Oudenburg, Belgium, excavated by Sofie Vanhoutte.

The Development of an Iron Age and Roman Settlement Complex at The Park and Bowsings, near Guiting Power, Gloucestershire: Farmstead and Stronghold

The Development of an Iron Age and Roman Settlement Complex at The Park and Bowsings, near Guiting Power, Gloucestershire: Farmstead and Stronghold
Author: Alistair Marshall
Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2020-07-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1789693640

Excavations near Guiting Power in the Cotswolds reveal evidence of occupation until the late 4th century AD: a relatively undefended middle Iron Age farmstead was abandoned, followed by a mid to later Iron Age ditched enclosure. This latter site perhaps became dilapidated, with a Romanised farmstead developing over the traditional habitation area.

Kingdom, Civitas, and County

Kingdom, Civitas, and County
Author: Stephen Rippon
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2018-04-19
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0191077267

This book explores the development of territorial identity in the late prehistoric, Roman, and early medieval periods. Over the course of the Iron Age, a series of marked regional variations in material culture and landscape character emerged across eastern England that reflect the development of discrete zones of social and economic interaction. The boundaries between these zones appear to have run through sparsely settled areas of the landscape on high ground, and corresponded to a series of kingdoms that emerged during the Late Iron Age. In eastern England at least, these pre-Roman socio-economic territories appear to have survived throughout the Roman period despite a trend towards cultural homogenization brought about by Romanization. Although there is no direct evidence for the relationship between these socio-economic zones and the Roman administrative territories known as civitates, they probably corresponded very closely. The fifth century saw some Anglo-Saxon immigration but whereas in East Anglia these communities spread out across much of the landscape, in the Northern Thames Basin they appear to have been restricted to certain coastal and estuarine districts. The remaining areas continued to be occupied by a substantial native British population, including much of the East Saxon kingdom (very little of which appears to have been 'Saxon'). By the sixth century a series of regionally distinct identities - that can be regarded as separate ethnic groups - had developed which corresponded very closely to those that had emerged during the late prehistoric and Roman periods. These ancient regional identities survived through to the Viking incursions, whereafter they were swept away following the English re-conquest and replaced with the counties with which we are familiar today.

Excavations at Wixoe Roman Small Town, Suffolk

Excavations at Wixoe Roman Small Town, Suffolk
Author: Rob Atkins
Publisher: East Anglian Archaeology
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2018
Genre: History
ISBN:

The first major excavation within a Roman small town in Suffolk for over 20 years showed that Wixoe was a post-Boudican planned town established at the same time as others in the region. Analysis of the significant pottery assemblage identified supply patterns similar to other civilian Roman 'borderland' settlements, especially Great Chesterford

Iron Age Fortification Beside the River Lark

Iron Age Fortification Beside the River Lark
Author: Tim Havard
Publisher:
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2019
Genre: Education
ISBN:

Excavations by Cotswold Archaeology at Mildenhall produced evidence for human activity from the Late Bronze Age to the medieval period. A Late Bronze Age waterhole backfilled with domestic refuse was excavated on the higher ground above the floodplain of the River Lark. The Middle Iron Age was a period of intense activity on the site, when a pair of massive ditches defined the eastern part of an enclosure, possibly built to dominate the crossing point of the River Lark. A third ditch of comparable size may date to the Middle or Late Iron Age. Numerous pits were found inside the enclosure, and a pair of very large post-settings were located between the paired ditches. A possible focus for settlement beyond the excavated area was suggested by the greater density of pits towards the west. The ditches fell out of use before the Roman period when a farmstead occupied the higher ground. In this period the flood plain was utilised with a series of field ditches, although the area was prone to flooding in the later Roman period. Throughout the Saxon period, the higher ground was farmed and use of the flood plain was limited by the wet environment. The evidence suggests there was a process of deliberate land reclamation on the floodplain during the medieval period, after which the area was divided into fields. On the higher ground, a large ditch running north to south may have marked the medieval town boundary, but this association is uncertain. Excavated evidence from this period represented activities undertaken on the periphery of settlement, including crop-processing, animal husbandry, and iron-working. A well-preserved kiln base may have been used for the production of lime, using chalk quarried from the edge of the higher ground. There was a rapid decline in use of the area from the 14th century onwards, and it remained farmland until recent times. There was good preservation of environmental evidence from all periods, and the sizeable assemblages of animal bone and crop waste allowed comparisons to be made in farming practices over time. The assemblage of decorated Middle Iron Age pottery from the site is the largest found in the region to date.

Iron Age Fen-edge Settlement at Black Horse Farm, Sawtry, Cambridgeshire

Iron Age Fen-edge Settlement at Black Horse Farm, Sawtry, Cambridgeshire
Author: Andrew A. S. Newton
Publisher: BAR British Series
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2018
Genre: Social Science
ISBN:

Black Horse Farm is situated on the Cambridgeshire fen-edge. During the Iron Age and early Romano-British period it occupied a low promontory reaching out into the surrounding wetland. This volume describes the archaeological excavation of the site and the Iron Age settlement and Romano-British activity that was recorded there. The wetland of the fen would have been a prominent part of everyday life at Black Horse Farm and the book examines the way in which the site's inhabitants utilised and exploited it. Fluctuations between dry and damp conditions were also a prominent aspect of life at this marginal location and the later sections examine how the population responded to these conditions. The book examines themes including the organisation of space within the roundhouse, the role of ditches and banks as flood defences versus their social and defensive function, and offers alternative interpretations for some commonly observed features at contemporary sites. With contributions by Beta Analytic Inc., Jane Cowgill, Nina Crummy, Julia E. Cussans, Val Fryer, Andrew Peachey, Ruth Pelling, Carina Phillips, Rob Scaife and Maisie Taylor Illustrations by Kathren Henry, Charlotte Davies and Caroline George

An Iron Age Settlement and Roman Complex Farmstead at Brackmills, Northampton

An Iron Age Settlement and Roman Complex Farmstead at Brackmills, Northampton
Author: Chris Chinnock
Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2023-12-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1803276878

MOLA undertook archaeological excavations at Brackmills, Northampton, investigating part of a large Iron Age settlement and Roman complex farmstead. The remains were very well preserved having, in places, been shielded from later truncaton by colluvial deposits. Earlier remains included a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age pit alignment.