Late Bronze Age to middle Iron Age features at Elsenham Quarry (EHER 46755)

During a 2006-2007 trial trenching evaluation, a small amount of Late Bronze Age material was recovered. The majority of the finds and features were early to middle Iron and relate to a possible settlement.

2006-2007. Trial trenching. Just a single pit in Area C produced Bronze Age pottery, 17 sherds from an Urn in fabric P3, and an unidentified sherd. It contained no other finds. Pit 127 was irregular at the surface, but subrectangular deeper in, 0.83m by 0.72m and 0.33m deep. Pit 107, ditch 224, post hole 734, and gully 302 each contained a single struck flint and no other finds, and could be of earlier prehistoric date, but by themselves are unlikely to represent an occupation site. Together with the struck flint in general from the site, they could indicate a small amount of Neolithic or Bronze Age activity in the area, but of uncertain nature. It is doubtful if the features assigned to the early Iron Age phase need be so early. Most of the early Iron Age pottery was found alongside middle Iron Age wares and it may be that even in those features without middle Iron Age wares, the deposition should be of that date rather than earlier. But, at face value, Area C contained five features with pottery of the Early Iron Age and no later finds; three pits (115, 130, 134), a smaller pit or post-hole (45) and an irregular gully (232). Of these features, pit 115 produced a large number of tiny fragments of animal bone, two large fragments of loomweight, a small assemblage of worked flint and a small quantity of burnt flint, 8g of possible slag (perhaps iron pan), and both 115 and 130 produced tiny amounts of cremated bone; there were no other finds from this period. Assuming the Phase 2 features do not really belong in Phase 3, this phase saw a slight expansion of activity on the site. Finds of all sorts were rare from this phase, in all areas, comprising small amounts of pottery and animal bone, some struck flint, some burnt flint and burnt clay, and tiny amounts of cremated bone. Although no structural remains were found, the presence of ditches, pits and what appear to be deposits of pyre debris suggest the area must have been occupied or near a settlement. In Area A, ditches 6030 and 6031 date to this period (although the terminus of ditch 6030 also contained a single small Roman pottery sherd, presumed intrusive). Both also contained early Iron Age pottery: it is conceivable these ditches were dug in the early Iron Age and filled later. Also in Area A, pits 4 and 6 contained no finds but were stratigraphically below ditch 6031; they could be much earlier. In Area B, ditch 6024 may be of this phase; it was stratigraphically the earliest feature in this area and did produce 11 sherds of Middle Iron Age pottery. Otherwise from this large area only pits 131, 138 and 735 can be very tentatively attributed to this phase on the basis of tiny scraps of pottery. Area C saw the greatest concentration of Middle Iron Age features. Ditches 6034 and 6037 both date from this phase, along with pits 117, 132, 133, 135, and pit 43 with a tiny amount of cremated bone. Area C seems to have been abandoned at the end of this period: the only later feature was another small pit with a small amount of cremated bone, and 7 sherds of pottery dating to Phase 4 but probably representing the continuation of the Phase 3 activity. At one point ditch 6034 appears to have been recut and this section alone contained a small amount of Phase 4 pottery. <1>