09 Sept Brooksby

Another phase of the quarry was opened during the summer. The archaeology was concentrated on a small group of features at the southern end of the site, next to a stream, which included a number of small pits, a possible hearth and a larger pit containing the remains of a calf, and the northern area containing much more substantial features.

The archaeological remains in the northern area consisted of a sub-rectangular enclosure measuring around 30m wide, with post-holes within, and an entrance towards the north-west corner.

Directly to the west of this feature, with its entrance facing the south-east was a large circular enclosure of 15m diameter. Unlike the rectangular enclosure the circular feature had been recut, possibly on more than one occasion, possibly reflecting a change of use. Both features had ditches of over 1m depth and a large amount of Iron Age pottery was retrieved from them, particularly the circular feature.

The circular enclosure also contained a number of post-holes including a central double post-hole with a large number of medium sized post packing stones within. A narrow gully and a wider shallow linear entered into the enclosure from the north and west respectively, with the larger linear feature post-dating the partial infilling of the enclosure ditch, suggesting that this may have been dug when the enclosure was recut. There were also a number of narrow linear features running through the site, possibly from a different phase of occupation, along with the obligatory field drains and medieval furrows. A single narrow later gully cut through the circular enclosure from north-west to south-east. An undated pond feature also lay to the south of this narrow gully.

The later extension of stripping into the area to the north continued the line of the narrow gullies associated with the circular feature to the north for around 15m before petering out. A long narrow pit, containing burnt bone and an upturned or truncated pottery urn lay just to the west of the gully, possibly the remains of a ploughed out cremation. Areas to the west of the power lines proved completely negative for archaeology, but stripping further to the west close to the farmhouse revealed a further small collection of truncated and fairly ephemeral gullies and small pits (some picked up by Wayne during the previous evaluation), including two pits filled with heavily burnt stones and wood remains (see photo above), next to a small stake hole, a number of glass beads and ashes, also suggesting a cremation but with a probable Anglo-Saxon date in this case.

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