Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age pits, North of Marsh Road (EHER 81263)

A sparse scatter of dated pits were recorded across areas 1-4. Presumed to represent a continuum of low-intensity land use or exploitation, within an open landscape.

February-March 2021. Archaeological excavation. The earliest tangible evidence for land use activity is represented by a sparse scattering of dated pits spread across the excavation areas 1-4. There is no evidence for boundary features and no clear tree-throws are present to suggest woodland, therefore an open and unenclosed landscape is proposed to have been present. These pits contained only very small quantities of diagnostic finds dating in their fills, comprising one or two flints in each and a sherd of probable Early Neolithic pottery. Some also contained small quantities of fire cracked flints and one feature produced fifty-seven fragments of fired clay. A small number of worked flints of broad prehistoric date were recovered from overburden layers and from several features dated as later. They are presumed to be residual inclusions. <1>