Iron Age to Romano British occupation site, Stifford Clays (EHER 5168)

A large rectangular ditched enclosure, with a double ditch on the south side, observed as cropmarks and shown by excavation to be of Iron Age and Roman date. Pottery spanned the late Iron Age to the 4th century AD. Finds included carbonised grain, a cremation burial, a rectangular pit and three hut floors of uncertain date. A number of Iron Age loomweights were also recovered.

Cropmarks seen here on AP, in area to be covered by schools. Watching brief, 1960 and Excavation 1997 Watching brief undertaken during building operations. Ditches, post holes, floors, pits seen. Pottery, loom weights, carbonised grain. A rectangular enclosure was shown to be double ditched on its southern side, no evidence of this found on west or north sides. East side was on farmland under crop. Pottery found from late Iron age to 4th century AD. Most of the pottery was coarse Romano British wares, mainly 1st-3rd centuries. Most of the pottery came from pits and hut floors. Carbonised grain was found at the bottom of a grain storage pit or kiln (the grain was identified as Triticum Aesticum). The large enclosure was dated to the Roman period. Finds also included a cremation with cremated bone fragments and 1st century pottery. <1> <2> Finds were sent to Thurrock Museum, including late 3rd-early 4th century pottery, one sherd of Castor ware, a fragment of 1st century beaker, "Belgic type carinated" with cremated bones. <3> <4> Pottery included a handled, colour-coated jug, 4th century. <5> Pottery was largely Romano British, 1st century with smaller numbers of 2nd, 3rd, 4th century sherds. Burnt daub attests Romano British timber-framed and wattle and daub infilled buildings. <6> <7> Romano British pottery found near Primrose Island, 1960. <8> Watching brief carried out in 1962. Very little excavation but cropmarks were confirmed in soil marks seen on the ground. Small quantity of finds, late bronze age-medieval in date. The published plan <1> was inaccurate, has been re-drawn <11>. Finds of late Roman pottery included a Nene valley colour-coated base, Oxford colour-coated sherds, parts of a face jug, various 3rd-4th century coarse ware sherds. "Most of the rectilinear and sub rectangular ditches were probably Roman, perhaps being the remains of field boundaries and stock enclosures". The central sub rectangular enclosure was around 23m x 17m wide. It was similar to a possible stock enclosure at Orton Hall Farm, Huntingdonshire. In the early 1970's half of a large Roman storage jar was found in newly exposed muds of the 'moat' round Primrose Island. The condition of the pot suggested no disturbance since its deposition so there is a chance that the 'moat' was one of a series of other natural ponds extant in the Roman period. It may contain further material in the 'moat' silts. In around 1970 a small trench was excavated on the site of the present Middle Building of the school. No features were reported but a few Roman potsherds were found, including the base of a white ware flagon, the rim of a black burnished type jar. Pottery could be 3rd century. These finds and the large storage jar sherd are in the possession of the school. <9> <10> <12> Revised plan in the record. <11> See EHER 5170 for adjacent cropmarks. No new information from NRHE