Title: |
Land to the south of Church Farm, Somersham |
Series: |
Cotswold Archaeology unpublished report series
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Downloads: |
cotswold2-423100_189974.pdf (12 MB)
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Download
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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: |
Excavation of 175 trenches across 7 areas. The trial trenching revealed evidence for an extensive early to high medieval agricultural
landscape across the majority of the evaluated areas, with some limited indication of earlier
(prehistoric to Roman), and later activity also encountered. The levels and complexity of the archaeological remains varied between the separate areas, with Areas 2-4 revealing moderate levels of archaeology and Areas 6 and 7 containing more complex remains. Areas 1 and 5 contained very few remains.
Evidence for the archaeological occupation and utility of the landscape across all land parcels
predominately came from the medieval period, in the form of field boundaries, enclosures and
associated occupation features. Some limited evidence was seen for prehistoric and Roman
activity, in the form of later Bronze Age to Early Iron Age remains in Area 4 and a seemingly
isolated Bronze Age pit in Area 6 and a number of residual pottery sherds in later features.
Virtually no evidence for Roman period activity was identified, although the small number of
pottery sherds of this date that were recovered do at least indicate a presence in the landscape during this period, although any focus of activity appears to lay outside the areas investigated. Similarly, the early and middle Saxon period is poorly represented, again with just a few sherds recovered from this period and almost entirely as residual material in later features.
For the most part activity within the Site appears to have its origins in the later Saxon period,
with subsequent activity throughout the high medieval period suggestive of the presence of a
number of small to moderately sized farmsteads in an agricultural landscape. Evidence was
encountered in Areas 2, 3, 6 and 7 in particular for activity between the 11th to 14th centuries,
including crop processing and small scale industrial activity/metalworking. In addition to cattle,
sheep/goat and pig faunal remains, marine shells as well as nutshells and berry seeds were
also encountered in moderate quantities, suggesting some dietary variation and the
exploitation of a variety of food sources, both local and those presumably traded from the
coast, most likely via the River Orwell. |
Author: |
Lauren Wilson
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Publisher: |
Cotswold Archaeology
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Year of Publication: |
2022
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Locations: |
Parish: |
Little Blakenham |
District: |
Mid Suffolk |
Parish: |
Burstall |
District: |
Babergh |
County: |
Suffolk |
Country: |
England |
Grid Reference: 608668, 247000 (Easting, Northing)
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Grid Reference: 608969, 246170 (Easting, Northing)
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Subjects / Periods: |
DITCHED ENCLOSURE
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL DITCHED ENCLOSURE
(Tag)
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DITCH
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL DITCH
(Tag)
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DITCH
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL DITCH
(Tag)
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DITCHED ENCLOSURE
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL DITCHED ENCLOSURE
(Tag)
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FEATURE
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL FEATURE
(Tag)
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RUBBISH PIT
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL RUBBISH PIT
(Tag)
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RUBBISH PIT
(Monument Type England)
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MEDIEVAL RUBBISH PIT
(Tag)
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CERAMIC
(Object England)
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MEDIEVAL CERAMIC
(Tag)
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CERAMIC
(Object England)
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MEDIEVAL CERAMIC
(Tag)
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RUBBISH PIT
(Monument Type England)
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BRONZE AGE RUBBISH PIT
(Tag)
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CERAMIC
(Object England)
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BRONZE AGE CERAMIC
(Tag)
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TRIAL TRENCH
(Event)
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BRONZE AGE
(Historic England Periods)
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MEDIEVAL
(Historic England Periods)
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Identifiers: |
OASIS Id: |
cotswold2-423100 |
Report id: |
SU0288_2 |
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Note: |
This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
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Source: |
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Relations: |
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Created Date: |
09 Aug 2022 |