Possible Anglo Saxon sunken featured buildings, 39-45 Crescent Road (EHER 81894)

Trial trenching in 2001 and archaeological excavation in 2002 recorded two possible sunken featured buildings. Few features could be securely dated to the Saxon period, although it is likely that many of the features that contained Mid and Late Roman artefacts (EHER 47131) actually date to this period. Also recorded were two pits and a post hole which produced Saxon pottery.

June-July 2001. Trial trenching. No Saxon finds were recovered. However, the size and shape of several of the larger features might indicate that they are Saxon structures known as sunken featured buildings particularly given that a number have been previously excavated to the east and south-east of the site (EHER 7796 and EHER 17446). <1> August-October 2002. Archaeological excavation. Few features could be securely dated to the Saxon period, although it is likely that many of the features that contained Mid and Late Roman artefacts (EHER 47131) actually date to this period, with the survival of much residual Roman material through curation and reuse into this period. Of particular note were two features which have been interpreted as possible Grubenhäuser (sunken featured buildings). Both were subrectangular features, with conspicuously even, flat bases, which structurally resembled sunken featured buildings of Saxon date; though one of the features admittedly lacked evidence for the post holes that would normally be associated with such a building, and contained much material from the 3rd century AD. These features were markedly different in size.. Three features contained identifiably Saxon pottery: two pits and a single post hole. The post hole lay close together with one of the pits, and may represent the remains of a zone of Saxon occupation south of the major Roman ditch (EHER 47131), though stratigraphically these features appeared more likely to have been of prehistoric date (see EHER 81890-81893). <2> Note: The material described in this record may be associated with the settlement at Elms Farm, see EHER 17446.