Title: |
Merton Hall, Northampton Street, Cambridge: Archaeological Monitoring, Investigation and Recording |
Series: |
Albion Archaeology unpublished report series
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Downloads: |
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Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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DOI |
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Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
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Abstract: |
Planning permission was granted for the refurbishment and repair of Merton Hall North Wing, Northampton Street, Cambridge. Because of the archaeological importance of the site, a condition was attached to the permission requiring the implementation of a programme of archaeological work. Albion Archaeology was commissioned by St John's College to carry out the archaeological works which comprised the monitoring of construction groundworks and the investigation and recording of revealed archaeological remains. The archaeological works took place during the summer of 2008 and identified Roman archaeological remains and some of the development history of the building. Findings included the remains of walls indicating the addition of the bay windows and the removal of internal room and building divisions, and other remains indicative of old floor surfaces and supporting structures. Human skeletal remains dating to the late Roman period were also found. These included a complete inhumation burial of a female and the disturbed remains of a juvenile burial with fragments of Nene Valley ware. The disarticulated remains of a minimum of 8 further individuals were recovered from make-up layers underneath Merton Hall. These findings, along with archaeological evidence of burials encountered during previous building work in the School of Pythagoras and the Cripps Building, confirm the presence of a Roman cemetery in the area. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the human bones and ceramic evidence place the cemetery in the late 3rd and 4th centuries. The burial ground therefore complements the evidence from other late Roman cemeteries outside the Roman settlement of Cambridge, most notably in Jesus Lane and Park Lane on the eastern side of the river. |
Author: |
A Lodoen
Christiane Meckseper
R Wardill
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Publisher: |
Albion Archaeology
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Other Person/Org: |
Historic England (OASIS Reviewer)
Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record (OASIS Reviewer)
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Year of Publication: |
2011
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Locations: |
Site: |
Merton Hall, Northampton Street, Cambridge |
Parish: |
CAMBRIDGE |
District: |
Cambridge |
County: |
Cambridgeshire |
Country: |
England |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Merton Hall Northampton |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Merton Hall North Wing Northampton Street Cambridge |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Park Lane |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Nene Valley |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Cambridge |
Location - Auto Detected: |
Jesus Lane |
Grid Reference: 544490, 258940 (Easting, Northing)
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Subjects / Periods: |
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Identifiers: |
OASIS Id: |
albionar1-45425 |
OBIB: |
2010/106 version 1.1 |
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Note: |
Comb bound, client report, white cover
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Source: |
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Relations: |
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Created Date: |
24 Nov 2016 |