Late Bronze Age to early Iron Age occupation at Bury Water Lane (EHER 48597)

A 2016 excavation followed a 2015 trial trenching and found two distinct areas of late Bronze Age to early Iron Age occupation.

January 2015. Trial trenching. The evaluation revealed that the development area contained very few archaeological remains and that those that were identified were located at the north limits of the site. They comprised two amorphous areas, one sub-circular and the other sub-rectangular. Both were areas where activity was undertaken repeatedly, with multiple pits as well as two small ditches, indicating some longevity of use. Pottery recovered from both areas dated to the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age, indicating that the activity was limited to a single period. The nature of the feature suggests that it was probably related to settlement activity, likely to be sited to the immediate north of the current development area. <1> July 2016. Excavation. The features of Area A comprised 13 intercutting pits, one posthole and one linear feature within an area of approximately 5m2. The finds from the pits comprised late Bronze Age to early Iron Age pottery, animal bone, slag, charred plant remains, and a small amount of flint knapping debitage. The quantity of the pottery recovered from the pits is not substantial, the majority of the finds were recovered from the fills of the later pits. The assemblage contains shell tempered and flint tempered sherds. The finds assemblage is similar to other contemporary pit groups found in the region; for example on an early Iron Age site found at Chatteris (2014). As on the Chatteris site, the main faunal remains represented were cattle and sheep/goat with butchery marks evident on the some of the cattle bones. Pottery was relatively sparse with not all pits, especially the earlier ones, producing sherds. Overall the assemblages probably derive from domestic waste most likely from a small family or seasonal settlement. Such settlements were typically unenclosed in the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age in the eastern region. In Area B, a late middle to late Iron Age ditch was uncovered with two postholes on its eastern side. The ditch was left to silt up initially with material slumping from the east. Material filling the western side of the ditch may have derived from an associated bank. The mixed nature of worked flint recovered from the ditch fills may suggest that the ditch was constructed at a location where two phases of prehistoric activity had taken place. <2>