Series: North Herts DC Field Archaeology Section unpublished report series

Three test slots c1.0m by 0.3m were excavated to a depth of 0.5m, the depth of plough disturbed soil. These had been positioned to coincide with a localised soil colour change in an area that had been previously fieldwalked, producing large quantities of Roman material. Previous excavations elsewhere in the field had produced evidence of Roman structures. The upper fill of a pit or ditch used to dispose of human waste was revealed in test slot A while similar fills were noted in slots B and C. A fourth slot, which ran intermittently for 45m, was later excavated which revealed 3 main areas of focus. A wide band of flint nodules was located at right angles to the slot which suggested the position and orientation of one of the villa walls. A second focal point was located where two wide bands of large flints were set at right angles to the slot, either indicating two buildings close to each other or that they represented different phases of the same building. An area of tile close by could have represented a tiled floor or a collapsed roof. A further wall line was located in slot D along with a layer of compacted sand, possibly the base of a possible opus signinum floor or further collapsed building material. [Au(adp)]