Early Bronze Age pit, Clacton Site 1 (EHER 13723)

Excavations in 1984 revealed an early Bronze Age 'cooking pit' containing charcoal and burnt bone fragments, worked flints, early Bronze Age pottery sherds and the earliest known loomweight found in Britain. This feature was cut into the prehistoric land surface.

1984. Excavation as part of Hullbridge Survey. The only definite prehistoric feature revealed during the excavations was a pit which was radiocarbon dated to the 3rd century BC (Early Bronze Age), and was possibly a 'cooking hole', according to Warren's definition for similar features found nearby. Its function remains unclear. The Beaker pit contained large charcoal fragments, and occasional small fragments of bone, apparently burnt. Fired clay from the pit included a pyramidal loomweight which is well stratified and from the same context as Beaker pottery, and would therefore seem to be the earliest known British loomweight. Flints and sherds including a decorated Beaker sherd and two concentrations of worked flint on the pit floor. The burnt bone included fragments of pig teeth and cattle-sized teeth. A radiocarbon date of 3830+ -80BP (HAR-8154) or 2460-2144BC was obtained from the charcoal found in this pit. Two linear features were also recorded, one of which was undated and the other appears to be of Roman date as a large fragment of Roman tile was found in the fill of this feature. Evidence for prehistoric occupation occurs sporadically along a length of old ground surface exposed within the inter-tidal zone through 'windows' in recent beach sand and gravel. Other possible prehistoric features included a scatter of burnt flints. <1><2>