Boismier Et Al MOLA Text.Indd
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Excavations at Stanground South, Peterborough Prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval settlement along the margins of the fens William A Boismier, Edmund Taylor and Yvonne Wolframm-Murray With contributions by Theodora Anastasidou, Philip Armitage, Rob Atkins, Michael Bamforth, C.R.Batchelor, Anwen Caffell, Rebecca Casa-Hatton, Dana Challinor, Andy Chapman, Pat Chapman, Steve Critchley, Karen Deighton, Val Fryer, Malin Holst, Tora Hylton, Helen Keeley, Don Mackreth, ER McSloy, Ian Meadows and Maisie Taylor Illustrations by Olly Dindol and James Ladocha (plans and sections); Carla Ardis, David Haynes and Ed McSloy (artefacts) Archaeopress Archaeology Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Summertown Pavilion 18-24 Middle Way Summertown Oxford OX2 7LG www.archaeopress.com ISBN 978-1-78969-844-2 ISBN 978-1-78969-845-9 (e-Pdf) © MOLA Northampton and Archaeopress 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com Contents List of Figures ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ xii List of Tables ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xiv Contributors ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ xvi Acknowledgements ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xvii Photo credits .......................................................................................................................................................................xvii Summary ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xviii Chapter 1 Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1 Location, topography and geology .....................................................................................................................................1 by WA Boismier, Steve Critchley and Helen Keeley Planning background .............................................................................................................................................................2 by WA Boismier and Rebecca Casa-Hatton Investigation Strategies .........................................................................................................................................................4 by WA Boismier, Ed Taylor and Yvonne Wolframm Murray Desk-based assessment ....................................................................................................................................................4 Field Evaluation ................................................................................................................................................................4 Stage 1: Geophysical survey ......................................................................................................................................4 Stage 2: Field artefact collection ..............................................................................................................................4 Stage 3: Trial trenching .............................................................................................................................................7 Mitigation Works ..............................................................................................................................................................7 Open area excavation .................................................................................................................................................7 Site 1: Western ditches and enclosures ...................................................................................................................7 Site 2: Iron Age and Roman settlement area ........................................................................................................12 Site 3: Droveway, settlement remains and urnfield area ....................................................................................13 Site 4: Ring ditch �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 Site 5: Location of human remains ........................................................................................................................14 Strip, map and record (SMR) excavation ...................................................................................................................15 East SMR .....................................................................................................................................................................15 West SMR ...................................................................................................................................................................15 Bypass East ................................................................................................................................................................16 Bypass West ...............................................................................................................................................................17 Balancing Ponds (BP1-BP5) .....................................................................................................................................17 East and West Internal Roads .................................................................................................................................18 Watching brief and other works ..................................................................................................................................18 Balancing Ponds South of Bypass East ..................................................................................................................18 Contractor’s Compound ..........................................................................................................................................18 Earthwork survey .....................................................................................................................................................18 Archive Location ...................................................................................................................................................................18 by Theodora Anastasidou and Tora Hylton Site phasing ...........................................................................................................................................................................18 by WA Boismier Chapter 2 The archaeological evidence ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19 Period 1: Early prehistoric activity (Mesolithic to early Bronze Age) .........................................................................19 by Yvonne Wolframm-Murray Period 2: Bronze and early Iron Age ..................................................................................................................... 19 by WA Boismier, Ed Taylor and Yvonne Wolframm-Murray Overview ..........................................................................................................................................................................19 Early Bronze Age: the burnt mounds .........................................................................................................................19 by WA Boismier Features beneath burnt mound 1...........................................................................................................................20 Burnt mound BM1 ...................................................................................................................................................23 Burnt Mound BM2 ....................................................................................................................................................23 i Features pre-dating burnt mound 3 ......................................................................................................................27 Cremation cemetery ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������29 Burnt mound BM3 ....................................................................................................................................................34 Adjacent outside burnt mound 3 ...........................................................................................................................34 Features below burnt mound 4 ..............................................................................................................................34 Burnt mound BM4 ....................................................................................................................................................36