Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement, Maltings Lane (EHER 18503)

Excavations in 2000-2002 revealed the remains of an unenclosed Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement, comprising some of the earliest evidence for settlement in this area. Excavated features included the remains of four Late Bronze Age roundhouses, located in close proximity to each other, with associated pits. To the north are the fragmentary remains of a field system which appears to have originated in the Late Bronze Age, but none of the later phases of activity on this site respect these features which suggests that a period of abandonment, or at very least re-organisation, followed the demise of this phase of early occupation and use of the landscape.

1996. Trial trenching. Evaluation of the site prior to proposed housing development comprised 22 trenches distributed across four main areas (A - D). Potential prehistoric remains (including a cremation and post holes) were found in area A, possibly of Late Iron Age date. A cropmark trackway (EHER 8462) to the south of area B may have prehistoric origins (Roman material was also found in the upper fills) and an X-shaped cropmark to the west of area D also produced poor quality prehistoric and Roman finds. Only one feature in the entire evaluation produced stratified and datable prehistoric material, pit 19 in trench 14 contained a quantity of pottery dating to the Early or Middle Iron Age (see EHER 16468). <2> 1999. Trial trenching. Prehistoric features were found in the eastern field during the 1999 evaluation. <1> These included a ditch and a pit and possible gullies. Prehistoric pottery and flint was found. <2> See EHER 18504-18506 for Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval features from the 1999 evaluation. 2000-2002. Excavation. The excavation of a 6ha area within the 50ha development site uncovered further evidence for almost continuous landscape use from the late Bronze Age to the late medieval periods. The earliest evidence of human activity dates to the Neolithic and is represented by a few flint tools and a single sherd of pottery. In the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age activity was mainly concentrated in the south west of the site but a few fragments of field boundaries are scattered across the excavated areas. Apart from the field boundaries, the main features are four roundhouses with associated pits. The roundhouses are on average 6m in diameter, and based on comparison with similar structures excavated elsewhere in Essex these are thought to date from the Late Bronze Age, representing some of the earliest known settlement in the immediate vicinity. There is no evidence to suggest that this settlement was enclosed. Two ditches excavated in Area E are thought to be the remains of a Late Bronze Age field system, and the presence of other prehistoric (but less securely dated) ditches elsewhere on the site suggest a more extensive field system during this period. The majority of the Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age settlement features lie close to, but not on, the highest ground at the centre of the site, amongst one of the most concentrated areas of later Iron Age and Roman activity. As such, it is likely that later features have destroyed other Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age evidence in this area. The tentatively identified prehistoric field systems lie to the north of the settlement, on the north-facing slope that leads down to Maltings Lane itself. None of the ditches of subsequent phases respect or take alignment from these prehistoric features, which suggest that a period of abandonment, or at very least re-organisation, followed the demise of this phase of early occupation and use of the landscape. See <3> for further details. The Middle to Late Iron Age activity completely disregards the earlier layout with a series of boundaries that last until the Roman period. Two small enclosures and a series of linear post holes are the main features. Ritual activity is suggested by the presence of a storage jar oven and human skull in the terminus of an enclosure ditch. During the latest Iron Age and early Roman periods a large sub-circular enclosure seems to have been in constant use, minor alterations to its form and possible function occurred including the construction of a possible barn.<3>