Caldecote Solar Park Abbotsley Cambridgeshire Archaeological Evaluation
for Inazin Power Ltd
CA Project: 660347 CA Report: 14560
December 2014
Caldecote Solar Park Abbotsley Cambridgeshire
Archaeological Evaluation
CA Project: 660347 CA Report: 14560
prepared by Derek Evans, Project Manager
date 9 January 2015
approved by Simon Carlyle, Principal Fieldwork Manager
signed
date 9 January 2015
issue 01
This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Building 11 41 Burners Lane South Stanley House Kemble Enterprise Park Kiln Farm Walworth Road Kemble, Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover, Hampshire Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK11 3HA SP10 5LH t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 564660 t. 01264 347630 f. 01285 771033 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
CONTENTS
SUMMARY ...... 3
1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4
The site ...... 4 Archaeological background ...... 5 Archaeological objectives ...... 6 Methodology...... 6
2. RESULTS ...... 7
The finds evidence ...... 16 The palaeoenvironmental evidence ...... 18 The human remains ...... 19 The faunal remains...... 19
3. DISCUSSION ...... 20
4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 21
5. REFERENCES ...... 21
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ...... 23 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ...... 32 APPENDIX C: THE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ...... 35 APPENDIX D: THE HUMAN REMAINS ...... 37 APPENDIX E: THE FAUNAL REMAINS ...... 40 APPENDIX F: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS ...... 41 APPENDIX G: OASIS REPORT FORM ...... 42
1 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing geophysical survey results (1:3500) Fig. 3 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features and geophysical survey results (1:2000) Fig. 4 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features and geophysical survey results (1:2000) Fig. 5 Trench 1: plan, section and photograph (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 6 Trench 2: plan, sections and photograph (1:400 & 1:20) Fig. 7 Trench 3: plan, sections and photograph (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 8 Trench 4: plan, section and photographs (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 9 Trench 5: plan, sections and photographs (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 10 Trench 6: plan, section and photograph (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 11 Trenches 7 and 8: plans, section and photograph (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 12 Trench 9: plan, section and photographs (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 13 Trench 10: plan (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 14 Trench 18: plan, section and photograph (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 15 Trench 33: plan and section (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 16 Trench 36: plan and section (1:200 & 1:20) Fig. 17 Trench 42: plan and section (1:200 & 1:20)
2 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
SUMMARY
Project Name: Caldecote Solar Park Location: Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire NGR: TL 2170 5771 Type: Evaluation Date: 29 September–17 October 2014 Location of Archive: To be deposited with the Cambridgeshire County Archaeology Store Site Code: CSPA 14
In September and October 2014, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation at the proposed site of Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire. Forty- two trenches were excavated within the site.
Cropmarks and a previous geophysical survey indicated the presence of ditched enclosures and associated features at the site, and the evaluation broadly confirmed that the general pattern of land use suggested by the geophysical survey is correct. The evaluation recorded a series of enclosure ditches and associated pits, with the intensity of these features increasing towards the main complex of geophysical anomalies/cropmarks at the western site boundary.
There was evidence for Roman activity in the form of metalworking waste and a human cremation burial. The majority of the dating evidence from the site was medieval, however, and it is likely that the main complex of features at the western site boundary represents a medieval farmstead, with the outlying features in the western field being associated with agricultural/livestock activity.
3 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In September and October 2014, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation at the proposed site of Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire (centred on NGR: TL 2170 5771; Fig. 1). This work was commissioned by Inazin Power Ltd.
1.2 The results of this evaluation will inform a planning application for the development of a solar farm at the site. The scope of the evaluation was defined in discussions with Kasia Gdaniec (Senior Archaeologist, Historic Environment Team, Cambridgeshire County Council (HETCCC)), the archaeological advisor to Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC; the local planning authority).
1.3 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2014) and approved by Kasia Gdaniec. The fieldwork also followed the Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England (Gurney 2003), the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2009), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (English Heritage 2006). It was monitored by Kasia Gdaniec, including site visits on 7 and 16 October.
The site
1.4 The proposed development site encloses an area of approximately 37ha. It lies on the northern side of St Neots Road, some 460m north-west of the village of Abbotsley. At the time of the evaluation, the site comprised two arable fields separated by a north-east/south-west-aligned track. This track defines the boundary between the parishes of Abbotsley to the east and Eynesbury Hardwicke to the west. The site is surrounded by agricultural land on all sides.
1.5 The site is located on generally level ground at a height of c. 23m aOD, with a ridge of higher ground (c. 25m aOD) towards the centre of the western field.
4 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
1.6 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Oxford Clay Formation mudstone. Superficial deposits of River Terrace sand and gravel are recorded along the northern edge of the site (BGS 2014).
Archaeological background
1.7 The site has been the subject of a desk-based heritage assessment (DBA; CA 2013), an aerial photographic assessment (APA; Air Photo Services 2014) and a geophysical survey (GS; ArchaeoPhysica 2014). The following section is summarised from these sources.
1.8 A series of cropmarks are visible on aerial photographs of the site. These cropmarks are primarily grouped into three enclosure complexes in the north-western and south-eastern corners of the site and at the western site boundary, but limited outlying cropmarks are visible throughout the site. The GS added further definition to the cropmark features and suggested the presence of further features outside of the main enclosure complexes.
1.9 Based on comparisons with similar sites, the APA suggested that the enclosures within the site are Iron Age or Roman farmsteads. In this context, it should be noted that the line of a Roman road runs north/south from Sandy to Godmanchester some 350m west of the site, and Roman pottery and coins have been found at Caldecote Manor (c. 250m north of the site). However, the Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record (HER) records the enclosures at the western site boundary as a possible deserted medieval settlement north of the present Lansbury Farm (HER ref: MCB19086), and notes that a medieval thimble and pottery, as well as an area of possible cobbling, were recorded here in 1995 (HER ref: MCB11991). A medieval moated site (HER ref: MCB01115) is also present some 300m west of the evaluation site.
1.10 Traces of ploughed-out ridge and furrow and associated headlands were detected by the APA and GS, indicating that some or all of the site was within a medieval ridge and furrow agricultural field system.
1.11 The 1888 Ordnance Survey map shows the site divided into nine fields, with a pond near its north-western edge. The site had been further sub-divided into 10 fields by
5 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
1900. These fields were amalgamated to form the current site layout as the 20th century progressed.
Archaeological objectives
1.12 The aim of the evaluation was to determine the location, extent, date, character, condition, significance and quality of any surviving archaeological remains within the site which are liable to be threatened by the proposed development. The information gathered will enable HDC to identify and assess the significance of the heritage resource within the site, consider the impact of the proposed development upon that significance, and develop appropriate strategies to avoid or minimise any conflict between heritage resource conservation and the proposed development, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012).
Methodology
1.13 The evaluation fieldwork comprised the excavation of 42 trenches (Fig. 2). The trenches varied in length between 35m and 95m. All trenches were 1.8m wide. The trench plan was designed to sample potential archaeological features recorded by the APA and GS, as well as to test apparently “blank” areas.
1.14 Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4: Survey Manual (2012). All trenches were excavated by a mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the natural substrate, which was the level at which archaeological remains were exposed. Where potential archaeological deposits were encountered, they were excavated by hand in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (CA 2013).
1.15 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential and samples were taken in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003).
1.16 All artefacts were recovered and retained for processing and analysis in accordance with CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation (1995). Bucket samples of topsoil and subsoil layers were taken from either end of
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the trenches measuring less than 50m in length, and from either end and the centre of the trenches measuring 50m and over. Each such sample comprised 90 litres of soil. These samples were hand-sorted for artefacts on site in order to enable characterisation of the artefact contents of the ploughsoil and any lower soil horizons. Additionally, the opened trenches, the spoil heaps and the areas around the trenches were scanned with a metal detector which was not set to discriminate against iron.
1.17 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Milton Keynes. CA will make arrangements with the Cambridgeshire County Archaeology Store for the deposition of the project archive and, subject to the agreement of the legal landowner, the artefacts. A summary of information from this project, as set out within Appendix G, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.
2. RESULTS
2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts, the finds and environmental samples (palaeoenvironmental evidence) and the human and faunal remains are to be found in Appendices A–E.
2.2 In the following text, features marked (U) were unexcavated. This was either because they were linear features clearly identified in more than one trench (and so not excavated in all of them), or to preserve the integrity of the site where sufficient dating and environmental evidence had already been obtained.
2.3 Figures 3 and 4 show the evaluation trenches and the recorded archaeological features overlain on the geophysical survey results. Individual trench detail plans are referenced in the text below.
General stratigraphy
2.4 The natural substrate generally comprised yellow-brown sandy clay with gravel inclusions in the western field, becoming darker in colour in the eastern field (with some localised variations). The natural was exposed at depths of between 0.22m and 0.71m below the present ground level.
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2.5 Nineteen of the trenches featured a silty clay subsoil layer of between 0.06m and 0.41m in thickness overlying the natural substrate (see Appendix A). There was a general tendency for subsoil layers to be present in the north-western part of the western field and the eastern half of the eastern field, although there were some trenches containing subsoil layers outside of these areas.
2.6 All trenches were sealed by the topsoil, which was between 0.1m and 0.41m in thickness.
Blank trenches
2.7 The following trenches contained no archaeological features other than medieval furrows (see below for discussion of furrows) and modern land drains:
• T12: tested two enclosure anomalies, at least one of which may have been obscured by a furrow; • T15: tested a linear anomaly; • T16: tested a geophysically blank area of the site; • T17: tested a potentially natural anomaly; • T19: tested a field boundary anomaly; • T20: tested furrows and a potentially natural anomaly; • T21: tested an area of furrows; • T22: tested an area of furrows; • T23: tested a geophysically blank area of the site; • T24: tested a geophysically blank area of the site; • T25: tested an area of furrows; • T26: tested a land drain and an area of furrows; • T27: tested a land drain; • T28: tested a field boundary anomaly; • T29: tested furrows and a potentially natural anomaly; • T30: tested furrows; • T31: tested a geophysically blank area of the site; • T32: tested a field boundary anomaly; • T34: tested furrows and potentially natural anomalies; • T39: tested potentially natural anomalies; • T40: tested potentially natural anomalies; and
8 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
• T41: tested a land drain and potentially natural anomalies.
2.8 Of these, only T12, T15, T19 and T32 tested potentially archaeological anomalies. In these instances, the lack of archaeological features corresponding to the geophysical anomalies indicates that the anomalies are likely to have derived from near-surface geological variations and modern activity.
Furrows
2.9 The majority of the trenches contained the ploughed-out bases of furrows associated with a medieval ridge and furrow agricultural system, corresponding to extensive areas of former ridge and furrow recorded by the geophysical survey. The furrows were generally aligned west-north-west/east-south-east in the north-western part of the site, and north-north-east/south-south-west in the remainder of the site.
Trench 1 (Fig. 5)
2.10 T1 contained several ditch-like features, two of which were excavated (see Fig. 5 and Appendix A for details of the unexcavated ditches):
• ditch 102 (2.75m wide, 0.37m deep; aligned north-east/south-west); and • ditch 106 (1.2m wide, 0.13m deep; aligned north-west/south-east).
2.11 Neither of these ditches yielded any artefactual material.
2.12 The archaeological features exposed in T1 displayed a broad correspondence with the complex of geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site. Unexcavated ditch 120 (3.2m wide; aligned east/west) was on the line of a 19th-century field boundary anomaly, which continued eastwards through T14 and T13 (see below).
Trench 2 (Fig. 6)
2.13 T2 featured an intermittent silty clay layer of 0.27m thickness (201) overlying the natural substrate. Where present, this layer was cut by the medieval archaeological features recorded in this trench. The provenance of this layer was uncertain.
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2.14 Intercutting ditches 203, 211 and 214 were aligned east/west in the southern end of T2. These ditches were cut through layer 201. Undated ditch 211 was only partially exposed in the trench and had been truncated by ditch 203, but it was visible to a maximum width of 0.6m and a maximum depth of 0.64m. Undated ditch 214 had also been truncated by ditch 203. It was 1.02m deep and survived to 1.5m in width.
2.15 Ditches 211 and 214 were both truncated by ditch 203, which was 3.6m wide and 1.92m deep. This ditch contained a sequence of silty clay fills, from which a relatively large amount of medieval pottery was retrieved.
2.16 The other archaeological features hand-excavated in T2 were:
• the terminus of north-west/south-east-aligned ditch 218, which was 0.8m wide and 0.19m deep and contained medieval pottery; and • east/west-aligned ditch 220, which was 0.58m wide and 0.29m deep and yielded a single probably residual Neolithic worked flint.
2.17 Additionally, T2 contained a large number of pits and ditches which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 6 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
2.18 The archaeological features recorded in T2 displayed a broad correspondence with the geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site.
Trench 3 (Fig. 7)
2.19 Ditch 307 was aligned north/south. It was 5m wide and was excavated to a depth of 0.97m without its base being reached. It contained a sequence of silty clay fills, two of which yielded medieval pottery.
2.20 Undated possible posthole 305 lay to the immediate east of ditch 307. This posthole was 0.29m in diameter and 0.07m in depth.
2.21 North/south-aligned ditch 303 was 0.98m wide and 0.32m deep. Medieval pottery was retrieved from its single silty clay fill.
2.22 Shallow, undated ditch 311 ran on a north/south-alignment immediately parallel to medieval ditch 303. Ditch 311 was 1.4m wide and 0.07m deep.
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2.23 T3 also contained several pits and ditches which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 7 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
2.24 The archaeological features recorded in T3 displayed a broad correspondence with the complex of geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site.
Trench 4 (Fig. 8)
2.25 Both of the excavated features within T4 were undated:
• pit 403 was 1.1m wide. It was excavated to a depth of 0.67m without its base being reached; • north-east/south-west-aligned ditch 406 was 1m wide and 0.41m deep.
2.26 Additionally, T4 contained several pits and ditches which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 8 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
2.27 The archaeological features recorded in T4 displayed a broad correspondence with the complex of geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site.
Trench 5 (Fig. 9)
2.28 All of the excavated features within T5 were very shallow and devoid of artefactual material:
• north/south-aligned ditch 503 was 0.76m wide and 0.07m deep; • east/west-aligned ditch 511 was 0.8m wide and 0.16m deep; • pit 513 was 0.8m in diameter and 0.17m deep, and contained a charcoal-rich fill; • posthole 505 measured 0.48m in diameter and 0.13m in depth; • posthole 507 measured 0.28m in diameter and 0.09m in depth; • posthole 509 measured 0.36m in diameter and 0.1m depth.
2.29 Pit 513 was part of a cluster of five pits, the other four of which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 9 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
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2.30 Posthole 505 lay to the immediate east of ditch 503, and postholes 507 and 509 lay in close proximity to each other towards the north-eastern end of the trench. The postholes did not form any clear structures, although given the narrow width of the trench it is not possible to make a definitive statement in this regard.
2.31 T5 also contained a further selection of linear and pit-like features which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 9 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
2.32 None of the archaeological features recorded within T5 had been detected by the geophysical survey, although ditch 503 was parallel and immediately adjacent to a linear anomaly noted in this area.
Trench 6 (Fig. 10)
2.33 North-west/south-east-aligned ditch 603 was 0.85m wide and 0.2m deep. It had been truncated slightly along its eastern edge by parallel ditch 605, which was 0.5m wide and 0.24m deep. Both of these ditches were undated artefactually.
2.34 T6 also contained several pits and ditches which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 10 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features).
2.35 Unexcavated ditches 613 and 615 were in the broad location of a linear geophysical anomaly recorded in this area of the site. The remainder of the archaeological features in T6 had not been detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 7 (Fig. 11)
2.36 T7 contained a series of ditches and pits, none of which were hand-excavated (see Fig. 11 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features). These features displayed a broad correspondence with the complex of geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site.
Trench 8 (Fig. 11)
2.37 Undated pit 803 was over 1m in diameter and measured 0.46m in depth. Its fill was charcoal-rich, and contained some burnt clay. This pit was in the broad location of an anomaly recorded by the geophysical survey. There was no archaeological
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feature corresponding to an enclosure anomaly recorded in the north-western part of the trench.
Trench 9 (Fig. 12)
2.38 T9 contained the truncated remnants of a human cremation burial (903). The fragments of cremated bone had been placed within a pot of Roman date. The size and morphology of the bone fragments identified the burial as an adult individual, but there were no diagnostic elements (such as those of the skull and pelvis) to allow for identification of sex.
2.39 North-west/south-east-aligned ditch 916 (U) lay to the immediate east of cremation 903 and had been largely truncated by a furrow. Although this ditch was not hand- excavated, seven sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from its upper surface.
2.40 North-west/south-east-aligned ditch 907 was 2.2m wide and 0.76m deep. Medieval pottery was recovered from the basal fill of this ditch. Ditch 907 had been re-cut by ditch 912, which was 2.1m wide and 0.52m deep and contained a single residual sherd of Roman pottery.
2.41 East/west-aligned ditch 905 was 0.8m wide and 0.12m deep and yielded no dating evidence.
2.42 Ditch 918 was 0.85m deep and 9.4m wide. This ditch was aligned north-west/south- east and contained no dating evidence.
2.43 Ditch 918 was on the approximate line of a linear geophysical survey anomaly passing through the north-eastern end of the trench. There was no feature corresponding to the second linear geophysical anomaly which passed through the centre of the trench, and the remainder of the features exposed in T9 had not been recorded by the geophysical survey.
Trench 10 (Fig. 13)
2.44 North-east/south-west-aligned ditch 1002 was 0.71m wide and 0.45m deep. The upper fill of this ditch yielded sherds of Roman pottery.
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2.45 Two pits were present towards the centre of T10:
• pit 1007 (1.1m diameter, 0.67m depth); and • pit 1010 (2.m diameter, 0.9m depth).
2.46 Both of these pits contained Roman pottery.
2.47 North-east/south-west-aligned ditch 1005 (U) lay to the east of pits 1007 and 1010. This ditch was 0.8m wide. Although it was not hand-excavated, Roman pottery was recovered from its upper surface.
2.48 There was no clear correspondence between the recorded archaeological features and the geophysical anomalies in T10.
Trench 11 (Fig. 3)
2.49 Undated ditch 1102 was 0.54m wide and 0.12m deep. This ditch was in the location of a linear anomaly recorded by the geophysical survey, although the north- east/south-west alignment of the ditch differed from the west-north-west/east-south- east-alignment of the anomaly. An unexcavated ditch corresponded to an enclosure anomaly passing through the trench centre.
Trench 13 (Fig. 3)
2.50 Nineteenth-century boundary ditch 1302 (U) ran through T13 on a north-west/south- east alignment. This ditch corresponded broadly with a field boundary anomaly detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 14 (Fig. 3)
2.51 Nineteenth-century boundary ditch 1402 (U) ran through T14 on a broad east/west alignment. This ditch corresponded with a field boundary anomaly detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 18 (Fig. 14)
2.52 Two features were excavated in T18:
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• undated ditch 1802. This feature was aligned north-west/south-east and was 1m wide and 0.36m deep; • shallow pit/ditch terminus 1805, which was 1.6m in diameter and 0.09m in depth. This feature contained medieval pottery.
2.53 Additionally, T18 contained several ditches which remained unexcavated (see Fig. 14 and Appendix A for details of unexcavated features). A sherd of medieval pottery was recovered from the upper surface of unexcavated ditch 1811.
2.54 The archaeological features recorded in T18 displayed a broad correspondence with the geophysical anomalies recorded in this area of the site.
Trench 33 (Fig. 15)
2.55 T33 contained two shallow, undated ditches, both of which were aligned north/south:
• ditch 3303 (1.3m wide, 0.2m deep); and • ditch 3305 (0.7m wide, 0.14m deep).
2.56 Neither of these ditches had been detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 35 (Fig. 4)
2.57 East/west-aligned ditch 3503 (U) was 1.8m wide. This ditch corresponded to a field boundary anomaly recorded by the geophysical survey, the continuation of which passed through T36 (ditch 3603; see below).
Trench 36 (Fig. 16)
2.58 East/west-aligned ditch 3603 was 1.15m wide and 0.41m deep. This ditch was undated artefactually, but corresponded to a field boundary anomaly recorded by the geophysical survey.
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Trench 37 (Fig. 4)
2.59 Shallow, undated ditch 3702 was aligned east/west. This ditch was 0.37m wide and 0.07m deep and had not been detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 38 (Fig. 4)
2.60 Shallow, undated ditch 3804 was aligned north/south. This ditch was 1.05m wide and 0.17m deep and had not been detected by the geophysical survey.
Trench 42 (Fig. 17)
2.61 T42 exposed three features, all of which were undated:
• ditch 4203 was aligned north-west/south-east; this ditch was 0.73m wide and 0.14m deep; • pit/ditch terminus 4205 was truncated by pit/ditch terminus 4207 (see below), but survived to 0.64m in diameter and 0.13m in depth; • pit/ditch terminus 4207 was 0.23m deep and 1.5m wide.
2.62 None of these features had been detected by the geophysical survey:
The finds evidence
2.63 This section presents a summary of the analysis of the artefacts retrieved during the evaluation. For a full report on the finds evidence, please see Appendix B.
2.64 Finds recovered during the evaluation included pottery, ceramic building material, metal objects and worked flint.
Pottery: Roman
2.65 A total of 133 sherds of Roman pottery was recovered. Thirteen of these sherds were residual in later contexts/features; the entirety of the remainder came from features in T9 and T10, including 36 sherds from cremation 903 (T9) and 49 sherds
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from ditch 1002 (T10). Few sherds were closely dateable beyond assigning them to the Roman period; however:
• topsoil 1000 (T10) produced residual pottery dating to the 1st century AD; • ditch 1002 (T10) produced pottery dating to the mid 1st to 2nd century AD; • pit 1010 (T10) produced pottery dating to the 2nd century AD; and • human cremation 903 (T9) had been buried in an urn – probably a jar – dating to the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD.
Pottery: medieval
2.66 A total of 64 sherds of medieval pottery was recovered, dating from the 10th to 14th centuries. The majority of this material (57 sherds) came from T2 and T3, with 24 sherds coming from the fills of ditch 203 (T2).
Pottery and ceramic building material: post-medieval
2.67 Post-medieval pottery and ceramic material was recovered from the topsoil over T24, T25, T28, T31, T32 and T34.
Metal objects
2.68 Twelve iron objects were recovered from two deposits. Those from topsoil 3400 (T34) and one from Roman ditch 1002 (T10) were nails; the remainder from ditch 1002 were unidentifiable fragments.
Worked flint
2.69 A total of five worked flint items was recorded in three deposits/features:
• ditch 220 (T2); • topsoil 1000 (T10); and • topsoil 3900 (T39).
2.70 The flint from ditch 220 was probably Neolithic in date, but those from the topsoil layers were only broadly dateable to the prehistoric era. The flints from the topsoil
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were clearly residual; while ditch 220 was otherwise undated, it is probable that the flint from this feature was also residual.
Slag
2.71 A total of 51 pieces of slag were retrieved from the site, with all but two of these pieces coming from Roman ditch 1002 (T10). The slag probably represents metal- working waste.
The palaeoenvironmental evidence
2.72 This section presents a summary of the analysis of the environmental samples retrieved during the evaluation. For a full report on the palaeoenvironmental evidence, please see Appendix C.
2.73 Five environmental samples (72 litres of soil) were retrieved from five deposits with the intention of recovering evidence of industrial or domestic activity and material for radiocarbon dating.
2.74 Roman ditch 1002 (T10) contained a small number of charred cereal grains identified as wheat species and spelt wheat, as well as abundant oak charcoal. The slag finds from this ditch (see The finds evidence, above) are evidence of metal working, and the oak-dominated charcoal assemblage tallies with this. Oak was commonly used in metallurgical activities; it is a dense wood with a high calorific value, so burns efficiently and at high temperatures.
2.75 Roman cremation fill 903 (T9) contained no charcoal or plant macrofossil material. Cremation urns usually contain some charcoal collected alongside the cremated bone. The absence in this case may be due to truncation of the urn, or simply the efficient collection of cremated bone, eliminating charcoal.
2.76 Medieval ditch 203 (T2) contained a moderate assemblage of charred plant remains, including free-threshing wheat, barley and oats cereal grain, as well as a single vetch/pea and a bromes seed. This ditch also contained charcoal identified as oak, maple, alder/hazel, hawthorn/rowan/crab apple and cherry species. This material probably represents a dump of hearth waste associated with either crop processing waste or domestic food production.
18 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
2.77 Undated pit 403 (T4) and undated ditch 220 (T2) contained only a small number of charred cereal grains and charcoal identified as maple, oak, alder/hazel, ash, hawthorn/rowan/crab apple and cherry species. The small number of cereal grains and charcoal suggests that this material has resulted from wind-blown heath debris from crop processing activity or domestic food production elsewhere on site.
2.78 The charred grain from ditch 1002 (T10), ditch 220 (T2) and ditch 203 (T2), and hawthorn/rowan/crab apple and cherry species charcoal from pit 403 (T4) would be suitable for radiocarbon dating, if required.
The human remains
2.79 This section presents a summary of the analysis of the cremated human bone retrieved during the evaluation. For a full report on the human bone, please see Appendix D.
2.80 Cremation 903 (T9) was buried within a ceramic vessel dating to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD. Vertical truncation had removed the top section of the vessel and thus probably reduced the total weight of bone. A total of 740g of bone was recovered, which is a relatively large quantity, with the truncation allowing the potential for an even higher original weight.
2.81 Despite the large fragments, there were no diagnostic elements (such as those of the skull and pelvis) which allow for identification of sex. The size and morphology of the fragments identified the burial as an adult individual. The variety of the colour of the bone suggests that the pyre technology was not adequate to fully cremate the individual.
The faunal remains
2.82 This section presents a summary of the analysis of the animal bone retrieved during the evaluation. For a full report on the faunal remains, please see Appendix E.
2.83 A total of 54 fragments (837g) of animal bone was recovered from 17 deposits. It was possible to identify the remains of cattle, sheep/goat, pig and domestic fowl, which were represented in the main by meat-poor skeletal elements. However, all of
19 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
these species were recovered in such low amounts that they can only serve to confirm the presence of these species on site.
3. DISCUSSION
3.1 Although the correlation between the results of the evaluation and the geophysical survey was not exact, the evaluation has broadly confirmed that the general pattern of land use suggested by the geophysical survey is correct. A relatively large number of archaeological features was recorded in the northern and south-western parts of the western field, with the intensity of these features increasing towards the complex of geophysical anomalies detected at the western site boundary. These features comprised a series of boundary and enclosure ditches – some of which were quite substantial – and associated pits and postholes.
3.2 Stratified dating evidence was limited, and was confined to the western field. T9 and T10, in the north-eastern part of the field, yielded Roman material, including an adult human cremation burial (T9) and metalworking waste (T10). The remainder of the stratified dating evidence was medieval in origin and was primarily collected from the trenches along the western site boundary (T1–T3 and T18), although there was also a medieval ditch in T9.
3.3 The evidence for Roman activity is too limited to interpret meaningfully, although the presence of a Roman cremation burial and the evidence for metalworking might suggest that Roman activity at the site was more intensive than the dating evidence suggests. It is possible that some of the undated and unexcavated features are actually Roman in date. As noted above (see Archaeological background), limited Roman activity is known in the immediate region of the site: the line of a Roman road runs north/south from Sandy to Godmanchester some 350m west of the site, and Roman pottery and coins have been found at Caldecote Manor (c. 250m north of the site).
3.4 The Cambridgeshire HER records the ditched enclosures at the western site boundary as a possible deserted medieval settlement north of the present Lansbury Farm (HER ref: MCB19086). The evaluation results support this interpretation. It is likely that the main complex of features at the western site boundary represents a medieval farmstead, with the outlying features in the western field being associated
20 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
with agricultural/livestock activity. It is noteworthy that the medieval ditches generally lie on a different alignment to the furrow bases recorded in the evaluation trenches, and in at least one case (ditch 1811, T18), a medieval ditch was truncated by a furrow. This indicates that the ridge and furrow field system must have been established in the later medieval/early post-medieval period. There were no furrows overlying the main complex of features at the western site boundary.
3.5 Five residual worked flints were recovered from the site, providing some evidence for low-intensity prehistoric activity in the area. The evaluation recorded no securely- dated prehistoric features, however.
3.6 The field boundary ditches recorded by the geophysical survey and exposed in T1, T13, T14, T35 and T36 correspond to a mid 19th-century field boundary first depicted on the Lansbury Tithe Map (1845).
4. CA PROJECT TEAM
Fieldwork was undertaken by Peter James, assisted by James Coyne, Dan Wojcik, Kostantinos Papagiannakis, Dan Riley, Rob Scott and Emily Evans. The archive has been compiled by Emily Evans, and prepared for deposition by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Derek Evans, who also wrote this report.
5. REFERENCES
Air Photo Services 2014 Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Assessment of Aerial Photographs for Archaeology
ArchaeoPhysica 2014 Caldecote Manor, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Geophysical Survey Report
BGS (British Geological Survey) 2014 Geology of Britain Viewer http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geology viewer_google/googleviewer.html Accessed 23 September 2014
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2013 Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment CA Report No. 14124
21 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2014 Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation
DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) 2012 National Planning Policy Framework
22 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 1 100 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clay 0.41 Post Medieval 1 101 Layer Natural Mid greyish brown sandy clay with gravel 1 102 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW, >2.8 2.75 0.37 concave base 1 103 Fill 102 3rd fill of ditch Dark greyish brown silty clay 2.71 0.2 1 104 Fill 102 2nd fill of ditch Dark brownish grey clayey silt 1.79 0.18 1 105 Fill 102 1st fill of ditch Mid orangey brown silty clay 1.31 0.02 1 106 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >2.5 1.2 0.13 concave base 1 107 Fill 106 Single ditch fill Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.13 1 108 Cut Ditch Linear edge in plan, aligned NE/SW >2 >1.8 (U) 1 109 Fill 108 Ditch fill Mid brownish grey silty clay (U) 1 110 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 4.6 1 111 Fill 110 Ditch fill Mid brownish grey silty clay with pebbles (U) 1 112 Void Void 1 113 Void Void 1 114 Void Void 1 115 Void Void 1 116 Cut Furrow Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 2.4 1 117 Fill 116 Furrow fill Mid brownish grey silty clay (U) >2 1 118 Void Void 1 119 Void Void 1 120 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 6.8 1 121 Fill 120 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 1 122 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 1.6 1 123 Fill 122 Ditch fill Mid brownish grey silty clay 2 200 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.24 C11-C13 2 201 Layer Subsoil Mid brown silty clay 0.27 2 202 Layer Natural Light yellowish brown silty clay with moderate rounded stone 2 203 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE >1.8 3.58 1.92m 2 204 Fill 203 3rd fill of ditch Light brownish grey silty clay 0.44 C10-C13 2 205 Fill 203 2nd fill of ditch Brown-grey silty clay 0.27 2 206 Fill 203 4th fill of ditch Mid yellowish brown silty clay with 0.46 charcoal flecking and stone 2 207 Fill 203 5th fill of ditch Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.47 C11-C13 2 208 Fill 203 1st fill of ditch Grey brown silty clay 0.19 2 209 Fill 203 Same as 206 Same as 206 C10-C13 2 210 Fill 203 Same as 207 Same as 207 C12-C14 2 211 Cut Ditch Shallow, concave sided >2 >0.64 >0.64 2 212 Fill 211 1st fill of ditch Dark grey silty clay with common 0.23 charcoal flecking 2 213 Fill 211 2nd fill of ditch Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.4 2 214 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W, flat >1.8 1.36 1.02 base 2 215 Fill 214 1st fill of ditch Mid yellowish brown silty clay 0.24 2 216 Fill 214 2nd fill of ditch Light greyish brown silty clay 0.53 2 217 Fill 214 3rd fill of ditch Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.49 C11-C13
23 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 2 218 Cut Pit/ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >1.2 0.8 0.19 terminus concave base 2 219 Fill 218 Single fill of Mid greyish brown silty clay with >0.43 0.19 C11-C13 ditch/pit charcoal and flint terminus 2 220 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W, >2 0.58 0.29 concave base 2 221 Fill 220 Single fill Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.29 moderate charcoal and flint 2 222 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 1.2 2 223 Fill 222 Pit fill Dark greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 224 Cut Pit Oval in plan (U) 1.2 0.8 2 225 Fill 224 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 226 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 2 2 227 Fill 226 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 228 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 0.6 2 229 Fill 228 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 230 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 2 2 231 Fill 230 Ditch fill Dark greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 232 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 0.75 2 233 Fill 232 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 234 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >1.50 0.4 2 235 Fill 234 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 236 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >6.5 2 2 237 Fill 236 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 238 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 0.8 2 239 Fill 238 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 240 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 5.2 2 241 Fill 240 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 242 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 1.6 2 243 Fill 242 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 244 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >2 0.8 2 245 Fill 244 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 246 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >1 >1 2 247 Fill 246 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 2 248 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 2.8 2 249 Fill 248 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 250 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) >1.2 2.8 2 251 Fill 250 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 252 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 3.9 2 253 Fill 252 Ditch fill Dark greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 254 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 0.4 2 255 Fill 254 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 256 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 0.8 2 257 Fill 256 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 258 Cut Pit Oval in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) 1.2 0.8 2 259 Fill 258 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 260 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 1.6 2 261 Fill 260 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 2 262 Cut Pit Oval in plan (U) >1.2 2 2 263 Fill 262 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U)
24 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 2 264 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >1.20 >1.2 2 265 Fill 264 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 3 300 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown silty clay with 0.24 C12-C14 flint and charcoal flecking 3 301 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.21 stone and charcoal flecking 3 302 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown silty clay with moderate flint 3 303 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S, >1 0.98 0.32 concave base 3 304 Fill 303 Single fill Mid greyish brown silty clay with >1 0.98 0.32 C12-C14 flint and charcoal flecking 3 305 Cut Posthole Circular in plan, concave base 0.3 0.07 3 306 Fill 305 Posthole fill Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.29 0.28 0.07 flint and charcoal flecking 3 307 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S >1 5 >0.97 3 308 Fill 307 1st fill of ditch Mid greyish brown silty clay with >1 >1.62 0.25 C12-C14 flint and charcoal 3 309 Fill 307 2nd fill of ditch Light greyish brown silty clay with >1 1.39 0.80 C12-C14 flint, chalk and charcoal flecks 3 310 Fill 307 3rd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown silty clay with >1 0.25 0.16 flint and charcoal flecks 3 311 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S >2 1.4 0.07 3 312 Fill 311 Single ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.07 3 313 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 0.7 3 314 Fill 313 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 3 315 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S (U) >2 1 3 316 Fill 315 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) C11-C13 3 317 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 1.1 0.82 3 318 Fill 317 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 3 319 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 1 0.8 3 320 Fill 319 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 1 0.8 3 321 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW (U) >2 4.05 3 322 Fill 321 Ditch fill Dark greyish brown silty clay (U) C12-C14 3 323 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S (U) >2 1.8 3 324 Fill 323 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 3 325 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >1.3 >0.6 3 326 Fill 325 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 3 327 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 1.15 3 328 Fill 327 Pit fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 4 400 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.30 4 401 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown clay 0.06 4 402 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown clay 4 403 Cut Pit Oval in plan 1.2 1 0.67 4 404 Fill 403 2nd fill of pit Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.12 4 405 Fill 404 3rd fill of pit Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.43 4 406 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW, >2 1.02 0.41 concave base 4 407 Fill 406 Single ditch fill Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.41 4 408 Fill 403 1st fill of pit Mid brownish grey clay 0.24 4 409 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 2.6 4 410 Fill 409 Ditch fill Dark brownish grey silty clay (U) 4 411 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 1.2 4 412 Fill 411 Pit fill Dark grey silty clay (U) 4 413 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >1.90 2
25 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 4 414 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S (U) >1.90 0.9 4 415 Cut Ditch Irregular linear in plan, aligned E/W >2 3.4 (U) 4 416 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >1.90 1.35 4 417 Cut Ditch Aligned NW/SE (U) >1 1 terminus/pit 5 500 Layer Topsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.3 flint and charcoal flecks 5 501 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.13 flint and charcoal flecks 5 502 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown silty clay with flint 5 503 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S, flat >2 0.76 0.07 base 5 504 Fill 503 Single ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with 0.07 stone 5 505 Cut Posthole Oval in plan, concave base 0.48 0.13 5 506 Fill 505 Posthole fill Mid blackish grey sandy clay with 0.13 stone and charcoal 5 507 Cut Posthole Circular in plan, concave base 0.28 0.09 5 508 Fill 507 Posthole fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.09 5 509 Cut Posthole Oval in plan, concave base 0.4 0.1 5 510 Fill 509 Posthole fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.1 5 511 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W, >2 0.8 0.16 concave base 5 512 Fill 511 Single ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with 0.16 gravel 5 513 Cut Pit Oval in plan, concave base 0.8 0.17 5 514 Fill 513 Single pit fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with 0.17 frequent charcoal flecks 5 515 Cut Pit Pit (U) 1.6 5 516 Cut Pit Pit (U) 1 5 517 Cut Pit Pit (U) 1.2 5 518 Cut Pit Pit (U) 2 5 519 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, NW/SE-aligned (U) >2 2.6 5 520 Cut Ditch Curvilinear in plan, aligned >2 1 NNW/SSE (U) 5 521 Cut Pit Pit (U) 1 0.8 5 522 Cut Pit Pit (U) 2.2 1.4 6 600 Layer Topsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.3 flint and charcoal flecks 6 601 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.19 flint and charcoal flecks 6 602 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown silty clay with flint 6 603 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >2 >0.83 0.2 concave base 6 604 Fill 603 Single ditch fill Mid brownish grey sandy clay 0.2 6 605 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, flat >2 0.5 0.24 base 6 606 Fill 605 Single ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.24 6 607 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, rounded at terminus, >1.5 0.8 aligned N/S (U) 6 608 Fill 607 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U) 6 609 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW (U) >2 2 6 610 Fill 609 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U) 6 611 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, rounded at terminus, >1.50 1 aligned N/S (U) 6 612 Fill 611 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U)
26 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 6 613 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 2.4 6 614 Fill 613 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U) 6 615 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 1.6 6 616 Fill 615 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U) 6 617 Cut Pit Oval in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >1.2 1.4 6 618 Fill 617 Pit fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay with stone (U) 7 700 Layer Topsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.27 flint and charcoal flecks 7 701 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.20 flint and charcoal flecks 7 702 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown silty clay with flint 7 703 Cut Pit Sub-circular in plan (U) 0.8 7 704 Cut Pit Sub-circular/irregular in plan (U) 1.4 1 7 705 Cut Ditch Ditch terminus; NE/SW-aligned (U) >4.2 1.2 7 706 Cut Pit Sub-circular in plan (U) 1.8 1.4 7 707 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 0.8 0.6 7 708 Cut Ditch NE/SW aligned (U) >2 0.5 7 709 Cut Ditch E/W aligned (U) >2 2 7 710 Cut Ditch NW/SE aligned (U) > 0.6 7 711 Cut Pit Sub-circular in plan (U) 2.2 7 712 Cut Pit Circular in plan (U) 0.8 8 800 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.30 8 801 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish orange sandy clay 0.41 with stone 8 802 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown sandy clay with stone 8 803 Cut Pit Oval in plan, aligned N/S 2 >1 0.46 8 804 Fill 803 Single pit fill Dark blackish grey sandy clay with 0.46 charcoal 9 900 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.36 9 901 Layer Subsoil Mid yellowish brown sandy clay 0.25 9 902 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown sandy clay with gravel and manganese 9 903 Fill 925 Cremation Dark greyish brown sandy silty clay 0.24 C2-C3 with pottery and cremated bone 9 904 Layer Natural Same as 902 9 905 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W >2 0.8 0.12 9 906 Fill 905 Single ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.12 9 907 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >1.8 >2.2 0.76 concave base 9 908 Fill 907 1st fill of ditch Mid blackish grey silty clay with 0.2 C11-C13 manganese flecking 9 909 Fill 907 2nd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown sandy clay with 0.22 gravel 9 910 Fill 907 3rd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.1 9 911 Fill 907 Same as 910 Same as 910 0.12 9 912 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >2 >2.2 0.52 concave base 9 913 Fill 912 1st fill of ditch Mid orangey brown sandy clay with 0.1 gravel 9 914 Fill 912 2nd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.36 RB 9 915 Fill 912 3rd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.32 stone 9 916 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >0.5 >0.8 9 917 Fill 916 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay (U) RB
27 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 9 918 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >1.8 9.4 0.76 uneven base 9 919 Fill 918 1st fill of ditch Mid blueish grey sandy clay with 0.58 manganese 9 920 Fill 918 4th fill of ditch Mid yellowish brown clayey sand 0.23 9 921 Fill 918 5th fill of ditch Mid greyish brown sandy clay with 0.4 gravel 9 922 Fill 918 2nd fill of ditch Mid brownish grey sandy clay with >0.98 >1.05 0.3 manganese flecking 9 923 Fill 918 3rd fill of ditch Mid blueish grey sandy clay >0.98 >0.9 0.1 9 924 Fill 918 6th fill of ditch Mid greyish brown sandy clay >0.6 >0.5 0.2 9 925 Cut Pit Cut of pit for cremation 903 0.24 10 1000 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.38 C1 10 1001 Layer Natural Mid reddish brown sandy clay 10 1002 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW >2 0.71 0.45 10 1003 Fill 1002 1st fill of ditch Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.21 10 1004 Fill 1002 2nd fill of ditch Dark brownish grey silty clay 0.23 LC1-EC2 10 1005 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW (U) >1.9 0.8 10 1006 Fill 1005 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay (U) RB 10 1007 Cut Pit Oval in plan, concave base 1.1 0.67 10 1008 Fill 1007 2nd fill of pit Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.21 LC1-C2 10 1009 Fill 1007 1st fill of pit Dark greyish brown silty clay 0.22 10 1010 Cut Pit Sub-rounded/irregular in plan 2 0.9 10 1011 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish grey clay 0.10 10 1012 Fill 1010 5th fill of pit Mid greyish brown clay 0.30 10 1013 Fill 1010 4th fill of pit Dark brownish grey sandy clay 0.10 10 1014 Fill 1010 3rd fill of pit Mid brownish grey clayey silt 0.20 C2 10 1015 Fill 1010 2nd fill of pit Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.16 10 1016 Fill 1010 1st fill of pit Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.24 10 1017 Fill 1007 3rd fill of pit Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.24 11 1100 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.31 11 1101 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange gravely sand 11 1102 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW, >3 0.54 0.12 concave base 11 1103 Fill 1102 Ditch fill Mid brownish grey sandy clay 0.54 0.12 12 1200 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clay 0.35 12 1201 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange clayey sand with gravel 13 1300 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.34 13 1301 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange sandy clay with gravel 13 1302 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE >2 14 1400 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.26 with flint 14 1401 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown sandy clay with flint 14 1402 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW (U) >2 1.2 14 1403 Fill 1402 Ditch fill Dark greyish brown silty clay (U) >2 1.2 15 1500 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.24 with flint 15 1501 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown sandy clay with flint 16 1600 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.28 with flint 16 1601 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown clay with flint
28 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 17 1700 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.26 with flint 17 1701 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown clay with flint 18 1800 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.28 with flint 18 1801 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown clay with flint 18 1802 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >2 1 0.36 concave base 18 1803 Fill 1802 1st fill of ditch Mid yellowish brown silty clay 0.12 18 1804 Fill 1802 2nd fill of ditch Mid yellowish brown silty clay 0.24 18 1805 Cut Pit/ditch Oval in plan, concave base 1.6 >1.2 0.09 terminus 18 1806 Fill 1805 Single fill of pit Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.09 C12-C14 18 1807 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NNW/SSE >2 1.2 (U) 18 1808 Fill 1807 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 18 1809 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned WNW/ENE >2 2.4 (U) 18 1810 Fill 1809 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 18 1811 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NNW/SSE >2 1.2 (U) 18 1812 Fill 1811 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) C11-C13 18 1813 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NNW/SSE >2 2 (U) 18 1814 Fill 1813 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 18 1815 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S (U) >2 1 18 1816 Fill 1815 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 18 1817 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE (U) >2 1.9 18 1818 Fill 1817 Ditch fill Light greyish brown silty clay (U) 18 1819 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NE/SW (U) >1 0.85 18 1820 Fill 1819 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay (U) 19 1900 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.35 19 1901 Layer Natural Mid orangey grey sandy clay with gravel 20 2000 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.41 with stone 20 2001 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange sandy clay with gravel 21 2100 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.34 with flint 21 2101 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown sandy clay 0.19 21 2102 Layer Natural Mid orangey brown clayey sand with gravel and flint 22 2200 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.37 22 2201 Layer Natural Mid greyish brown sandy clay 23 2300 Layer Topsoil Dark brownish grey clayey loam 0.31 with flint 23 2301 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange sandy clay with stone 24 2400 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.26 Post-medieval 24 2401 Layer Natural Mid greyish brown clay with stone 25 2500 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.28 C16-C18 25 2501 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.10 25 2502 Layer Natural Mid brownish grey clay with stone 26 2600 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.26 26 2601 Layer Natural Mid brownish orange sandy clay with stone 27 2700 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.24
29 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 27 2701 Layer Natural Mid brownish orange sandy clay with stone 28 2800 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.24 Post-medieval 28 2801 Layer Subsoil Mid orangey grey sandy clay 0.1 28 2802 Layer Natural Mid greyish brown clay 29 2900 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.17 29 2901 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish grey clay 0.15 29 2902 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown sandy clay 30 3000 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.31 Post-medieval 30 3001 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish grey clayey sand 0.08 30 3002 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown sandy clay 31 3100 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.25 Post-medieval 31 3101 Layer Natural Mid orangey brown sandy clay 32 3200 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.26 Late medieval /Post- medieval 32 3201 Layer Natural Mid brownish orange clayey sand with gravel 33 3300 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.23 33 3301 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish grey clay 0.08 33 3302 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown clayey silt 33 3303 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S, >2 1.3 0.2 concave base 33 3304 Fill 3303 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.2 33 3305 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S, >2 0.7 0.14 concave base 33 3306 Fill 3305 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.14 34 3400 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.27 LC18-C19 34 3401 Layer Subsoil Mid brownish grey clay 0.14 34 3402 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown sandy clay 34 3403 Cut Furrow Linear in plan, aligned E/W >1 1 0.21 34 3404 Fill 3403 Furrow fill Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.21 35 3500 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.33 35 3501 Layer Subsoil Mid orangey grey sandy clay 0.2 35 3502 Layer Natural Mid brownish grey sandy clay with gravel 35 3503 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W (U) >1.8 1.8 35 3504 Fill 3503 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown sandy clay (U) 36 3600 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.4 36 3601 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown clay 0.1 36 3602 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown sandy clay 36 3603 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W, >2 1.15 0.41 concave base 36 3604 Fill 3603 Ditch fill Mid brownish grey clay 0.41 37 3700 Layer Topsoil Mid blackish brown silty clay 0.3 37 3701 Layer Natural Mid orangey brown sandy clay 37 3702 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned E/W, >1 0.37 0.07 concave base 37 3703 Fill 3702 Ditch fill Mid orangey brown sandy clay with >1 0.37 0.07 stone 38 3800 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey clayey silt 0.3 38 3801 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown clayey silt with 0.35 stone 38 3802 Layer Natural Mid pinkish grey silty clay 38 3804 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned N/S, >3 1.05 0.17 concave base
30 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description Length Width Depth/ Spot-date No. No. interpretation (m) (m) thickness (m) 38 3805 Fill 3804 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown silty clay with 1.05 0.17 stone 39 3900 Layer Topsoil Mid greyish brown silty clay 0.1 39 3901 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown clay 0.2 39 3902 Layer Natural Mid blueish brown sandy clay 39 3903 Cut Furrow Linear in plan, aligned N/S, >1 1.6 0.05 concave base 39 3904 Fill 3903 Furrow fill Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.05 39 3905 Cut Furrow Linear in plan, aligned N/S (U) >1.9 2.4 RB 39 3906 Fill 3905 Furrow fill Mid brownish grey silty clay >1.9 2.4 40 4000 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.25 RB with flint 40 4001 Layer Natural Mid reddish brown sandy clay with gravel 41 4100 Layer Topsoil Dark greyish brown clayey loam 0.22 with flint 41 4101 Layer Natural Mid yellowish brown clay with gravel 42 4200 Layer Topsoil Mid brownish grey clayey silt 0.33 42 4201 Layer Subsoil Mid greyish brown compact clayey 0.2 silt 42 4202 Layer Natural Mid greyish orange silty clay 42 4203 Cut Ditch Linear in plan, aligned NW/SE, >1.9 0.73 0.14 concave base 42 4204 Fill 4203 Ditch fill Dark greyish brown clayey silt 0.73 0.14 42 4205 Cut Ditch terminus Aligned NW/SE, concave base >0.4 0.6 0.13 42 4206 Fill 4205 Ditch fill Mid greyish brown clayey silt 0.13 42 4207 Cut Ditch terminus Aligned NW/SE, flat base >1.4 1.5 0.33 42 4208 Fill 4207 3rd fill of ditch Mid brownish grey silty clay 0.22 42 4209 Fill 4207 1st fill of ditch Mid greyish brown silty clay with 0.15 manganese 42 4210 Fill 4207 2nd fill of ditch Mid greyish brown clayey silt 0.11
31 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX B: THE FINDS
By Jacky Sommerville
Finds recovered during the evaluation included pottery, ceramic building material, metal objects and worked flint. Codings for Roman fabrics, where possible, correspond to those defined in the National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (Tomber and Dore 1998).
Pottery: Roman
Two bodysherds of central Gaulish Samian (LEZ SA2), a pottery type exported to Britain during the 2nd century, were recorded in pit fill 1014 (pit 1010, T10) (Webster 1996, 2–3).
Topsoil 1000 (T10) produced five sherds in a wheelthrown, grog-tempered fabric which is typically 1st century in date.
Twelve sherds in a shell-tempered fabric were recovered from ditch fill 1004 (ditch 1002, T10), including a rimsherd from a channel-rimmed jar, which is a common form from the region and typically dates to the mid 1st to 2nd century (Friendship Taylor 1999). A vesicular fabric, represented by a single unfeatured bodysherd in ditch fill 1008 (pit 1007, T10), is likely to have resulted from the leaching of shell inclusions.
Thirty-six sherds from a cremation urn (Ra. 2) were recorded in cremation pit fill 903 (T9). The form is probably a jar, although no rimsherds were present, due to truncation. The fabric is likely to be Godmanchester whiteware, which is 2nd to 3rd century in date (Evans 2003).
Other pottery of broad Roman date includes: a total of 34 sherds of greyware from eight deposits; a total of 29 sherds in a black-firing, quartz sand-tempered fabric from five deposits; five unfeatured bodysherds in an oxidised fabric from four deposits; eight unfeatured bodysherds in a buff-firing fabric from three deposits; and a rimsherd from a necked vessel in a whiteware fabric from ditch fill 1004 (ditch 1002, T10). Identifiable vessel forms recorded among the reduced coarseware types included: a plain rim dish/platter and a cordoned vessel from pit fill 1014 (pit 1010; T10); a cordoned/carinated bowl of ‘Belgic’ type from ditch fill 1004 (ditch 1002; T10); and a cordoned vessel from ditch fill 1008 (ditch 1007, T10).
Pottery: medieval
A single bodysherd of Stamford ware was recovered from ditch fill 207 (ditch 203, T2). This ware type was manufactured at a number of sites in Lincolnshire from the mid 9th to mid 13th centuries (Kilmurry 1980, 30; 205).
A total of 53 sherds in shell-tempered coarseware fabrics was recorded in 13 deposits. Identifiable forms were: everted rim jars from ditch fills 207 (ditch 203, T2) and 217 (ditch 214, T2); and a probable pitcher or jug, represented by a handle sherd, from topsoil 200 (T2). A rimsherd from fill 207 (ditch 203, T2) featured horizontal bands of scored decoration. An unfeatured bodysherd in a vesicular fabric recovered from ditch fill 1812 (ditch 1811, T18) has probably resulted from the leaching of shell or limestone temper. Shell-tempered coarsewares developed from Saxo-Norman St Neots type wares are a common earlier medieval coarseware type known from Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties (Wells and Slowikowski 1996, 85).
A second unglazed coarseware type is represented by a total of 23 unfeatured bodysherds in a handmade, reduced-fired, quartz sand-tempered fabric from 10 deposits. Broad dating in the 12th to 14th centuries is probable (ibid., 85).
Pit fill 1806 (pit 1805, T18) produced a single unfeatured bodysherd in a quartz-and-limestone tempered fabric.
Pottery: post-medieval
Pottery of post-medieval date consisted of: a bodysherd of glazed earthenware (16th to 18th century date) from topsoil 2500 (T25) and a bodysherd of refined whiteware (dateable to the late 18th to 19th centuries) from topsoil 3400 (T34).
Ceramic building material
A total of 13 fragments of ceramic building material of post-medieval date was recorded in six deposits. Those which could be classified further were: a fragment of peg tile from topsoil 3100 (T31); and flat roof tile from topsoil deposits 2400 (T24), 2800 (T28), 3100 (T31) and 3200 (T32).
32 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Metal objects
Twelve iron objects were recovered from two deposits. Those from topsoil 3400 (T34) and one from ditch fill 1004 (ditch 1002, T10) were nails. The remainder from ditch fill 1004 were unidentifiable fragments.
Worked flint
A total of five worked flint items was recorded in three deposits. The item from topsoil 3900 (T39) was a flake which displayed very fine, nibbled retouch along the length of the right dorsal edge. A core from ditch fill 221 (ditch 220, T2) was a multi-platform type, which had been used to produce flakes and is most suggestive of a Neolithic date. The remainder of the flints are waste flakes and these, along with the retouched flake, are broadly prehistoric in date.
Table B1: Finds concordance Context Description Count Weight(g) Spot-date 100 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 2 17 Post-medieval Post-medieval ceramic building material 1 10 200 Medieval pottery: St Neots ware; shell-tempered 4 62 C11-C13 fabric; fine, sand-tempered fabric 204 Sample <5> Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 1 1 C10-C13 207 Medieval pottery: Stamford ware; shell-tempered 21 140 C11-C13 fabric; fine, sand-tempered fabric Shell 4 7 209 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 1 2 C10-C13 Slag 2 142 210 Medieval pottery: fine, sand-tempered fabric 1 16 C12-C14 217 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric; fine, sand- 18 242 C11-C13 tempered fabric 219 Roman pottery: greyware 1 5 C11-C13 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 2 27 221 Sample <4> Worked flint: core, flake 2 36 - 300 Roman pottery: greyware 1 28 C12-C14 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric; fine, sand- 3 31 tempered fabric 304 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric; fine, sand- 6 67 C12-C14 tempered fabric 308 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric; fine, sand- 3 23 C12-C14 tempered fabric 309 Medieval pottery: fine, sand-tempered fabric 2 22 C12-C14 Fired clay 2 6 316 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 3 7 C11-C13 322 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric; fine, sand- 7 51 C12-C14 tempered fabric 804 Fired clay 7 250 - 903 Roman pottery: Godmanchester whiteware 36 652 C2-C3 908 Medieval pottery: shell-tempered fabric 2 64 C11-C13 914 Roman pottery: greyware 1 5 RB 917 Roman pottery: black-firing, sand-tempered fabric 7 65 RB 1000 Roman pottery: grog-tempered fabric 5 14 C1 Worked flint: flakes 2 12 1004 Roman pottery: greyware; shell-tempered fabric; 45 501 LC1-EC2 black-firing, sand-tempered fabric; oxidised fabric; buff-firing fabric Sample <1> Roman pottery: whiteware; black-firing, sand- 4 29 tempered fabric; shell-tempered fabric Iron object: fragment 1 20 Sample <1> Iron object: nail, fragments 9 19 Slag 7 301 Sample <1> Slag 42 106 1006 Roman pottery: greyware 2 22 RB 1008 Roman pottery: greyware; black-firing, sand- 7 29 LC1-C2 tempered fabric; oxidised fabric; vesicular fabric 1014 Roman pottery: Samian; greyware; black-firing, 19 149 C2 sand-tempered fabric; buff-firing fabric 1806 Medieval pottery: fine, sand-tempered fabric; 2 4 C12-C14 quartz-and-limestone tempered fabric
33 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Context Description Count Weight(g) Spot-date 1812 Medieval pottery: vesicular fabric 1 3 C11-C13 2400 Post-medieval ceramic building material: flat roof 1 21 Post-medieval tile 2500 Roman pottery: oxidised fabric 1 4 C16-C18 Post-medieval pottery: glazed earthenware 1 1 2800 Post-medieval ceramic building material: flat roof 2 11 Post-medieval tile 3000 Post-medieval ceramic building material: flat roof 2 45 Post-medieval tile 3100 Post-medieval ceramic building material: flat roof 2 37 Post-medieval tile 3200 Post-medieval ceramic building material: peg tile, 5 182 Late medieval/ flat roof tile post-medieval 3400 Roman pottery: oxidised fabric; buff-firing fabric 2 3 LC18-C19 Post-medieval pottery: refined whiteware 1 <1 Iron nail 2 5 3700 Fired clay 2 3 - 3900 Worked flint: retouched flake 1 6 Prehistoric 3905 Roman pottery: black-firing, sand-tempered fabric 1 10 RB 4000 Roman pottery: greyware 1 1 RB
References
Crick, J. and Dawson, M. 1996 ‘Archaeological Excavations at Kempston Manor, 1994’ Bedfordshire Archaeology 22, 67–95
Evans, C. J. 2003 ‘Romano-British Pottery’, in Jones 2003, 42–61
Friendship-Taylor, R.M. 1999 Late La Tène Pottery of the Nene and Welland Valleys of Northamptonshire: with particular reference to Channel-rim Jars Brit. Archaeol. Rep. Brit. Ser. 280, Oxford: British Archaeological Reports
Jones, A. (Ed.) 2003 Settlement, Burial and Industry in Roman Godmanchester Birmingham Archaeology Monograph Series 1. Brit. Archaeol. Rep. Brit. Ser. 346, Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.
Kilmurry, K. 1980 The Pottery Industry of Stamford, Lincs. c. AD 850–1250 BAR British Series 84. Oxford.
Tomber, R. and Dore, J. 1998 The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection: A Handbook. MOLaS Monograph 2. London.
Webster, P. 1996. Roman Samian Pottery in Britain: Practical Handbook in Archaeology 13 York. Council for British Archaeology.
Wells, J. and Slowikowski, A. M. 1996 ‘The Ceramics Assemblage’ in Crick and Dawson 1996, 83–8.
34 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX C: THE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE by Sarah Cobain
Five environmental samples (72 litres of soil) were retrieved from five deposits with the intention of recovering evidence of industrial or domestic activity and material for radiocarbon dating. The samples were processed by standard flotation procedures (CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003)).
Roman
Sample 1 was recovered from fill 1004 within ditch 1002 (T10). The sample contained a small number of charred cereal grains identified as wheat (Triticum) species and spelt wheat (Triticum spelta). The charcoal was abundant and was identified as oak (Quercus). The slag finds within this pit are likely to be associated with metal working waste and the oak-dominated charcoal assemblage supports this assertion. Oak was commonly used in metallurgical activities as it is a dense wood and has a high calorific value so burns efficiently and at high temperatures, which are required for metal working activities (Cutler and Gale, 2000, 205). For this reason, oak would have been deliberately sought for industrial activities and it is often found as the sole fuel within waste associated with metal working activities.
Fill 903 (sample 6) was recovered from within the cremation urn (RA 2; T9) and contained no charcoal or plant macrofossil material. Cremation urns usually contain some charcoal collected alongside the cremated bone. The absence in this case may be due to truncation of the urn, removing some of the top material or simply the efficient collection of cremated bone, eliminating charcoal.
Medieval
Fill 204 (sample 5), taken from ditch 203 (T2), contained medieval pottery. This fill contained a moderate assemblage of charred plant remains including free-threshing wheat (Triticum aestivum/Triticum turgidum/Triticum durum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oats (Avena) cereal grain and a single vetch/pea (Vicia/Lathyrus) and bromes (Bromus) seed and charcoal identified as oak, maple (Acer campestre), alder/hazel (Alnus glutinosa/Corylus avellana), hawthorn/rowan/crab apple (Crataegus monogyna/Sorbus/Malus sylvestris) and cherry (Prunus) species. This material has been interpreted as a dump of hearth waste associated with either crop processing waste or domestic food production.
Undated
Pit fill 408 (pit 403, T4, sample 2) and ditch fill 221 (ditch 220, T2, sample 4) contained only a small number of charred cereal grains and charcoal identified as maple, oak, alder/hazel, ash (Fraxinus excelsior), hawthorn/rowan/crab apple and cherry species. The small number of cereal grains and charcoal suggests the ecofactual material from these features has resulted from wind-blown heath debris from crop processing activity or domestic food production elsewhere on site.
Charred grain from ditch fill 1004 (ditch 1002, T10, sample 1), ditch fill 221 (ditch 220, T2, sample 4) and ditch fill 204 (ditch 203, T2, sample 5), and hawthorn/rowan/crab apple and cherry species charcoal from pit fill 408 (pit 403, T4, sample 2) would be suitable for radiocarbon dating, if required.
References
Gale, R. and Cutler, D.F. 2000 Plants in Archaeology: Identification Manual of Artefacts of Plant Origin from Europe and the Mediterranean Otley, Westbury and the Royal Botanic Gardens
35 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Table C1: Plant macrofossil identifications Context number 204 221 408 903 1004 Feature number 203 220 403 RA 2 1002 Sample number (SS) 5 4 3 6 1 Flot volume (ml) 16.5 2.5 24 2 5 Sample volume processed (l) 17 20 15 3 17 Soil remaining (l) 10 20 0 0 20 Period U/D/Med U/D U/D RB RB Plant macrofossil preservation Moderate Moderate Poor N/A Moderate Habitat Family Species Common Name Code D/A/P Fabaceae Vicia L./Lathyrus L. Vetches/Peas + E Poaceae Avena L. Oats grain + A/D Bromus L. Bromes + E Hordeum vulgare L. Barley grain + + E Triticum Wheat grain + + Triticum aestivum E L./Triticum turgidum L./ Free-threshing wheat +++ Triticum durum Desf. E Triticum spelta Spelt wheat grain + Indeterminate cereal E Poaceae + + ++ grain (fragment)
Table C2: Charcoal identifications Context number 1004 408 221 204 903 Feature number 1002 403 220 203 RA 2 Sample number (SS) 1 3 4 5 6 Flot volume (ml) 5 24 2.5 16.5 2 Sample volume processed (l) 17 15 20 17 3 Soil remaining (l) 20 0 20 10 0 Period RB U/D U/D Med RB Charcoal quantity +++++ ++ +++ +++ 0 Charcoal preservation Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate N/A Family Species Common Name Aceraceae Acer campestre L. Field maple 2 1 Alnus glutinosa (L.) Betulaceae Alder/Hazel 1 2 Gaertn./Corylus avellana L. Quercus petraea (Matt.) Sessile Oak/ Fagaceae 10 2 3 2 Liebl./Quercus robur L. Pedunculate Oak Quercus petraea (Matt.) Sessile Oak/ 2 Liebl./Quercus robur L. h/w Pedunculate Oak h/w Oleaceae Fraxinus excelsior L. Ash 1 Crataegus monogyna Jacq./ Hawthorn/Rowans/Crab Rosaceae 1 1 2 Sorbus L./Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill. apple Prunus L. r/w Cherries r/w Prunus L. Cherries 1 1 1 Prunus spinosa L. Blackthorn 2 Total 10 5 10 10 0
Key A = Arable weeds; D = Opportunistic weed species; P = Grassland species; E = Economic species
+ = 1–4 fragments; ++ = 4–20 items; +++ = 21–49 items; ++++ = 50–99 items; +++++ = 100–500 items; ++++++ = >500 items
RB = Romano-British Med = medieval U/D = Undated h/w = heartwood (tyloses present) r/w = roundwood (curved growth rings present)
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APPENDIX D: THE HUMAN REMAINS
By Sharon Clough
Introduction
This report comprises the osteological analysis of the deposit of cremated human bone 903 retrieved during the evaluation at Caledecote Solar Farm, Cambridgeshire. The burial was contained within a ceramic vessel dating to the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD. Vertical truncation had removed the top section of the vessel and thus probably reduced the total weight of bone.
Aims and methods
The cremated human remains were subjected to full analysis, which sought to identify type of deposit, weight of bone, degree of fragmentation, bone element, number of individuals, demographic and pathologic data and efficiency of the cremation (Brickley and McKinley 2004; Mays et al. 2004).
The deposit containing cremated bone was processed as an environmental sample, which involved wet sieving using flotation and 0.25mm residue mesh. The dry bone was then removed from the sample and sieved through 10mm, 5mm, 2mm, 1mm and 0.25mm mesh size. The weight of the bone retained in each fraction and spit was recorded and its percentage of the total weight of the cremation was calculated. This enabled the degree of fragmentation to be quantified.
The bones retained from each sieve size were examined in detail and sorted into the following identifiable bone groups: skull (including mandible and dentition); axial (clavicle, scapula, ribs, vertebra and pelvic elements); upper limb and lower limb. The separation of the bone into these groups helps illuminate any deliberate bias in the skeletal elements collected for burial. Each group was weighed on digital scales and details of colour and largest fragment were recorded. Where possible, the presence of individual bones within the defined bone groups was noted. Any unidentifiable fragments of long bone shafts or cancellous bone, which are often the majority recovered from cremations, were weighed and incorporated into any subsequent quantitative analysis. The prevalence of unidentifiable bone is largely dependent on the degree of fragmentation, whereby larger fragments are easier to identify than smaller ones.
It must also be taken into consideration that some skeletal elements are more diagnostic and more easily identifiable than others and, therefore, more often recorded. This may create bias in calculations of the relative quantities of skeletal elements collected for burial.
Fragments below a certain size are not distinguishable as to whether they are human or animal except microscopically or chemically.
Age estimations from cremated remains are dependent on the survival of particular age diagnostic elements. In adult cremations, the most useful age indicators are degenerative changes to the auricular surface (Lovejoy et al. 1985) and pubic symphysis (Suchey and Brooks 1990) and cranial suture closure (Meindl and Lovejoy 1985). For subadults, unerupted teeth, cranial thickness and size of bones help to identify age.
Sex estimation of adult burnt bone relies on the preservation of specific elements and is uncommon in cremated material. The quantity of warping and shrinkage of the bone during the cremation process must also been taken into consideration when estimating sex using the standard analytical techniques used on dry bone.
Results
Weight of cremated bone
The cremated bone retrieved from deposit 903 weighed a total of 740.2g. Weights of cremated bone recovered in the UK from archaeological sites range from less than 100g to 3000g (McKinley 2013, 163), and a full adult individual when cremated can weigh from 1000g to 3600g (McKinley 2000, 404). As the burial from this site was truncated, it is likely that some of the bone has been lost.
Experiments (McKinley 1997) have found that it is fairly easy to collect all of the bones from an undisturbed pyre, which often remain in anatomical order. However, it is frequently found that 50% or less of the bone available after cremation is included in the burial (McKinley 2000). In this instance, it would appear that a good proportion of the individual was selected from the pyre for inclusion in the urn. Parts of the skeleton represented came from the cranium, upper and lower limb bones, mandible, teeth, feet and pelvis. This suggests there was no collection bias towards particular areas of the body.
37 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
It is expected that in a complete dry skeleton (which is approximately the same as a cremated skeleton) the percentages by weight of the different elements are as follows:
• Skull: 18.2% (cranium, facial bones and jaw) • Upper Limbs: 23.1% (shoulders, arms and hands) • Axial Skeleton: 20.6% (vertebrae, ribs, pelvis) • Lower Limbs: 38.1% (legs and feet)
A total of 44% of the bone fragments were identified (Table D1). The slightly higher amount of long bone and cranial bone observed probably has more to do with the ease with which they are identified compared to other bones. These bones also have thicker cortical bone than those of the axial skeleton and it is thought that areas of high trabecular bone content (epiphyses and os coxae) will disintegrate easily (McKinley 1998). The resulting high quantities of cranial and long bone identified are not unusual for cremation deposits.
Fragmentation
The fragmentation levels were medium. The fraction level >10mm contained 46% of the bone, that between 10mm–5mm had 30% and the 5mm–2mm fraction had 25%. This affected some of the identification of elements (Table D1; Table D2). The majority of fragmentation occurs after burial and after excavation. Fragmentation occurs along the dehydration fissures which formed during the cremation process. McKinley (1994, 340–1) observed that in a sample of over 4000 cremations, over 50% of bone fragments were in excess of 10mm in size (largest fragment 134mm), with an average maximum fragment size of 45.2mm (including immature and disturbed cremations). The largest fragment size for the cremation from the present site was 56mm, which places it slightly larger than average. The large fragment size and quantity in the >10mm fraction may reflect a lack of post-pyre manipulation and the protective effects of being contained within an urn.
Pyre technology
The efficiency of a cremation is influenced by the following factors: the construction of the pyre, the quantity of wood, the position of the body, tending of the pyre, the weather, the duration of the cremation and the pyre temperature (McKinley 2000, 407; McKinley 1994, 82–84). The cremated bone after the cremation pyre has finished reflects the temperatures achieved during the process. Cremated bone may range in colour from brown or black (slightly charred), through hues of blue and grey and the brilliant white associated with full oxidisation (temperature over 645°C quoted by McKinley (2000, 405), over 750°C quoted by Lyman (1994) and greater than 800°C (Schmidt and Symes 2008)).
The cremated bone from the present site displayed a variety of colours to different parts of the body. The majority of the fragments were white, but there were fragments of the cranium which were black, brown and grey. Other parts of the body also displayed the same variety of colour. Parts of the body with little fat, such as the hands and feet and cranium, may not burn as well as the torso. The position of the corpse on the pyre could also affect the pattern of burning; for example, if the hands and feet lay on the outside of the pyre they would receive less direct heat. From this, we can infer that there was average pyre technology for the cremated individual. The pyre must have reached over 645°C for some parts of the body, although this wasn’t the case for all parts of the body.
Ageing, sex and pathology
The majority of the cremated bone deposits were found to be adult and from a single individual. The cremated bone did not have any sexually dimorphic features nor any pathological lesions preserved.
Summary
A single urned cremation burial was recovered dating to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD. Cremation was most popular in Britain in the earlier Roman periods (Philpott 1991). The bone recovered was 740g, which is a relatively large quantity (500g is an average; McKinley 2013; Table D3). Truncation allows for the potential of an even higher original weight. Despite the large fragments, there were no diagnostic elements, such as those of the skull and pelvis, which allow for identification of sex. The size and morphology of the fragments identified it as an adult individual. The variety of the colour of the bone suggests that the pyre technology was not adequate to fully cremate the individual. It has been observed by the author that this is often the case with Roman period cremations, and perhaps complete oxidation was not a requirement.
References
Brickley M. and McKinley, J. 2004 Guidelines to the standards for recording of human remains IFA Paper No 7
Lovejoy, C.O., Meindl, R.S., Pryzbeck, T.R. and Mensforth, R.P. 1985 ‘Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the illium: a new method for determination of adult skeletal age-at-death’, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 68, 15–28
38 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Mays, S., Brickley, M. and Dodwell, N. 2004 Human bones from archaeological sites - Guidelines for producing assessment documents and analytical reports, English Heritage
Lyman, R.L. 1994 Vertebrate taphonomy: Cambridge manuals in archaeology. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
McKinley J. 1994 ‘Bone fragment size in British cremation burials and its implications for pyre technology and ritual’, Journal of Archaeological Science 21, 339–342
McKinley, J. 1997 ‘Bronze Age 'barrows' and funerary rites and rituals of cremation’, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 63, 129–145
McKinley, J.1998 ‘Archaeological manifestations of cremation’, The Archaeologist 33, 18–20
McKinley, J. 2000 ‘The analysis of cremated bone’, in Cox, M. and Mays, S. (eds) Human Osteology in Archaeology and Forensic Science London, Greenwich Medical Media, 403–421
McKinley, J. 2013 ‘Cremation; Excavation, analysis and interpretation of material from cremation-related contexts’, in Tarlow, S. and Stutz, L.N. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of The Archaeology of Death and Burial Oxford, Oxbow Press
Meindl, R.S and Lovejoy, C.O 1985 ‘Ectocranial suture closure: A revised method for the determination of skeletal age at death based on the lateral-anterior sutures’, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 68, 29–45
Philpott, R., 1991 Burial Practices in Roman Britain: A survey of grave treatment and furnishing AD 43–410, BAR Brit. Ser. 219 Oxford, British Archaeological Report
Schmidt, C.W. and Symes S.A. (eds) 2008 The analysis of burned human remains London, Academic Press
Suchey, J.M. and Brooks, S. 1990 ‘Skeletal age determination based on the os pubis; A comparison of the Acsádi-Nemeskéri and Suchey-Brooks method’, Human Evolution 5, 227–238
Table D1: Weight of cremated bone by skeletal area Context Total Cranial Cranial Axial Axial Long bone (g) Long Un- U Teeth Teeth Weight (g) (g) % (g) % Bone identified (g) % (g) % % 903 740.2 70.3 9 19.2 3 235.1 32 415 56 0.6 0
Table D2: Weight of bone by fraction to determine level of fragmentation Context >10mm weight >10mm 10–5mm 10–5mm 5–2mm 5–2mm % Weight % Weight % 903 337.8 46 220 30 182.5 25
Table D3: Summary of the cremated bone Context Total Largest Representativeness Age Sex Bone Comments weight Fragment colour (g) size (mm) 903 740.2 56 x 23 Cranial frags, long bones, tooth Adult Unknown White, Cranial frags very root, phalanges, mandibular brown, mixed colour. coronoid process. black, grey
39 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX E: THE FAUNAL REMAINS
By Andy Clarke
A total of 54 fragments (837g) of animal bone was recovered from 17 deposits. For the purpose of this report, the bones were identified to species and skeletal element using the CA osteological reference collection, as well as standard reference literature (Schmid 1972, Hillson 1996). Bones were then quantified by fragment count and weight. The bones were moderately well preserved but highly fragmentary, having suffered from both historical and modern damage, rendering 46% of the assemblage unidentifiable beyond the level of ‘large mammal’ or ‘medium mammal’. Where modern breakage was observed and re-fitting was possible, those fragments were recorded as a single bone. The dating of the material is based on the preliminary phasing of the features, determined from the spot-dating of the finds Any material not confidently phased is not discussed beyond the details set out in Table E1.
Thirteen fragments (219g) were recovered from four deposits in association with artefacts dating to the medieval period. It was possible to identify the remains of cattle (Bos taurus), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus), pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) and domestic fowl (Gallus gallus), represented in the main by meat-poor skeletal elements. However, while all of these species are common in assemblages of this date, they have been recovered in such low amounts that they can only serve to confirm the presence of these species on site.
References
Hillson, S. 1996 Mammal bones and teeth: An introductory guide to methods of identification London: The Institute of Archaeology, University of London
Schmid, E. 1972 Atlas of animal bones: For prehistorians, archaeologists and quaternary geologists Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company
Table E1: Identified animal species by fragment count (NISP) and weight and context. Deposit Bos O/C Sus Anser Gal LM MM Total Weight (g) medieval 300 1 1 10 304 1 1 2 113 309 1 1 1 3 6 73 322 3 3 23 Subtotal 1 2 1 1 3 4 13 219 Undated 103 2 2 8 104 1 1 7 105 1 1 27 201 2 1 3 25 221 2 3 5 10 218 404 2 1 2 5 37 407 3 3 6 51 408 1 1 7 508 1 1 2 12 510 1 1 2 31 512 2 2 113 604 2 1 2 5 66 606 1 1 2 16 Subtotal 8 13 1 2 13 5 41 618 Total 9 15 1 1 3 16 9 54 Weight 470 92 46 8 10 158 53 837 Bos = Cattle; O/C = sheep/goat, Sus= pig; Anser = Goose; Gal = domestic fowl; LM= large sized mammal; MM = medium sized mammal.
40 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX F: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS
Topsoil Subsoil Natural exposed at Trench thickness thickness (m BGL) (m) (m) 1 0.41 – 0.41 2 0.24 – 0.24 3 0.24 0.21 0.45m 4 0.3 0.06 0.36 5 0.3 0.13 0.43 6 0.3 0.19 0.49 7 0.27 0.2 0.47 8 0.3 0.41 0.71 9 0.36 0.25 0.61 10 0.38 – 0.38 11 0.31 – 0.31 12 0.35 – 0.35 13 0.34 – 0.34 14 0.26 – 0.26 15 0.26 – 0.26 16 0.28 – 0.28 17 0.26 – 0.26 18 0.28 – 0.28 19 0.35 – 0.35 20 0.41 – 0.41 21 0.34 0.19 0.53 22 0.37 – 0.37 23 0.31 – 0.31 24 0.26 – 0.26 25 0.28 0.1 0.38 26 0.26 – 0.26 27 0.24 – 0.24 28 0.24 0.1 0.34 29 0.17 0.15 0.32 30 0.31 0.08 0.39 31 0.25 – 0.25 32 0.26 – 0.26 33 0.23 0.08 0.31 34 0.27 0.14 0.41 35 0.33 0.2 0.53 36 0.4 0.1 0.5 37 0.3 – 0.3 38 0.3 0.35 0.65 39 0.1 0.2 0.3 40 0.25 – 0.25 41 0.22 – 0.22 42 0.33 0.2 0.53
41 © Cotswold Archaeology Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX G: OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Caldecote Solar Farm, Cambridgeshire: archaeological evaluation Short description (250 words maximum) In September and October 2014, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation at the proposed site of Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire. Forty-two trenches were excavated within the site.
Cropmarks and a previous geophysical survey indicated the presence of ditched enclosures and associated features at the site, and the evaluation broadly confirmed that the general pattern of land use suggested by the geophysical survey is correct. The evaluation recorded a series of enclosure ditches and associated pits, with the intensity of these features increasing towards the main complex of geophysical anomalies/cropmarks at the western site boundary.
There was evidence for Roman activity in the form of metalworking waste and a human cremation burial. The majority of the dating evidence from the site was medieval, however, and it is likely that the main complex of features at the western site boundary represents a medieval farmstead, with the outlying features in the western field being associated with agricultural/livestock activity. Project dates 29 September–17 October 2014 Project type Field evaluation (e.g. desk-based, field evaluation, etc.) Previous work Aerial photograph assessment (Air Photo Services 2014) (reference to organisation or SMR numbers, etc.) Geophysical survey (ArchaeoPhysica 2014)
Desk-based assessment (Cotswold Archaeology 2013) Future work Unknown PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Caldecote, Cambridgeshire Study area (M2/ha) 37ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) TL 2170 5771 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Cambridgeshire County Council Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Derek Evans Project Supervisor Peter James MONUMENT TYPE None SIGNIFICANT FINDS None PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content (e.g. pottery, (museum/Accession no.) animal bone, etc.) Physical Cambridgeshire County Archaeology Ceramics, animal bone, Store flint, etc. Paper Cambridgeshire County Archaeology Context sheets, trench Store sheets, drawings, etc. Digital Cambridgeshire County Archaeology Database, digital photos, Store survey, etc. BIBLIOGRAPHY CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2009 Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire: Archaeological Evaluation CA typescript report 14560
42 N Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 326549 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Site location plan
0 1km
FIGURE NO. Reproduced from the 1999 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with PROJECT NO. 4345 DATE 27-10-2014 the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A4 1:25,000 1
N Trench 1 ditch 108
ditch Section AA 110 SE NW 22.25m AOD 103
ditch 104 102
105
01m
ditch 106 land drain
ditch 116
ditch 120
ditch 122
A Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk North-east-facing section of Ditch 102 (scale 2m) e [email protected] ditch 102 PROJECT TITLE A Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire 0 10m FIGURE TITLE Trench 1: plan, section and photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 5 pit Trench 2 262 N ditch 264
ditch 260 B pit ditch 258 220 B ditch 256
pit Section BB 254 NS 23.75m ditch AOD 252 221 ditch 220
01m
pit ditch 250 West-facing section of ditch 220 (scale 0.5m) 248
ditch 246
ditch ditch 218 244
ditch ditch 242 240 Section CC 200 S N 23.5m AOD 217
207 213 ditch ditch 236 238 ditch 216 214 ditch 234 212 ditch 232 206 ditch 211 215 pit ditch 228 230
pit ditch ditch 224 226 204 203
C pit 222 Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 ditches Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 203, 211, 214 205 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk 0 20m e [email protected]
C PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, 208 01mCambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 2: plan, sections and photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:400 1:20 6 N
posthole E 305 E Trench 3 ditch 307
ditch ditch 323 pit ditch 325 327 321
ditch 315 pit 317 ditch 311 ditch 303 D pit D 319
0 10m pit 313
North-facing section of ditch 307 (scale 1m)
Section DD Section EE
WE E W 24.0m 23.75m 310 AOD AOD
304 309 ditch 303
308
ditch 01m 307
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected] 01m PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 3: plan, sections and photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 7 pit N 417 ditch 416
ditch 415
ditch 413
Trench 4 ditch 406 ditch 414
F Section FF F SE NW 24.0m AOD ditch 409 pit 411
407
ditch 406
0 10m 01m
pit 403
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE North-west-facing section of pit 403 (scale 1m) North-east-facing section of ditch 406 (scale 0.5m) Trench 4: plan, section and photographs
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 8 N Section GG
WE 24.0m 504 506 AOD ditch posthole 503 505 H
H posthole 509 posthole 507
pit 515
pit Section HH 516
NW SE I 24.0m AOD pit I 508 517 posthole Trench 5 pit 507 513
pit 518 01m South-facing section of ditch 503 and posthole 505 (scale 1m) ditch 519
ditch 520
Section II
NW SE 24.0m AOD pit 521
514 pit 513
ditch 511 01m
ditch 503
G G
posthole 505
Cirencester 01285 771022 pit Milton Keynes 01908 218320 522 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
South-west-facing section of pit 513, looking north-east (scale 0.5m) PROJECT TITLE 0 10m Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 5: plan, sections and photographs
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 9 N
furrows Trench 6
ditch ditch 607 613
ditch 615
ditch 603
ditch ditch 611 J 617 ditch 609 J ditch 605 0 10m
Section JJ
NE SW 23.25m AOD
604 606
ditch ditch 603 605
01m
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE North-west-facing section of ditches 603 and 605 (scale 1m) Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 6: plan, section and photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 10 Trench 8 Trench 7
pit 703 Section KK 800
pit 704 SN 801 22.0m AOD 802
804
pit 803
01m
ditch 705
pit 706 pit 707
ditch 708
ditch 709
ditch 710
pit 711
pit 712
K
K pit Cirencester 01285 771022 803 Cotswold Milton Keynes 01908 218320 North-facing section of pit 803, looking south (scale 0.5m) Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trenches 7 and 8: plans, section and 0 10m photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 11 ditch 912/907
L
ditch 916 L cremation 903
furrow N
land drains
Trench 9
furrow
ditch 918
Cremation 903 land drains
ditch 905 0 10m
Section LL
NE SW 21.5m AOD 900
901
ditch 915 911 912 914 910
913
909 ditch Cirencester 01285 771022 908 907 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, 01mCambridgeshire North-west-facing section of ditches 907 and 912 (scales 1m) FIGURE TITLE Trench 9: plan, section and photographs
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 12 Trench 10 N
furrow
ditch 1002
furrow
furrow
land drain furrow
pit 1010 pit 1007
land drain
ditch 1005 land drain
furrow
furrow
land drain
0 10m
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 10: plan
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 13 N ditch 1819
ditch 1817
furrow ditch I 1802 ditch Trench 18 1807 ditch 1809 I
ditch 1811
furrow ditch 1805
ditch 1813
furrow
ditch 0 10m 1815
Section II
SE NW 22.0m AOD
1804
ditch 1803 1802
Cirencester 01285 771022 01m Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, South-east facing section of ditch 1802 (scale 0.5m) Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 18: plan, section and photograph
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 14 Trench 33 N
ditch 3303
ditch 3305
N N
Section NN
EW 25.25m AOD 3306
ditch 3305
01m
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire 0 10m FIGURE TITLE Trench 33: plan and section
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200 1:20 15 Section OO
NS 24.75m Trench 36 AOD 3600
3601 3601
3604 land 3602 drains 3603
01m J
ditch 3603
J
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE 0 10m Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 36: plan and section
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200, 1:20 16 Trench 42 N
ditch 4203 P
P
Section PP
NE SW ditch 4207 23.0m AOD ditch 4204 4205 ditch 4203
land drain 01m
Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 347630 land Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk drain e [email protected] 0 10m PROJECT TITLE Caldecote Solar Park, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire FIGURE TITLE Trench 42: plan and section
PROJECT NO. 660347 DATE 23-10-2014 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY DJB REVISION 00 APPROVED BY JB SCALE@A3 1:200, 1:20 17