Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

1980s. Finds from OS 1928 Fields 314, 317. Context 1.
Worked flint.
Roman sherd.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 20 October 1992

May 1998. Geophysical Survey.
Survey of route of proposed pipeline. Site 17. Context 2.
This site comprises a possible buried ditch and a large group of possible pits along a 120m stretch of the proposed pipeline route.
See (S1) in file under NHER 34108 for further details.
E. Rose (NLA) 10 December 1998

1999. Trial Trenching.
All of the trenches contained what appeared to be a prehistoric palaeosol, through which a series of features had been cut. These features include several ditches and possible pits. Many of these coincided well with geophysical anomalies.
A large curvilinear ditch was noted running east-west. This ditch is in the approximate position of a former field boundary visible on the Gressenhall Tithe Map of 1844. However, the dimensions of the ditch do not accord with those of the boundary with which it is aligned to the west, perhaps suggesting this feature is earlier, possibly a boundary ditch. Another east-west aligned ditch was also excavated and contained a single pottery sherd of Early Saxon or prehistoric date. Several shallow pits or possible treeboles were also noted, and all were found to contain worked flint implements. Large quantities of charcoal recovered from some of the possible pits or treeboles indicate trees being burnt and grubbed out. Charred grain from these charcoal deposits indicates that cultivation is taking place nearby. It is likely that these features containing charcoal and burnt flint are the result of deliberate tree-clearance, perhaps to make way for settlement in this area.

The finds assemblage indicates that there are at least two phases of activity on the site. Most of the pottery is prehistoric (including a single sherd of a cord decorated Early Bronze Age Beaker), which accords with the flint assemblage, most of which is dated from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The quantity of finds is insufficient to indicate settlement, although there is a good range of flint tool types.
Other finds included a Middle Saxon pottery sherd and some hammerscale.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are briefly summarised in (S3).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 10 January 2008.

April to July 1999. Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of Brisley to Bushy Common Pipeline (Plot 32).
A group of features in this area contained tentatively dated prehistoric pottery sherds and flints, possibly associated with a significant scatter of late Neolithic or Bronze Age flint. It is likely that there was a Neolithic or Bronze Age settlement in the vicinity, although not directly crossed by the pipeline.
Recognisable tool types present in the Neolithic/Bronze Age flint assemblage included four scrapers, a side scraper, possible knife and piercer (borer) fragments, a 'cutting flake' and two notched flakes. A multi-platform flake core, a core rejuvenation flake and seventeen flakes were also of probable later prehistoric date. A small number of earlier pieces were also recovered including a ?Mesolithic 'cutting blade' and three Mesolithic or Early Neolithic blades.
See (S4) for details.
E. Ford (HES), 1 Oct 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 August 2013.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Unknown date)
• FEATURE (Unknown date)
• PIT (Unknown date)
• BURIED SOIL HORIZON (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
• DITCH (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC? to 42 AD?)
• FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LINEAR FEATURE (Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 701 BC)
• PIT (Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 701 BC)
• SITE (Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• DITCH (Early Saxon - 410 AD? to 650 AD?)
• FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Undated)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• BLADE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
• BLADE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• BORER? (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• CORE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• CORE (Neolithic - 4000 BC? to 2351 BC?)
• FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• FLAKE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• KNIFE? (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• NOTCHED FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• NOTCHED FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• POT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• SIDE SCRAPER (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• BLADE (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FLAKE (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
• BLADE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• BLADE (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• FLAKE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• FLAKE (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• THUMB NAIL SCRAPER (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Gressenhall (Parish Summary)