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Archaeological Service Excavation Report

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Archaeological Service Excavation Report Archaeological Service HOXNECONTEXTPROJECT HXN019 Excavation Report K. Forrest. Archaeological Section, SuffolkCounty Council. 1995 ncil ��:���A:.::�,m�:: m� County Hall, Ipswich IP4 1LZ. lei: lps 265123 ~ J I LIST OF CONTENTS I SUMMARY INTRODUCTION I METHODOLOGY RESULTS: Excavation I Finds Summary by Fiona Seeley I CONCLUSION . Appendix i. Project Design. I Appendix ii. Geophysical Survey. I I LIST OF FIGURES I Fig.1. Site location plan. Fig.2. Plotted hoard finds from within the metal detected area. I Fig.3. Excavated plan ofsite. .1 Fig.4. Sections ofprehistoric pits 0126, 0129, 0152, 0149, 0157 & 0156. Fig.5. Profile ofhoard hole (0144) and section of0120. I Fig.6. Sections ofditch 0105; 0181,0179,0182. I I I I I I I I l J I SUMMARY I An excavation of 1000 square metres was undertaken on the site ofthe Roman hoard discovery in Hoxne, Suffolk. The primary purpose ofexcavation was to identify any contexts associated with the late Roman hoard burial, as damage caused by illegal metal detecting posed a significant threat to the archaeological features. The site ofthe 1992 I excavation was redug to investigate more fully the features that were identified during the works involved in the initial hoard recovery. The area was found to have been redug and disturbed, since backfilling by the archaeology unit, however, some components ofthe I original hole could be recognised, though in a much poorer condition. A single post-hole in the southwest corner ofthe hoard burial hole remained partly intact and though no dateable finds were recovered from the infilling deposit it is possibly contemporary in I date with the hoard. No other Roman features were identified indicating that the hoard burial was not located in the immediate vicinity ofa settlement. In total five phases of activity were identified on the site: i. A series ofeight pits and 55 post-holes ofprehistoric date, I 19 ofwhich describe a possible structure. ii. The Roman hoard burial. iii. A Post-Medieval boundary ditch. I iv. A single modern rubbish pit. v. Post 1992 illegal metal detecting activity. A metal detector survey was carried out at all stages ofthe excavation and 336 disturbed I hoard finds were recovered. The survey also recovered a few medieval and post-medieval artefacts. I I I I I I I I I I I I I INTRODUCTION I The excavation was undertaken during November and December 1994 by the Suffolk County Council, Archaeological Section Field Projects Team and was funded by English I Heritage. The primary purpose ofthis archaeological project was to identify, excavate and record any archaeological contexts that were associated with a late Roman hoard that was discovered in 1992 at Hoxne, Suffolk,(NGR TM 17467651) on a spur ofland between I the Dove and Goldbrook valleys at 36m a.D, see Fig.l. When discovered in 1992 the majority ofthe hoard material remained in situ, with only I the top finds being disturbed by ploughing. The finder removed about 25% ofthe hoard but left the majority to be properly excavated. In total the finder and the 1992 excavation recovered 29 pieces ofgold jewellery, 125 I items ofsilver tableware, 563 gold coins and 14,088 silver coins and provided information on the packing ofthe objects within organic containers; wooden boxes and a I bone inlaid casket. The material has been dated to the end ofthe Roman period by the inclusion oftwo I siliquae ofConstantine III (407- 408 AD). In 1992, immediately after the hoard discovery, an area of30m radius, centred on the find spot, was intensively metal detected by the archaeology unit and 61 Roman coins were recovered. After ploughing in September 1993 84 Roman coins were found and after I ploughing in September 1994 a further 68 Roman coins were found. All coins had been disturbed from the hoard and distributed by the agricultural process. Fragments oftwo I copper alloy Roman brooches (pre-dating the hoard) were also recovered from the topsoil. A fie1dwalking survey identified a concentration ofmedieval pottery sherds on the road frontage to the east ofthe find spot, and to the southwest a scatter ofprehistoric material I (Iron age). No evidence ofRoman settlement was identified. A geophysical survey carried out by the Ancient Monuments Laboratory in February 1993 covered a 90 metre square, magnetometer survey and a 60 metre square, resistivity I survey (see Appendix ii.). The magnetometer survey identified a rectilinear feature to the northeast ofthe hoard site which probably represents part ofthe medieval site located by the concentration ofpottery found during fieldwalking. A linear feature, oriented NNW­ I SSE, to the west ofthe hoard was identified in both surveys. From 1992-1994 the looting ofthe site and the continuing cultivation represented a threat I to the remaining archaeological data. I I I I I I I: I: HOXNE 61700 61700 617 61700 --- o I '_..- o o o I ~ -~---~\ .-1 \_--­ •. 1 Fal r st e ad Fcrm ,_I I BM 36 . 11m o I o o I o I o I o o I o I o o I o o I End I o o o I o I , 1'1 c=J 1..1 I o o o I 61700 61700 o 0 617 o Reproduced from the Ordnance Su rvey map with the permission of the Controller Scale 1: 2500 of He r Majesty's Stationery Office @ Crown Copyrig ht 199 5 I Suffolk Cou nty Counci l CJ Stripped and metal detected area. I Excavated area. Fig.1. Site location plan. o I -. I METHODOLOGY I An area 30 metres square (900 sq.metres) was stripped by machine in lOcm spits with topsoil and subsoil being removed to the level ofthe natural geology (fluvioglacial drift, light sand/silt). A metal detecting survey was undertaken at all stages ofthe stripping. A I further extension of 10 metres square (lOO sq.metres) was stripped and metal detected, adjoining the east ofthe site, when the scatter pattern ofdislocated hoard material was identified. I Outside normal working hours a high profile security presence was maintained to deter any further looting. I Metal detected finds were located in plan (see Fig. 2. for plotted hoard finds) and levelled against the Ordnance Datum. Some finds were recovered by searching spoil heaps and during backfilling ofthe site, as they had been positioned in the ploughsoil so that they could not be picked up by the metal detector (i.e. vertically). Non-hoard finds appear on I. the original archive plans. All hand excavated deposits were sieved through 1cm mesh and all generated spoil was I metal detected. A small number ofnon-metal finds were recovered from the ploughsoil and these appear on the general small finds plot. I Advice on sampling for environmental data was taken from the regional English Heritage environmentalist (P.Murphy). He recommended that no sampling programme should be undertaken on the excavated features. I Plans were made ofthe detected area, plotting all small finds at 1:50 on a superimposed 2m interval grid. Fig.2. shows the distribution ofhoard finds within the metal detected area, the numbering ofspecific finds are not included in this report but are held in the I archive. A plan ofexcavated contexts and unexcavated prehistoric features was made at 1:20 I (Fig.3). Section drawings were made ofall excavated features at 1:20. (Publication scales in this report differ as annotated.) A photographic record ofthe excavated contexts and general site shots is held in the I archive under film codes: DEC, DED, DEE, DEF, DEG, DEH, DGN, DGO. A full context record ofcut features, deposits, finds and coin identifications is held in the I archive. All non-hoard finds are deposited in the County Store in Bury St Edmunds. I The archive has been deposited with the Archaeological Section, Shire Hall, Bury St I Edmunds. I I I I I ilJ I RESULTS (see Fig.3. for site plan) I Five phases ofactivity were identified in the excavated area. i.Prehistoric. I Prehistoric pits. (See Figs 3 & 4) Seven small pits (0101,0126,0129,0149,0152,0156,0157) were halfsectioned: Context Fill Finds Description & Conclusion. I 0101 0100,0103 & From 0100: Shallow circular pit. 0104 Burnt Flint x 112, 1.75kg. Prehistoric domestic rubbish Abundant charcoal 70% of burial, probably associated I fill. with cooking area. 0126 0125 Pottery 6 sherds Iron Age Oval pit. I & Bronze Age. Burnt Flint x 74, 0.48kg. Prehistoric domestic rubbish I Fired Clay x 7. burial. 0129 0127 & 0128 From 0127: Oval pit, cut by 0126. I Pottery 14 Sherds, I Two phases ofIron Age Bronze Age (Beaker) & 13 domestic rubbish burial. Iron Age. Slag O.Olkg. I Struck flint x 3. Burnt Flint x 46, 0.37kg. From 0128: I Pottery 16 Sherds, Prehistoric. Struck Flint x 3. I Burnt Flint x 38, O.l5kg. 0149 0146 Pottery sherds, 193 Early Early Bronze Age, domestic I Bronze Age (Beaker) & 1 rubbish burial. Iron Age sherd, intrusive. Burnt Flint x 2,842, I 23.42kg. Struck Flint x l l l , I 0152 0151 Pottery 5 Sherds, 3 Early Shallow circular pit, disturbed Bronze Age & 2 Iron Age. by burrowing animal. Iron Burnt Flint x 301, 2.39kg. Age domestic rubbish burial. I Struck Flint x 3. I 0156 0154 Burnt Clay x 2. Small oval pit, cuts fill ofpit Burnt Flint x12, 0.07kg. 0157. Prehistoric, function I unclear. I I I iI I 0127 MID BROWN 36·46m OD SAND-SILT -- I W I I 0128 DARK BROWN SAND-SILT 0125 MID BROWN SANDY SILT I I I I 36·44m 00 SW \ -:•••• r : '\ / I animal /' - ./ disturbance 0151 MID BROWN SANDY SILT I .oRANGE BROWN I •• I 0155 LIGHT ORANGE/BROWN I 36'41 m OD SANDY SILT I Nf\!W I LIGHT BROWN I KEY: 0= sand I 0= flint I I FigA.
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