Roman field systems, Martell's Quarry (EHER 81963)

Roman features were found at Martell's Quarry site during trial trenching and excavation in advance of gravel extraction. Traces of a Roman field system were located together with some later features. The low quantities of Roman finds within these features suggest the home farm relating to these ditches lies some distance from the investigated area.

Evaluation, 1997 Two areas of quarry were trenched no archaeological features were found <1> There is reference in the report to a geophysical survey done by Geophysical Survey's of Bradford the evidence of which was used to locate trenches. <1> Excavations were carried out on three 60m x 60m areas in advance of sand quarrying in 2001. Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval features were recorded. Traces of a Roman field system were located together with some later features. Two linear ditches running NW-SE across the site were of probable Roman date. These ditches may have formed part of a Roman field system together with Ditches 1009 and 1016 to the north. A further ditch (Context Ell/4) running NE-SW across the site produced ambiguous data. E11/ Context 4 appeared to cut Ditches 12 and 22 though was set at right angles to them As such it is possible that this ditch was either a later Roman modification to the field system with residual prehistoric and intrusive post-medieval material or was simply a post-medieval field boundary taking on the orientation dictated by the earlier `fossilised' ditch system.<2> <3> The prehistoric features are detailed further in EHER 18917 and the Medieval features are detailed further in EHER 81962