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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	24601
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Roman settlement and multi-period finds

Summary

Fieldwalking and metal-detecting from 1988-2010 has recovered a large number of Roman finds including coins, brooches and pottery. Other finds recovered include a Lower Palaeolithic flint handaxe and Iron Age, medieval and post-medieval objects, including an Iron Age drinking horn mount. Excavations at the site revealed ditches and structural features that represent Roman occupation, probably part of a dispersed roadside settlement.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	Not displayed
Map Sheet:	TM28SW
Parish:	NEEDHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Spring 1988. Found in fieldwalking.
Medieval green glazed twisted jug handle.
Coin, Antoninianus of Victorinus or Tetricus I AD 268 to 273.
Four sherds micaceous Roman greyware.
Undated lead weight.
W.Milligan (NCM), 9 May 1988.

January 1991. North corner of area fieldwalked and metal-detected.
Roman pottery: grey jars, bowls (bead and flange rim type), stabbed decoration and wavy-line decoration; two oxidised wares.
Samian (seven undecorated late 2nd /early 3rd century; one very odd rim in red ware with burnished surfaces, perhaps from Much Hadham pottery.
Ten coins, 1st to 4th century (see list in file).
Colchester-derivative brooch, catch-plate missing.
Medieval unglazed twisted handle.
Glazed Grimston scale decoration sherd.
Late medieval transitional and late glazed earthenware.
Identified by D. Gurney (NLA), 11 March 1991.
W. Milligan (NCM), 6 February 1991.

1992. Site illegally detected at night.
Information from [2].
E. Rose (NLA), 27 April 1992.

Mid 1990s. Metal-detecting.
Three Iron Age and twenty six Roman coins.
Medieval token.
Roman, post-medieval and undatable metal finds.
Probably mostly from this site, but including some from NHER 29619 and/or 29620.
See lists in file with (S1) and (S2).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 5 July 2002.

1996. Metal-detecting.
Seven Roman coins, three brooches, including one penannular, belt fitting, and bronze rounded finial.
Medieval lead weight and buckle.
Post-medieval harness buckle.
Undated bronze sheet fragment and bowed decorated lead strip.
Details in file.
Coins identified by J. A. Davies (NCM), 17 June 1997.
V. Fryer (NCM), 13 June 1997.

1999.
According to [4] the area of Roman finds is well defined. See plan in file. [3] has also recovered Roman pottery, including large flagon sherds, grey ware bases and fifteen sherds samian (two decorated), from the surface or from a small excavated hole.
D. Gurney (NLA), 9 September 1999.

September 1999. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of site in advancement of development. Contexts 1-28.
Iron Age and Roman sherds.
Ditch and gulley with Roman sherds.
Fired clay.
See report (S3) and (S4). The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 20 December 1999.

October/November 1999.
Found by [4] at [5]:
1 Late Iron Age stud with enamel.
Identified by H. Geake (NCM), see description in file.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 July 2016.

April 2005. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks to south of disturbed area. Context 30-40.
The remains of a possible ditch or gully, possibly post-medieval, were observed.
No in situ artefacts were found, although six sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from the topsoil.
See report (S6) and (S7). The results of this work are also summarised in (S7).
J. Allen (NLA), 7 September 2005.

Before 1 January 2007. Metal-detecting. [3].
An Iron Age probable drinking horn mount with bovine head terminal. See drawing (S9).
Details supplied by F. Minter (SCCAS), May 2007; see description in file.
Also recorded on PAS database [6]. A short report on this object was included in (S11).
Acquired by Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2008.483).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2020.

February-March 2008. Metal-detecting. Club Day Out.
1 Lower Palaeolithic pointed ovate flint handaxe. Stained and lightly rolled. See drawing (S10).
Identified by P. Robins (NCM), see description in file. This object was subsequently donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.19).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 14 April 2008. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2014.

February-March 2008. Metal-detecting (Club Day Out).
One post-medieval coin.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 20 May 2008.

March-April 2008. Club Day Out.
Romano-British Dolphin brooch.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 18 June 2008.

Before 6 July 2010. Metal-detecting.
Very unusual Romano-British plate brooch, in the form of a human figure.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 8 September 2010.

Monument Types

DITCH (Unknown date)
FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
GULLY (Unknown date)
POST HOLE (Unknown date)
FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC to 150001 BC)
FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
GULLY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
WEIGHT (Undated)
HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
DRINKING HORN (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 100 AD)
MOUNT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
STUD (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
BOW BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BRIQUETAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
HARNESS PENDANT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
PLATE BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TOKEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
WEIGHT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

SHINE

Sources and further reading

---	Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
<S2>	Map: Finder's Map..
<S3>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Percival, J. 1999. Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at 49 High Street, Needham, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 459.
<S4>	Slide: Various. Slide. 1-12.
<S5>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2000. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1999. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt III pp 521-543. p 530.
<S6>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Hobbs, B. 2005. An Archaeological Watching Brief at 49, High Road, Needham, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1064.
<S7>	Slide: Various. Slide. 13-24.
<S8>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2006. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2005. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLV Pt I pp 124-136. p 130.
<S9>	Illustration: Unknown. 2007. Drawing of an Iron Age drinking horn mount. Find Illustration. Film. 2:1.
<S10>	Illustration: Robins, P. 2008. Drawing of a Paleolithic flint handaxe from Needham. Paper. 1:1.
<S11>	Publication: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and British Museum. 2009. Portable Antiquities and Treasure Annual Report 2007. p 65; No 78; Fig 78.