Late Iron Age round house gully, pits and ditches at the Eastgate site, Crown Orchard, Great Chesterford (EHER 4963)

Archaeological excavation in 1980-1981 recorded two lengths of curved gully, which were interpreted as representing a roundhouse of 12-15m diameter. A pit which may have been inside the structure is said to have contained part of an ox skeleton and some flint tempered pottery.

1980-1981. Archaeological excavation and watching brief. Earliest features on the site-a Late Iron Age pit and two ditches to the north of the pit. The pit contained part of an ox skeleton and and pieces of flint tempered pottery. One ditch contained packed flint and Iron Age sherds. The other had a small butt-ended opening. The ditches were probably from hut circles (many are visible on aerial photographs to the south west). <1> Interpretation is constrained by the limitations presented by the surviving records and finds. The context information derives entirely from the unpublished report by Collins (in 1996); no original notebooks or plans survive. Stratigraphic information, dimensions and feature numbers were not always recorded. It is also apparent that the finds which are archived in Saffron Walden Museum represent a selected group from the original material. The faunal material was discarded and the pottery, small finds and glass all show evidence of having been previously sorted and elements removed. This is particularly evident for Phase 1 (this record), which the excavator dated to the Late Iron Age, but for which no finds at all can be traced. It is presumed that the finds were abstracted from the general archive and either sent or intended to be sent to a specialist. Two lengths of curved gully (average width 0.95m and average depth 0.7m) were recorded and interpreted as probably forming a roundhouse 12–15m in diameter. The bulk of the pottery from this feature consisted of abraded Late Iron Age sherds; however, a few early Roman sherds of pre-Hadrianic date were also recovered. Within the roundhouse area was a pit or large post hole. Two cut features precede the construction of the eastern road (EHER 13910) and have been placed in this phase. In the south-east corner of the site was a further group of features attributed to this phase: a 10m length of ditch; a short, straight length of gully (3m long); and a possible pit. <2> <3> NRHE data transfer, 878496: TL 505 428. Bronze Age pottery and Iron Age features were recorded at this location during the course of an execution. <4> Note: The NRHE description is probably supposed to read 'excavation'. NRHE data transfer, 878043: TL 507 429. A late Iron Age house gulley and Roman buildings, pits, wells, latrines and a road were excavated in crown Orchard. Medieval structures, ditches, pits and wells were also recorded. The finds are retained by the excavator A.E. Collins. <5> Additional bibliography. <6> <7>