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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	39670
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Medieval chalk and sand extraction site, London Road Cemetery Extension

Summary

Trial trenching here in 2003 revealed that this site had been extensively used for the extraction of sand and chalk during the 11th and 12th centuries AD. A number of ditches, pits, gullies and slots were also recorded, several of which contained material dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. One feature on the eastern side of the site contained a large quantity of pottery and slag indicating both domestic and industrial activity in the immediate vicinity, but there was no evidence of extensive occupation on this site.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TL 86344 82440
Map Sheet:	TL88SE
Parish:	THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

September 2003. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed cemetery extension. Contexts 1-137.
Investigations revealed that this site had been extensively used for the extraction of sand and chalk during the 11th and 12th centuries AD. There were also a number of ditches, pits, gullies and slots concentrated in the northern part of the site, several of which contained material also dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. One feature on the eastern side of the site contained a large quantity of pottery and slag indicating both domestic and industrial activity in the immediate vicinity, but there was no evidence of extensive occupation on this site. A large finds assemblage was recovered from both stratified and unstratified contexts, including 486 sherds of pottery (Thetford ware, St. Neots, Stamford, and some medieval wares), 144 fragments of oyster and mussel shell, 51 fragments of slag, and 630 fragments of animal bone. The majority of this assemblage has been dated to the 11th to 12th century, with only one sherd of residual Roman pottery, one residual Roman coin, and a small quantity of Prehistoric worked flint. The presence of worked flint, an adjacent barrow (NHER 5828), and nearby Iron Age settlement (NHER 5756) indicates that some of the undated pits could date to the Late Prehistoric period, but no pottery of this date was recovered.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 24 May 2007. Updated H. Hamilton (NLA), 30 July 2008.

Monument Types

FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)
FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD? to 850 AD?)
FINDSPOT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
DITCH (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
ENCLOSURE (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
EXTRACTIVE PIT (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
GULLY (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
PIT (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
POST HOLE (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
BLADE (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
END SCRAPER (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)
SCRAPER (TOOL) (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD? to 850 AD?)
QUERN (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
OYSTER SHELL (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
POT (Late Saxon to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Tipper, J. 2003. London Road Cemetery Extension, Thetford, Norfolk. An Archaeological Evaluation. Cambridge Archaeological Unit. 585.
<S2>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2004. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2003. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt III pp 573-588. p 586.