| Title: |
Land north of Felton, Northumberland Archaeological Strip and Record |
| Number of Pages: |
169 |
| Downloads: |
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FELTON_Strip_Record_Report_FLT16.pdf (20 MB)
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Download
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| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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| Publication Type: |
Report
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| Abstract: |
AD Archaeology was commissioned and funded by Bellway Homes to undertake an archaeological strip and record on land at Felton, Northumberland which was required as mitigation to fulfil a planning condition prior to the construction of a housing development. The discovery and excavation of an Anglo-Saxon settlementduring this project has provided a valuable contribution to the study of settlement from this period in the north-east England, which is underrepresented in the archaeological record.A strip and record was undertaken in the eastern third of the site following the discovery of a scatter of pits and small cut features within two earlier archaeological evaluation trenches, from which a radiocarbon date was produced (cal AD 650–780) which suggested the presence of settlement activity on the site from the Anglo-Saxon period. No significant archaeological features were located in the trenches in the western and central areas of the site which were excluded from the subsequent mitigation area. Prehistoric activity on the strip and record area was represented by a pit that contained the fragmented remains of up to three vessels dating from the mid-later Neolithic period. Two flint debitage flakes were also recovered from a posthole. A number of postholes, pits and several fragmentary gullys concentrated in the central and eastern portion of the excavation represent an unenclosed settlement from the Anglo-Saxon period which is likely to extend eastwards and northwards beyond the edge of excavation. The Anglo-Saxon settlement had been heavily truncated by a later ridge and furrow system which meant that complete ground plans of buildings have not survived. However, it was possible to identify the location of up to fifteen posthole buildings and three Sunken Feature Buildings (grubenhauser). A large number of postholes were identified across the site, many of which lay within distinct clusters and alignments. A total of 26 of these were interpreted as post-built structures (PBS); a descriptive term that includes both linear and rectangular or other discernible patterns of postholes encompassing possible fence lines as well as potential buildings. An absence of stratigraphic and limited artefactual evidence from most of the features has meant that no detailed phasing of the settlement is possible beyond that gained from radiocarbon dating of selected features. A total of nine radiocarbon dates were produced from the site. Bayesian modelling of the radiocarbon dates estimates that the settlement commenced cal AD 580–765 (95% probability) and probably in cal AD 620–760 (68% probability). The settlement probably went out of use by cal AD 780–985 (95% probability). |
| Author: |
W Muncaster
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| Publisher: |
AD Archaeology Ltd
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| Year of Publication: |
2018
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| Locations: |
| Place: |
Alnwick |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
Felton, Northumberland |
| Country: |
England |
| Place: |
Felton |
| District: |
Northumberland |
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| Subjects / Periods: |
| mid-later Neolithic (Auto Detected Temporal) |
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UNENCLOSED SETTLEMENT
(Monument Type England)
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STRIP MAP AND SAMPLE
(Event)
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| postholes (Auto Detected Subject) |
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RIDGE AND FURROW
(Monument Type England)
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| radiocarbon dates (Auto Detected Subject) |
| pit (Auto Detected Subject) |
| radiocarbon (Auto Detected Subject) |
| flint debitage flakes (Auto Detected Subject) |
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SETTLEMENT
(Monument Type England)
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| pits (Auto Detected Subject) |
| vessels (Auto Detected Subject) |
| posthole (Auto Detected Subject) |
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EXCAVATION
(Event)
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| Prehistoric (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Anglo-Saxon (Auto Detected Temporal) |
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| Identifiers: |
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| Source: |
ADS Library
(ADS Library)
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| Relations: |
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| Created Date: |
03 Oct 2019 |
