Record Details

NHER Number:29429
Type of record:Monument
Name:Romano-British settlement/metal working site

Summary

Metal detecting at this site in 1992-93 recovered a number of important late Iron Age/early Romano-British artefacts including terrets, axes, manacles, griddle, brooches, coins and pottery sherds. Subsequent archaeological surveying, trenching and metal detecting was undertaken in 1995 to explore this area further. A number of features including ditches, gullies, pits, post holes, cobbled flooring and building remains were found along with metal working debris. Evaluation of this excavated evidence and the finds suggested that this was an important settlement site in the Romano-British period with metalworking occurring on some scale. This interpretation would tally with the fact that Saham Toney is believed to have been a major centre of importance for the Iceni tribe during this period.

Images

  • An Iron Age iron and copper alloy linch pin from Saham Toney.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service. NWHCM 1993.204.11:A

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF90NW
Parish:SAHAM TONEY, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

1992-93. Found with metal detector. Site [1] part of [2].
Iron Age terrets (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5), axes, manacles, tyre and griddle. (NCM)
Roman brooches.
Medieval lock.
Road suggested across field.
See lists and site plan (S6) in file.
The Iron Age items are now in the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1993.204).
W. Milligan (NCM) 10 February 1993.

1994. Metal detecting.
Icenian coin. (See list in file - identified by J. A. Davies (NCM)).
Roman tiny greyware sherd.
W. Milligan (NCM) 6 December 1994.

1995. Geophysical Survey, Metal-detecting Survey and Excavation.
Archaeological fieldwork carried out to investigate the context of a group of significant late Iron Age/early Roman finds which includes five terrets. The work was funded by English Heritage. Remote sensing suggested the presence of pits and a circular enclosure. These were located successfully by trial trenching, while other curvilinear gullies were also found. One very large pit contained quantities of organic and burnt material. Pottery of mid late 1st century AD date was recovered from the most of the excavated features, and debris from both ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking was recovered.
See published report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are summarised in (S8). See (S9) for results of analysis of metalworking debris.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.460).
D. Gurney, 3 January 2001. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 January 2017 and April 2019.

2 February 1995. NLA aerial photography.
Excavations in progress.
M. Brennand (NLA) 23 April 2001.

Monument Types

  • ROAD (Undated)
  • DITCH (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • GULLY (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • INDUSTRIAL SITE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • METAL WORKING SITE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • PIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • GULLY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • INDUSTRIAL SITE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • METAL WORKING SITE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • AXEHEAD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BAR IRON (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BRIDLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • CRUCIBLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • HARNESS (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS PENDANT (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 409 AD)
  • HOARD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • INGOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • KILN FURNITURE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • LINCH PIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • MANACLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • MOULD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • NAIL (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • SHACKLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • WHEEL (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BAR IRON (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRIDLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • CRUCIBLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • INGOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KILN FURNITURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MANACLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOULD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • NAIL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LOCKING MECHANISM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PADLOCK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TF9106/J - N, P - S; TF9106/A - H.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Fiche: Exists.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Illustration: Jones, C.. 1993. Drawing of an Iron Age miniature terret.. Paper. 1:1.
<S2>Illustration: Jones, C.. 1992. Drawing of an Iron Age terret.. Paper. 1:1.
<S3>Illustration: Jones, C.. 1992. Drawing of an Iron Age terret.. Paper. 1:1.
<S4>Illustration: Jones, C.. 1992. Drawing of an Iron Age terret and a fragment of a terret.. Paper. 1:1.
<S5>Illustration: Jones, C.. 1992. Drawing of an Iron Age terret.. Paper. 1:1.
<S6>Map: Finder's Map..
<S7>Article in Serial: Bates, S. 2000. Excavations at Quidney Farm, Saham Toney, Norfolk 1995. Britannia. Vol XXXI pp 201-237.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1996. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1995. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt III pp 397-412. p 408.
<S9>Unpublished Contractor Report: Mortimer, C. and Starley, D. 1995. Examination of Slag and Other Metalworking Debris from Saham Toney, Norfolk 1995. Ancient Monuments Laboratory. 28/95.

Related records - none

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