Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Hessett, Suffolk, 2006-2009 Catherine Collins Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Hessett, Suffolk, in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Catherine Collins 2018 Access Cambridge Archaeology Department of Archaeology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3ER 01223 761519 [email protected] www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk (Front cover images – left: team shot at HES/08/2 and right: team shot at HES/09/2 © ACA) i Contents 1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 7 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 ACCESS CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 9 2.2 THE HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD ACADEMY (HEFA) .............................................................................. 9 2.3 TEST PIT EXCAVATION AND RURAL SETTLEMENT STUDIES .................................................................... 10 3 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES .................................................................. 11 3.1 AIMS ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................... 11 3.3 OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................................................... 11 4 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 12 5 HESSETT ................................................................................................................................... 13 5.1 THE SETTLEMENT TODAY ..................................................................................................................... 13 5.2 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 15 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ..................................................... 16 6.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 16 6.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 19 6.2.1 Prehistory ...................................................................................................................... 19 6.2.2 Romano-British .............................................................................................................. 19 6.2.3 Anglo-Saxon .................................................................................................................. 20 6.2.4 Medieval ........................................................................................................................ 20 6.2.5 Post Medieval and later ................................................................................................. 21 6.2.6 Undated ......................................................................................................................... 22 7 RESULTS OF THE TEST PIT EXCAVATIONS IN HESSETT .................................................. 24 7.1 THE 2006 TEST PIT RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 25 7.2 THE 2007 TEST PIT RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 35 7.3 THE 2008 TEST PIT RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 43 7.4 THE 2009 TEST PIT RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 56 8 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................. 66 8.1 PREHISTORY ......................................................................................................................................... 66 8.2 ROMANO-BRITISH ................................................................................................................................ 68 8.3 ANGLO-SAXON ..................................................................................................................................... 68 8.4 MEDIEVAL ............................................................................................................................................ 68 8.5 POST-MEDIEVAL AND LATER ................................................................................................................ 70 9 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 71 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 72 11 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 73 12 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 76 12.1 POTTERY REPORTS - PAUL BLINKHORN ............................................................................................. 76 12.1.1 2006 Pottery Results................................................................................................. 79 12.1.2 2007 Pottery Results................................................................................................. 82 12.1.3 2008 Pottery Results................................................................................................. 84 12.1.4 2009 Pottery Results................................................................................................. 87 12.2 OTHER FINDS - CATHERINE COLLINS ................................................................................................ 90 12.2.1 2006 non-pottery finds .............................................................................................. 90 12.2.2 2007 non-pottery finds .............................................................................................. 94 12.2.3 2008 non-pottery finds .............................................................................................. 98 ii 12.2.4 2009 non-pottery finds ............................................................................................ 104 12.3 MAPS ............................................................................................................................................. 110 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of England with a close up insert of East Anglia and the approximate location of Hessett highlighted in red ...............................................................................................13 Figure 2: The extent of the parish of Hessett © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 40,000 ........................................................14 Figure 3: The village of Hessett in the north of the parish © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 10,000 .........................................14 Figure 4: 1880’s first Ordinance Survey (OS) map of Hessett © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 7,500 ...................................18 Figure 5: Hodkinson’s Map of Suffolk 1783. Close up of Hessett (from http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/hodskinson/map15&16.jpg) ..............................22 Figure 6: The approximate locations of all 36 test pits excavated in Hessett (NB: Test pits not shown to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 15,000 .................................................................................................24 Figure 7: The approximate locations of the 2006 test pits in Hessett (NB: Test pits not shown to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 10,000 .................................................................................................25 Figure 8: Location map of HES/06/1 ..................................................................................26 Figure 9: Location map of HES/06/2 ..................................................................................27 Figure 10: Location map of HES/06/3.................................................................................28 Figure 11: Location map of HES/06/4.................................................................................29 Figure 12: Location map of HES/06/5.................................................................................30 Figure 13: Victorian General Regiment button excavated from HES/06/5 © ACA ...............30 Figure 14: Location map of HES/06/6.................................................................................31 Figure 15: Location map of HES/06/7.................................................................................32