Bronze Age Monuments and Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon Landscapes at Cambridge Road, Bedford

Andy Chapman, Pat Chapman

• Publisher: Archaeopress
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781784916046
• eBook ISBN: 9781784916053
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

Open area excavation on 14.45ha of land at Cambridge Road, Bedford was carried out in 2004-5 in advance of development. A background scatter of Early Neolithic flint, including a Langdale stone axe, may be related to the nearby presence of the Cardington causewayed enclosure. Two Early Bronze Age ring ditches sat on a low lying gravel ridge between the River Great Ouse and the Elstow Brook. A causewayed ring ditch, 30m in diameter, had a broad entrance to the southwest, where a shallow length of ditch either silted or had been filled in. Adjacent to the shallow ditch was a pit containing three crouched burials, probably in an oak-lined chamber, radiocarbon dated to the early Middle Bronze Age. A nearby small round barrow enclosed a deep central grave containing the crouched burial of a woman, probably within an oak-lined chamber. An L-shaped ditch to the east, radiocarbon dated to the Middle to Late Bronze transition, may have been the final feature of the monument group. It parallels the addition of L-shaped ditches/pit alignments at other contemporary ring ditch monuments. Shallow linear ditches formed a land boundary extending north and south from the Bronze Age ring ditch, and other contemporary ditches were remnants of a rectilinear field system, contemporary with a scatter of irregular pits and a waterhole. This phase came to an end at the Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age transition, when a large assemblage of decorated pottery was dumped in the final fills of the waterhole. By the Middle Iron Age there was a new linear boundary, comprising three near parallel ditches, aligned north-south; a rectangular enclosure and a complex of intercut pits. The pottery assemblage was sparse, but the upper fills of both the deepest linear boundary ditch and the pit complex contained some Roman pottery. To the south-east an extensive Romano-British ladder settlement is dated to the 1st to 4th centuries AD. Only the northern fringe lay within the excavated area, comprising successive boundary ditches, along with pits, a stone-lined well, an inhumation burial and animal burials. In the early Anglo-Saxon period (5th-6th centuries AD), there was a loose cluster of three sunken featured buildings with another to the south. In the middle Saxon period (8th-9th centuries AD) a small rectangular mausoleum contained a single inhumation burial, with a second inhumation to the immediate west. Subsequent land use comprised truncated furrows of the medieval ridge and furrow field cultivation and post-medieval quarry pits.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Introduction
• Fig 1.1: Site location
• Table 1.1: Summary of site chronology
• Table 1.2: Radiocarbon dates: tabulation
• Table 1.2: Radiocarbon dates: plot
• Fig 1.2: General plan
• 2. The Bronze Age Monument Complex
• Fig 2.1: The monument complex
• Fig 2.2: The ring ditch, looking south-east, at an early stage of excavation
• Fig 2.3: The ring ditch, looking east, with the shallow western ditch and the burial pit in the foreground
• Fig 2.4: The ring ditch, looking south-east, following the machine excavation of the unexcavated ditch fills
• Fig 2.5: The ring ditch
• Fig 2.6: View of excavated ditch segment 136, looking west
• Fig 2.7: The shallow western arm of the ring ditch, 90 (S.22)
• Fig 2.8: Ring ditch sections, western half of circuit
• Fig 2.9: Ring ditch sections, eastern half of circuit
• Fig 2.10: Ring Ditch segment 161 (S.37), showing the leached secondary fills
• Fig 2.11: Ring ditch segment 136 (S.37) also showing leached secondary fills
• Fig 2.12: Ring ditch segment 34 (S.13) showing the clean gravel tip (47) and the dark soil with charcoal (45)
• Fig 2.13: Burials B1-B3 in pit 243, looking north-east
• Fig 2.14: Burials B1-B3 in pit 243, looking south-west
• Fig 2.15: Plan and section of pit 243, showing burials B1-B3
• Fig 2.16: The excavated round barrow, looking north-east, with the ring ditch in the background
• Fig 2.17: Possible early burial pit 261, looking south-west
• Fig 2.18: The round barrow
• Fig 2.19: The round barrow ring ditch with central burial pit, looking west
• Fig 2.20: The round barrow, looking north-east, almost along the axis through the causeways
• Fig 2.21: The north-western barrow ditch 228 (S.66), showing asymmetrical silting from the inner edge, right
• Fig 2.22: Sections of the barrow ditch, north-western arm
• Fig 2.23: Sections of the barrow ditch, south-eastern arm
• Fig 2.24: Plan and sections of the burial pit 260
• Fig 2.25: Burial B4 (317) in pit 260
• Fig 2.26: Burial B4
• Fig 2.27: Linear staining within the fills of burial pit 260, denoting the presence of a timber chamber
• Fig 2.28: Steeply-tipped gravel against the edge of burial pit 260, right, adjacent to the early pit 261
• Fig 2.29: Possible remnant of chamber roof in the upper fill of burial pit 260
• Table 2.1: The possible height of the barrow mound
• Fig 2.30: The L-shaped ditch and associated pits
• Fig 2.31: Longitudinal section (S.203) of the ditch terminal 2016, on the western side of the entrance through the Late Bronze Age L-shaped ditch, truncated by linear ditch 2011
• Fig 2.32: Charcoal-rich occupation debris (2005) at the eastern entrance terminal 2008 of the L-shaped ditch
• Fig 2.33: Sections of the Late Bronze Age L-shaped ditch at the entrance terminals
• Fig 2.34: The western arm of the Late Bronze Age L-shaped ditch 2185, looking south
• Fig 2.35: The western boundary ditch 8002, looking west
• Fig 2.36: Section of western boundary ditch 8002
• Fig 2.37: The Neolithic polished stone axe
• Table 2.2: Quantification of worked flint
• Fig 2.38: The worked flint (1-8)
• Fig 2.39: The worked flint (9-14)
• Table 2.3: Distribution of flint across the excavated areas
• Fig 2.40: Fragmentary carinated bowl, with footring base, from fill (241) in burial pit 243 (Scale 10mm)
• Table 2.4: Quantification of pottery from the Bronze Age ring ditch
• Fig 2.41: Rim sherds from the L-shaped ditch: 1) external view and 2) internal view, showing chamfer (Scale 10mm)
• Table 2.5: Completeness and preservation of burials B1-B4
• Table 2.6: Demographic attributes of burials B1-B4
• Fig 2.42: Tooth crowns of skeleton B2, 10-12 years old (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Table 2.7: Pathological conditions, burials B1-B4
• Fig 2.43: Right maxilla, skeleton B1, possibly female, aged 18-25, showing impacted 3rd molar erupting buccally (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Table 2.8: Identifiable hand collected animal bone specimens (NISP)
• Table 2.10: Environmental finds from features within the ring ditch
• Table 2.11: Environmental finds from burial pit 260
• Table 2.9: Environmental samples from the ring ditch and burial pit 243
• Table 2.12: Charcoal sample from the L-shaped ditch
• 3. Middle/Late Bronze Age to Iron Age settlement
• Fig 3.1: The Middle/Late Bronze Age boundary ditch
• Fig 3.2: The waterhole and linear boundary ditches
• Fig 3.3: The waterhole during excavation of the first quadrant, looking north
• Fig 3.4: Section of waterhole, showing the grey-black waterlogged primary silts
• Fig 3.5: The waterhole, showing its sub-rectangular form following the digging out of the upper fills and an access ramp, to permit the excavation of the second quadrant, looking east
• Fig 3.6: Composite section showing the development of the waterhole
• Fig 3.7: Area 2, showing the Late Bronze Age waterhole, the linear boundary ditches and the Iron Age enclosure
• Fig 3.8: Sections of the linear boundary ditches
• Fig 3.9: The eastern, central and western linear boundary ditches, looking south, with a posthole alignment and the Middle Saxon mortuary enclosure
• Fig 3.10: The northern end of the western boundary ditch 2041
• Fig 3.11: The eastern boundary ditch 2172, looking south
• Fig 3.12: The central boundary ditch 5099, looking south
• Fig 3.13: The western entrance terminal 2031 of the Iron Age enclosure, looking west
• Fig 3.14: The entrance and gateway structure of the Iron Age enclosure
• Fig 3.15: Sections of the Iron Age enclosure ditch
• Fig 3.16: The Iron Age pit complex
• Fig 3.17: Sections of the Iron Age pit complex
• Fig 3.18: The Iron Age pit complex and the central linear boundary ditch (left), looking south-west
• Fig 3.19: Early Iron Age pottery from the waterhole 2272, 1-3 (Scale 10mm)
• Fig 3.20: Early Iron Age pottery from the waterhole 2272, 4-7 (Scale 10mm)
• Fig 3.21: Earlier Middle Iron Age pottery from the western linear ditch, 1-2 (Scale 10mm)
• Fig 3.22: Shouldered jar from pit or ditch terminal 8123 (Scale 10mm)
• Table 3.1: Roman pottery quantification, Area 2
• Table 3.2: Roman pottery quantification, linear ditch system, Areas 5 and 3
• Fig 3.23: Rim of a turned wooden bowl in maple from the waterhole 2272 (Scale 10mm)
• Table 3.3: Wood species identification for the waterhole 2272
• Fig 3.24: Split ash trunk from the waterhole 2272 (Scale 50mm)
• Table 3.4: Animal bone: number of identifiable hand collected specimens (NSP)
• Table 3.5: Charred plant remains, late Bronze Age to Iron Age, Area 2
• 4. The Roman Settlement
• Fig 4.1: The Roman settlement
• Fig 4.2: The Roman settlement, western end
• Fig 4.3: The Roman settlement, eastern end
• Fig 4.4: Roman boundary ditches: early phase 3201 left, middle phase 3252, 3255, 3259 (S.349)
• Fig 4.5: Ditch terminals later phase: 3235, 3230, 3233 (S.347)
• Fig 4.6: Sections of boundary ditches and pit 7025
• Fig 4.7: The eastern plot, centre, looking west along the settlement
• Fig 4.8: Waterlogged pit/pit complex 3564
• Fig 4.10: Pit 7025 with part of the pottery assemblage
• Fig 4.9: Well 7119, looking west, showing the stone lining
• Fig 4.11: Sections of wells 7119 and 3369
• Fig 4.12: The human burial B5, looking east (Scale 1m)
• Table 4.1: Roman pottery quantification, mid to later 2nd century AD: ditches 3023, 3025, 3137, 3466; pits 3154, 3684, 3693
• Table 4.2: Roman pottery quantification, late 2nd to early/mid-3rd century AD
• Table 4.3: The roman pottery fabrics: mid/late 3rd to early/mid-4th century AD
• Fig 4.13: The Roman pottery (1-8)
• Table 4.4: Pit 7025, fill (7023), Roman pottery by number, weight (g), % and EVE
• Table 4.5: Roman pottery quantification, Area 8
• Fig 4.14: The Roman pottery (9-17)
• Fig 4.15: The Roman pottery (18-22)
• Table 4.6: Iron finds quantified by area and functional category
• Fig 4.16: X-ray of iron cleaver
• Table 4.7: Roman coin list
• Fig 4.17: Wooden bobbin (Scale 10mm)
• Fig 4.18: The Roman wooden comb (Scale 10mm)
• Fig 4.19: Leather shoe SF375: inner sole top, outer sole with hobnails, bottom
• Fig 4.20: Fragment of an upper millstone from pit [3019], grinding surface to right
• Table 4.8: Querns and millstones
• Table 4.10: Completeness and preservation of burial B5
• Table 4.9: Quantification of Roman tile
• Fig 4.21: Examples of the range of forms and colours for the kiln bars (Scale 10mm)
• Table 4.11: Observed pathological conditions burial B5 (3314)
• Fig 4.22: Lumbar vertebrae of skeleton B5, left medial view (L1 left, L5 right) (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Fig 4.23: Fifth lumbar vertebrae of skeleton B5, superior view, showing indentation (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Fig 4.24: Right tibia and fibula, skeleton B5, posterior view (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Fig 4.25: Right clavicle, lateral end, skeleton B5 (Scale 1mm/10mm intervals)
• Fig 4.26: Preservation of hand-collected identifiable post-cranial animal bone
• Fig 4.27: Relative proportion (% NISP) of hand collected cattle, sheep-goat and pig
• Table 4.12: Number of identifiable animal bone specimens present (NSP)
• Table 4.13: Comparison of animal bones assemblages from contemporary sites in the region
• Fig 4.28: Relative % of cattle, sheep/goat and pig at contemporary Roman sites in the region
• Table 4.14: Body part representation for cattle and sheep/goat
• Fig 4.29: Epiphyseal data for cattle from the Roman period (n=3)
• Fig 4.30: Tooth wear data for cattle mandibles from the Roman context (n=12)
• Fig 4.31: Tooth wear data for sheep/goat mandibles from the Roman context (n=16)
• Table 4.15 Charred plant macrofossils from Roman deposits
• Table 4.15 Charred plant macrofossils from Roman deposits (continued)
• Table 4.15 Charred plant macrofossils from Roman deposits (continued)
• Table 4.16: Roman artefacts of waterlogged wood
• 5. The Anglo-Saxon settlement
• Fig 5.1: Early Anglo-Saxon structures and Middle Saxon burials
• Fig 5.2: Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured building 8136, looking north
• Fig 5.3: Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured building 8160, looking north
• Fig 5.4: Sunken–featured buildings 8152, 8136 and 8160
• Fig 5.5: The Middle Saxon mausoleum or mortuary enclosure
• Fig 5.6: Fully excavated mortuary enclosure and central grave, looking north-west
• Fig 5.7: Mortuary enclosure, ditch section north arm, S.231, looking east and west arm looking south
• Fig 5.8: The partially disarticulated skeleton, B6, in the mortuary enclosure, looking west
• Fig 5.9: The partially disarticulated skeleton, B6, looking north
• Fig 5.10: Middle Saxon burials B6 and B7
• Fig 5.11: The satellite inhumation burial B7, looking east towards the mausoleum
• Fig 5.12: Satellite inhumation burial B7, looking west
• Table 5.1: Early-middle Saxon pottery per context by fabric type (F1-F6)
• Fig 5.13: Anglo-Saxon decorated pottery: 1) stamped and incised sherd from pit 7147; 2) triangular stamped decoration from SFB 8152; 3) raised slashed collar and 4) incised decoration both from pit 8196 (scales 10mm)
• Fig 5.14: Double raised slashed collar on a sherd from ditch 8015 (scale 10mm)
• Fig 5.15: Anglo-Saxon annular loomweight from sunken-featured building 8152 (scale 10mm)
• Fig 5.16: Anglo-Saxon small-long brooch, 5th/6th centuries AD (scale 10mm)
• Fig 5.17: Right temporal bone of burial B6, showing the almost obliterated mastoid process (scale 10mm)
• Fig 5.18: Fragment of temporal bone of burial B6, showing a possible trephination hole (scale 10mm)
• Table 5.2: Completeness and preservation of burials B6 and B7
• Table 5.3: Demographic attributes of burials B6 and B7
• Table 5.4: Pathological conditions observed in burials B6 and B7
• Fig 5.19: Right maxillary 3rd molar of burial B6, showing vertical enamel defects (scale 10mm)
• Table 5.5: Charred plant remains
• Table 5.6: Radiocarbon date for the mausoleum burial B6
• 6. Medieval to Modern
• 7. Discussion
• Fig 7.1: Comparative plans of three Early Bronze Age monument groups
• Bibliography