33 Archaeological test pitting excavations in Houghton & Wyton, Cambridgeshire, 2005- 2008 Catherine Collins 1 2 Archaeological test pitting in Houghton & Wyton, Cambridgeshire, 2005-2008 Catherine Collins 2018 ECB: 2943 Access Cambridge Archaeology Department of Archaeology University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QG 01223 761519 [email protected] http://www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/ (Front cover image: Ongoing excavation at HAW/08/16; © copyright ACA) 3 4 Contents 1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 9 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 ACCESS CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGY (ACA) .................................................................................... 10 2.2 THE HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD ACADEMY (HEFA) ......................................................................... 10 2.3 TEST-PIT EXCAVATION AND RURAL SETTLEMENT STUDIES .............................................................. 11 3 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES ......................................................................... 12 3.1 AIMS .................................................................................................................................................. 12 3.2 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3 OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................................................ 12 4 EXCAVATION METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 13 5 HOUGHTON AND WYTON .................................................................................................................. 14 5.1 THE VILLAGES TODAY ...................................................................................................................... 14 5.2 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 17 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................ 18 6.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 18 6.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 20 6.2.1 Prehistoric .....................................................................................................20 6.2.2 Roman ..........................................................................................................21 6.2.3 Anglo Saxon .................................................................................................22 6.2.4 Medieval .......................................................................................................23 6.2.5 Post Medieval and later.................................................................................23 6.2.6 Undated ........................................................................................................24 7 RESULTS OF THE TEST PITTING IN HOUGHTON AND WYTON .............................................. 25 7.1 THE 2005 TEST PIT RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 26 7.2 THE 2006 TEST PIT RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 38 7.3 THE 2008 TEST PIT RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 47 8 DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................................... 67 8.1 PREHISTORIC ..................................................................................................................................... 67 8.2 ROMANO-BRITISH ............................................................................................................................. 68 8.3 ANGLO SAXON .................................................................................................................................. 68 8.4 MEDIEVAL ......................................................................................................................................... 69 8.5 POST MEDIEVAL AND LATER .............................................................................................................. 70 9 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................ 72 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... 73 11 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 74 12 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................................... 76 12.1 POTTERY REPORTS – PAUL BLINKHORN ............................................................................................. 76 12.1.1 2005 Pottery Report ......................................................................................80 12.1.2 2006 Pottery Report ......................................................................................83 12.1.3 2008 Pottery Report ......................................................................................86 TEST PIT 11 .................................................................................................................................................... 89 12.2 OTHER FINDS – CATHERINE COLLINS ................................................................................................. 92 12.2.1 2005 Finds ....................................................................................................92 12.2.2 2006 Finds ....................................................................................................93 5 12.2.3 2008 Finds ....................................................................................................96 12.3 MAPS ............................................................................................................................................... 104 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of England with an insert map of East Anglia and the location of Houghton and Wyton highlighted in red ..............................................................................................14 Figure 2: The post 2010 extent of the civil parish of Houghton and Wyton © Crown copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service, 1: 40,000 OS Map ....................................................................................................................................15 Figure 3: The extent of the conservation area of Houghton and Wyton © Crown copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service, 1: 20,000 OS Map ....................................................................................................................................16 Figure 4: Mid 1880’s map of Houghton and Wyton © Crown copyright/database right 2016. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service, 1: 7,500 OS Map .........................................20 Figure 5: The approximate locations of all the test pits excavated in Houghton and Wyton by year: pink (2005), red (2006) and blue (2008) (NB: test pits are not to scale). © Crown copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service .....................25 Figure 6: The locations of the 2005 test pits excavated in Houghton and Wyton (NB: test pits are not to scale). © Crown copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service 1:5,000 ....................................................................................................26 Figure 7: Location map of HAW/05/1 .................................................................................27 Figure 8: Location map of HAW/05/2 .................................................................................28 Figure 9: Location map of HAW/05/3 .................................................................................29 Figure 10: Location map of HAW/05/4................................................................................30 Figure 11: Location map of HAW/05/5................................................................................31 Figure 12: Location map of HAW/05/6................................................................................32 Figure 13: Location map of HAW/05/7................................................................................33 Figure 14: Location map of HAW/05/8................................................................................34 Figure 15: Location map of HAW/05/9................................................................................35 Figure 16: The locations of the 2006 test pits excavated in Houghton and Wyton (NB: test pits are not to scale). © Crown copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/Edina supplied service 1:5,000