Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, 2013 Carenza Lewis and Alex Pryor with contributions by Kathryn Betts Access Cambridge Archaeology McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER 01223 761518; [email protected]; www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, 2013 Carenza Lewis and Alex Pryor with contributions by Kathryn Betts Access Cambridge Archaeology McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3ER 01223 761518 [email protected] www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk Front cover image - Meldreth Primary School children digging Test Pit 12 on school grounds Image taken on 5th July 2013 by Kathryn Betts Access Cambridge Archaeology McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER 01223 761518; [email protected]; www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk i Contents 1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 6 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 ALL OUR STORIES .................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 TEST PIT EXCAVATION AND RURAL SETTLEMENT STUDIES ...................................................................... 7 3 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES .................................................................... 8 3.1 AIMS ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................ 8 3.3 OUTCOMES ............................................................................................................................................. 9 4 LOCATION ................................................................................................................................... 9 5 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY .............................................................................................. 12 6 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 12 6.1 EXCAVATION STRATEGY ....................................................................................................................... 12 6.2 EXCAVATION METHODS ........................................................................................................................ 12 6.3 ON-SITE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SUPERVISION ............................................................................................. 13 6.4 ON-SITE FINDS IDENTIFICATION AND RETENTION .................................................................................. 13 6.5 TRENCH AND TEST PIT CLOSING AND BACKFILLING .............................................................................. 14 6.6 RECORDING .......................................................................................................................................... 14 6.7 FINDS PROCESSING AND RECORDING .................................................................................................... 14 6.7.1 Finds appropriate for recording, analysis, reporting, retention and curation. ............... 14 6.7.2 Finds appropriate for disposal after recording and reporting. ....................................... 15 6.7.3 Legal ownership of finds ............................................................................................... 15 6.7.4 Curation of Archaeological Finds .................................................................................. 15 7 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ..................................................... 17 7.1 PREHISTORIC PERIOD ............................................................................................................................ 19 7.2 ROMAN PERIOD ..................................................................................................................................... 19 7.3 ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD ......................................................................................................................... 19 7.4 HIGH AND LATER MEDIEVAL PERIODS ................................................................................................. 19 7.5 POST-MEDIEVAL PERIOD ...................................................................................................................... 20 8 RESULTS OF THE TEST PIT EXCAVATIONS IN MELDRETH .............................................. 21 8.1 TEST PIT ONE (MEL/13/1) .................................................................................................................... 23 8.2 TEST PIT TWO (MEL/13/2) ................................................................................................................... 25 8.3 TEST PIT THREE (MEL/13/3) ................................................................................................................ 27 8.4 TEST PIT FOUR (MEL/13/4) .................................................................................................................. 29 8.5 TEST PIT FIVE (MEL/13/5) ................................................................................................................... 31 8.6 TEST PIT SIX (MEL/13/6) ..................................................................................................................... 33 8.7 TEST PIT SEVEN (MEL/13/7) ................................................................................................................ 35 8.8 TEST PIT EIGHT (MEL/13/8) ................................................................................................................. 38 8.9 TEST PIT NINE (MEL/13/9) ................................................................................................................... 40 8.10 TEST PIT 10 (MEL/13/10) ................................................................................................................ 42 8.11 TEST PIT 11 (MEL/13/11) ................................................................................................................ 44 8.12 TEST PIT 12 (MEL/13/12) ................................................................................................................ 46 8.13 TEST PIT 13 (MEL/13/13) ................................................................................................................ 48 8.14 TEST PIT 14 (MEL/13/14) ................................................................................................................ 50 8.15 TEST PIT 15 (MEL/13/15) ................................................................................................................ 52 8.16 TEST PIT 16 (MEL/13/16) ................................................................................................................ 54 8.17 TEST PIT 17 (MEL/13/17) ................................................................................................................ 56 8.18 TEST PIT 18 (MEL/13/18) ................................................................................................................ 58 8.19 TEST PIT 19 (MEL/13/19) ................................................................................................................ 60 8.20 TEST PIT 20 (MEL/13/20) ................................................................................................................ 62 ii 8.21 TEST PIT 21 (MEL/13/21) ................................................................................................................ 64 8.22 TEST PIT 22 (MEL/13/22) ................................................................................................................ 66 8.23 TEST PIT 23 (MEL/13/23) ................................................................................................................ 68 8.24 TEST PIT 24 (MEL/13/24) ................................................................................................................ 70 8.25 TEST PIT 25 (MEL/13/25) ................................................................................................................ 72 8.26 TEST PIT 26 (MEL/13/26) ................................................................................................................ 74 8.27 TEST PIT 27 (MEL/13/27) ................................................................................................................ 76 8.28 TEST PIT 28 (MEL/13/28) ................................................................................................................ 78 8.29 TEST PIT 29 (MEL/13/29) ................................................................................................................ 80 8.30 TEST PIT 30 (MEL/13/30) ................................................................................................................ 83 8.31 TEST PIT 31 (MEL/13/31) ................................................................................................................ 85 8.32 TEST PIT 32 (MEL/13/32) ...............................................................................................................