Record Details

NHER Number:9585
Type of record:Monument
Name:Cropmarks of Arminghall Bronze Age ring ditches, possible Early Saxon settlement

Summary

Aerial photographs since the 1950s have shown the cropmarks of various features, including ring ditches, linear marks and possible sunken featured buildings. Also showing was the mark of a medieval windmill mound. Excavation of two ring ditches in 1990 revealed them to be Bronze Age burial mounds, or barrows. Fieldwalking and metal detecting have recovered pottery and metal objects from a wide range of periods.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 24 05
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:BIXLEY, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

NMP mapping has led to the cropmarks described below, together with others not previously recognised, now being recorded separately as follows: NHER 52485, the ring ditch marking a probable post mill site (SM 243); NHER 52481-2, the two ring ditches some distance to the southwest excavated in advance of the construction of the Norwich Southern Bypass; NHER 52484, the slightly trapezoidal enclosure; and NHER 52489-91, the linear features, which seem to represent two or more phases of field systems and trackways. The pits or possible grubenhauser/sunken feature buildings have not been recorded by the NMP, as their archaeological origin is too uncertain; they might equally represent natural solution features, several of which were excavated in the vicinity of NHER 52481-2.

1956-7. Cropmarks including ring ditches, possible site of medieval windmill and linear marks. Possibly grubenhauser.
1959. Negative excavation.
1978. Flint and post medieval sherds found.
1980s. Fieldwalking. Medieval and Roman sherds.

1990. Excavation.
Excavation of two ring ditches with Beaker sherds and pottery.
See published report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).

1991. NLA air photography of post mill cropmarks. Human skeleton found. Metal detector finds, medieval metalwork.
1991-2. Watching brief on Norwich Bypass.
1992. Metal detector finds. Medieval coins, Early Saxon stamp.
1994. Metal detector finds. Medieval and post medieval coins and metalwork.

See schedule details, full detailed list and documents in file.
See 1:2500 as well as 6 inch overlay.

13 July 1993. NAU aerial photography.
Site of post mill and intersecting linear features are clearly defined.
The linears may be drainage channels relating to the mill.
The cluster of sub-rectangular pits to the south of the mill may be grubenhauser, as these features have previously been recorded in the area.
S. Massey (NLA), 8 February 2001.

27 July 1995. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks of postmill and associated enclosure/linear features visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 20 April 2001.

2 July 1996. NLA aerial photography.
Cropmarks of slightly trapezoidal enclosure with associated linears at [1]. The ground surface is covered by large sub-rounded pit-like features. These are similar to those identified by St Joseph as grubenhauser, although they may be geological or solution hollows. The pit/sunken features appear to sit within the corners of the enclosure, if these are Early Saxon sunken floor structures, then the enclosure may be of that date.
S. Massey (NLA), 26 July 2001.

24 June 1998. NLA aerial photography.
Cropmarks of postmill and associated linear features visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 24 April 2001.

February 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks described above, together with others not previously recognised, are now recorded separately as follows: NHER 52485, the ring ditch marking a probable post mill site (SM 243); NHER 52481-2, the two ring ditches some distance to the southwest excavated in advance of the construction of the Norwich Southern Bypass; NHER 52484, the slightly trapezoidal enclosure; and NHER 52489-91, the linear features, which seem to represent two or more phases of field systems and trackways. The pits or possible grubenhauser/sunken feature buildings have not been recorded by the NMP, as their archaeological origin is too uncertain – they might equally represent natural solution features, several of which were excavated in the vicinity of NHER 52481-2.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 11 February 2010.

The Early Saxon pottery stamp found in January 1992 has been re-identified, from the polaroid photograph, as a Late Saxon/medieval padlock key, very similar to one from HER 28622 Wreningham found in September 2011.
A. Rogerson (HES), 31 October 2012.

Monument Types

  • ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
  • PIT ALIGNMENT (Unknown date)
  • RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • SITE (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic to Beaker - 3000 BC to 1700 BC)
  • CREMATION (Late Neolithic to Beaker - 2460 BC to 1930 BC)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • PIT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • RITUAL SHAFT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • GRUBENHAUS? (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT? (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POST MILL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDMILL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Undated)
  • QUERN (Undated)
  • TEXTILE (Unknown date)
  • URN (Unknown date)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Late Neolithic - 2880 BC to 2490 BC) + Sci.Date
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Late Neolithic to Beaker - 2460 BC to 1930 BC) + Sci.Date
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • POT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • POT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • WORKED OBJECT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SEAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOKEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SEAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SEAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: St. Joseph, J. K. 1972. Air reconnaissance: recent results, 27. Antiquity. Vol 46 No 182 pp 149-150. pp 149-150; Pl XXI.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF225.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG2405/ADB - ADC.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1998. TG2405/ACX.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1993. TG 2405ACY - ACZ.
---Photograph: NAU. [unknown].
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TG 2405ADD - ADE.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 20 NW 154; TG 20 NW 191.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Bixley (Armingham).
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Slide: Various. Slide.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1991. Old body unearthed. 20 April.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Bixley (Arminghall) [2].
<S1>Monograph: Ashwin, T.. 2000. Norwich Southern Bypass Project.. East Anglian Archaeology. Vol 91 & 92.
<S2>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1991. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1990. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt II pp 240-246. p 240.

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