Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Site of ring-ditch identified on aerial photographs taken in 1933 (S1). One of a group of five ring-ditches (NHER 11971) thought to represent the remains of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery (although one has been shown to be a natural). Formerly recorded as NHER 11971/c1.

June 1977 to July 1983. Aerial photography.
Further oblique aerial photographs taken by the NAU in June and July 1977 (TF 8014 A-K/T-U), July 1980 (TF 8014 L), August 1982 (TF 801 M-Q) and July 1983 (TF8014 V). Ring-ditch visible as strong positive marks in cereal crops. Information from (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2013.

August 1982. Field Visit.
Gravel trial holes observed in field containing ring-ditches during site visit by J. J. Wymer and A. J. Lawson. One very close to this ring-ditch. It was subsequently confirmed that the quarry was to be extended into this area. Information from (S2). According to (S5) a single prehistoric primary flint flake was found in spoil from one of these holes. This flint is now part of the Wymer Collection held by Royal Holloway College (W4261).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2013.

18 April 1988-9 June 1988 and 14th September 1987-30 October 1987. Excavation.
Site of ring-ditch excavated by M.S.C team directed by J. J. Wymer (NAU), prior to further gravel extraction. This work was fully published in (S2). See file for related newspaper articles (S3) (S4).

A faint 'swelling' was noted in the position of the ring-ditch, supporting its interpretation as the levelled remains of a burial mound. The ring-ditch itself was circular and continuous, with an internal diameter of 21m. It was regular with a depth of between 1.20m and 1.40m (taking into account the 0.3m of topsoil that had been removed). The ditch was fully excavated, with no evidence for recutting observed. A black horizon was identified halfway up the ditch fill, this identified by Dr R. Macphail as a Bh podzol soil horizon. There was no direct evidence for the mound itself and only two internal features were identified. One was a large oval pit that, whilst grave-like in form, produced no evidence of an inhumation. Surprisingly the only finds recovered were over 100 worked flints and a small number of 'pot boilers'. The second feature was a smaller pit that produced a single sherd of Beaker pottery. Apart from worked flints, prehistoric finds from the ring-ditch itself were limited to single sherds of Beaker, grog-tempered Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery.

Numerous worked flints were found during this work, the majority recovered from either the ring-ditch or the overlying topsoil. As noted above a significant assemblage was also recovered from one of the internal pits, with the presence of 5 microliths and a micro-burin and the relatively high proportion of blades to flakes indicating a Mesolithic date. Their inclusion in this feature may well have been accidental. Four microliths, two micro-burins and a number of blades were also recovered from other contexts. Few other diagnostic pieces were identified, the notable exceptions being a later Neolithic oblique arrowhead and a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead. The other flints included a crested flake, four cores, seven retouched flakes (including an unusual borer), five scrapers and many flakes. Although not closely datable this material is likely to be predominantly of Mesolithic or Neolithic date.

The decision to excavate the entire ring-ditch was a result of the discovery of more than 100 inhumation burials, the majority of which had been dug into the partially infilled barrow ditch. Burials were found in all parts of the ditch, although most were clustered in the eastern segment. A number of burials were also identified just beyond the north-east segment of the ring-ditch, necessitating the extension of the excavation area. A narrow forked gully and six postholes were also identified in this part of the site, although these features were not believed to represent any form of building. The majority of the graves had probably been dug long after the barrow was constructed, with most showing clear signs of being cut through the podzol. Two were however potentially much earlier, being less well preserved and lying much deeper within the ditch fill. One contained evidence for a coffin and appeared to lie beneath an apparently undisturbed podzol horizon. Neither grave produced any dating evidence.

The majority of the other inhumations were in shallow graves and were notable for the apparently unceremonious way in which the bodies had been interred. There were examples of double and triple burial and several of the graves disturbed earlier inhumations. The unusual nature of these burials was further indicated by evidence for decapitations and bound limbs. No deliberately placed grave goods were found and the absence of dress items suggests that the bodies had probably been stripped prior to burial. The bones themselves represented the remains of at least 119 men, women and children. There were no infants or young juveniles. The date of these burials was far from clear as few finds could be associated with individual graves. Apart from a single sherd of Roman pottery, the majority of the finds likely to relate to this phase of activity were of probable Early Saxon date, including a small number of pottery sherds, a glass bead, two metal objects and a fragment of amber. Two radiocarbon determinations were obtained, with the dates (HAR-10239 170+/- 90 BP and HAR-10238 1150=/-70 BP) suggesting the cemetery was still in use in the Late Saxon period. It is possible that the majority of these burials were in fact of later Saxon date, representing the remains of individuals who had been executed - potentially at this site.

See published report (S2) for full details.
The main archive associated with this work was deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1993.28). The photo archive (S6) is held by HES.
Amended and expanded by P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2013 and 28 April 2019.

20 June 1990. Field Observation.
J. J. Wymer informed that pieces of a human skeleton had been retrieved off the screening belt placed beside the mechanical excavator working close to site of excavation. J. J. Wymer visited pit and verified broken skull and some post-cranial bones were human. Original position of bone coincided with an area of dark sandy fill. Investigation of the small amount of this deposit that survived revealed no further bones, although a vertical ?grave cut was identified. This burial would have lain beneath the excavation spoil heap, to the north-east of the ring-ditch. See notes and sketch plan in file.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2013.

Monument Types

• GULLY (Unknown date)
• PIT (Unknown date)
• POST HOLE (Unknown date)
• FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
• INHUMATION (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC? to 42 AD?)
• FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• PIT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• PIT (Beaker - 2300 BC? to 1700 BC?)
• FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• INHUMATION (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• EXECUTION SITE? (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
• INHUMATION (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
• ARROWHEAD (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• AWL (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• RETOUCHED FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROBURIN (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROLITH (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• POT BOILER (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
• TRANSVERSE ARROWHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)
• POT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• POT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
• POT (Early Iron Age to Early Saxon - 800 BC to 650 AD)
• POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BEAD (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• HOOK (Early Saxon - 411 AD? to 650 AD?)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• ROD (Early Saxon - 411 AD? to 650 AD?)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Early Saxon - 411 AD? to 650 AD?)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Early Saxon - 411 AD? to 650 AD?)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Mesolithic Norfolk (Period Overview)