Early to Middle Iron Age settlement, land West of Southminster Road (EHER 49137)

Trial trenching and excavation in 2017 recorded the remains of a large sub-rectangular enclosure, three ring gullies and a large quantity of Early/Middle Iron Age pottery. Together with moderate quantities of animal bone, largely dominated by cattle, and limited charred remains of wheat, barley and peas/beans, these features are indicative of a Middle Iron Age farmstead and associated agricultural land use. A further small enclosure with two large pits were identified to the East of the main enclosure and were probably associated with the occupation of the settlement enclosure.

June-August 2017. Trial trenching and archaeological excavation. The excavation uncovered the remains of a large sub-rectangular enclosure (of around 4,650sq m), from which large quantities of Early/Middle Iron Age pottery were recovered from its ditch. Located within the main enclosure were three ring-gullies indicative of probable roundhouses of similar date, a sub-enclosure and a number of later prehistoric and undated pits and gullies. Together with moderate quantities of animal bone, largely dominated by cattle, and limited charred remains of wheat, barley and peas/beans, these features are indicative of a Middle Iron Age farmstead and associated agricultural land use. A further small enclosure with two large pits were identified to the East of the main enclosure, from which moderate amounts of Early to Middle Iron Age pottery and animal bone were retrieved. These features were most likely associated with the occupation of the settlement enclosure. The presence of the three roundhouses, a large assemblage of largely Early to Middle Iron Age pottery, several specialised artefacts including loom weights, and large quantities of animal bones all indicate the settlement occupation of the enclosure and the keeping of livestock, cattle in particular. The roundhouses contain no internal features and therefore do not provide useful insights into their subdivision and use. Measuring 10-11m in diameter, they are moderately sized compared to most Iron Age roundhouses found elsewhere in the county. <1> Within the wider landscape, the Middle Iron Age enclosed settlement provides evidence of rural occupation and agriculture that perhaps constitutes a precursor to the Late Iron Age to Romano-British farmstead located about 600m SW of the site (EHER 11332, see also EHER 81302). It is perhaps likely that there was a continuum of rural settlement and farming in this vicinity of the landscape. If so, this clearly involved abandonment and relocation of settlement activity away from this Southminster Road site (see also EHER 49137). <2>