Record Details

NHER Number:32349
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Roman settlement and multi-period finds

Summary

Fieldwalking undertaken at this site between 1996 and 1997 identifed a probable Roman settlement, with over 600 sherds of pottery found spread across an area of more than two hectares. Several fragments of Roman tile, including a box flue tile, were also recovered; indicating the presence of at least one substantial building. The pottery assemblage suggests that this site was most likely occupied during the later Roman period. Subsequent fieldwalking and metal detecting on this site has recovered further Roman pottery, over 100 Roman coins (including four silver siliquae that may represent a hoard) and a number of other Roman metal objects. Other finds recovered include Mesolithic worked flints, a single sherd of possible Iron Age pottery, and medieval and post-medieval pottery, coins and other metal objects.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TL88NE
Parish:THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

1996/1997. Fieldwalking.
Area described as 'Turfpool' examined as part of Little Ouse Study (see NHER 32610 for material recovered from southern half of site). Examination of ground disturbed by tree planting.

A number of worked flints were recovered including an unmodified blade and a two-platform blade core of Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date. Other flints found included:
2 waste cores
1 ?flake knife
2 utilised flakes
2 long narrow flakes [blades?]
2 convex end scrapers

The field was also found to contain well over 600 sherds of Roman pottery, of which a representative sample was removed. The approximate postion of unrecovered material was however recorded. These finds were spread across an area of approximately two hectares. Identified wares included greyware, grog-tempered ware, shell-tempered ware, Oxfordshire mortaria, Much Hadham ware, East Anglian Colour Coated, Oxidised Hadham, other oxidised wares and Nene Valley Colour Coated. No Samian ware was found. Other Roman finds included fragments of tile, a broken box flue tile and a fragment of millstone grit quern. This was clearly the site of a Roman period settlement, with at least one substantial building present.
No later ceramics were recovered.
See (S1) in file, which includes detailed identifications, distribution plots and finds illustrations. These discoveries were reported in (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 3 February 1997. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Mid 1997. Fieldwalking.
Additional fieldwalking of site before regrowth of forestry undergrowth. A further 21 sherds of Roman pottery were recovered including a single sherd of East Gaulish Samian, Nene Valley and Oxfordshire mortaria, oxidised wares (including Much Hadham), Much Hadham or Oxfordshire red ware, greywares and shell-tempered wares. Two additional fragments of millstone grit quern were also found.
See file for supplementary report which includes full descriptions and finds illustrations.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Early 1998. Stray Find.
One flange from tegula from edge of site.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 20 March 1998.

Second half of 2000. Metal detecting.
Prehistoric worked flints including three blades, eight flakes and two large rough worked fragments.
70 Roman coins.
4 silver Roman coins (siliquae, possibly hoard)
Over 100 sherds of Roman pottery including Nene Valley and East Anglian colour coated, East Anglian, Nene Valley and Oxfordshire mortarium, amphora, oxidised wares and shell-tempered wares.
3 fragments of ?Roman tile
Several Roman metal objects (all Ae unless specified) including dolphin brooch, sheet vessel fragment, finger ring made from bracelet terminal, ?harness fitting, two iron nails and a tanged spatula (S3).
Various post-Roman metal objects including medieval buckle and belt mount, medieval post-medieval iron buckle and 90 post-medieval or modern iron objects (mostly nails).
2 post-medieval coins.
2 post-medieval pottery sherds
4 post-medieval/modern tile fragments
Small amounts of lead/lead alloy and copper alloy metal-working debris.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 December 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Late 2001/early 2002. Metal detecting.
Flint bladelet and two flint blade segments of probable Mesolithic date.
Sandy handmade pottery sherd. ?Iron Age.
42 Roman coins.
13 sherds of Roman pottery (12 greyware, 1 shell-tempered)
Roman metal objects (all Ae unless specified) including two-piece Colchester brooch, incomplete and distorted Rosette brooch, two iron nails, three lead steelyard weights and a fragment of a cast unidentified object.
Post-medieval harness mount
2 sherds of post-medieval pottery.
Several undatable metal objects including lead weight or spindle whorl, conical lead weight, iron knife blade fragment and lead disc.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 23 May 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2013.

Before 19 July 2002. Surface finds.
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age or just conceivably modern, flint dagger or sickle fragment and undatable prehistoric flint core.
See descriptions with drawings in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 6 September 2002.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC? to 1501 BC?)
  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

  • DISC (Unknown date)
  • KNIFE (Unknown date)
  • SPINDLE WHORL? (Unknown date)
  • WEIGHT (Unknown date)
  • BLADE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • CORE (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)
  • END SCRAPER (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)
  • KNIFE? (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • BLADE CORE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • BLADE (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • DAGGER? (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • BROOCH (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)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN HOARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • NAIL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • NAIL (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)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • QUERN (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • QUERN (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SPATULA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STEELYARD WEIGHT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TILE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2050 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---Unpublished Document: Robins, P.A.. Lithic Report.
---Unpublished Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 2001. Treasure Annual Report 2000. p 122; No 263.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Brooker, P.W.. 1997. Little Ouse Valley Study. Annual Report - 1996/1997. Field-walks, Thetford Forest..
<S2>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1998. Archaeological Finds in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 181-192. p 182.
<S3>Illustration: Ashley, S.. 2000. Drawing of a Roman tanged spatula.. Film. 1:1.

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