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Record Details

NHER Number:9759
Type of record:Monument
Name:Part of Roman settlement at Venta Icenorum, plus multi-period finds

Summary

This is the site of a large settlement associated with the Roman town of Venta Icenorum (NHER 9786). Cropmarks of the town can be seen on aerial photographs within this field (NHER 52194, 52198 and 52027). Metal-detecting between 1979 and 2013 has recovered a wide range of metal objects dating from the Iron Age to the post-medieval period, including a large assortment of Roman artefacts and an important collection of Middle Saxon coins. A fieldwalking survey recovered scatters of Roman pottery, tile and animal bone.

Images

  • Roman plate brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Roman brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Iron Age brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Roman harness fitting from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Post-medieval buckle from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval strap fitting from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval tumbrel from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Roman mount from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval buckle from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Roman brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon cruciform brooch from NHER 9759 © Norfolk County Council
  • Mid Saxon © Norfolk County Council

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TG20SW
Parish:CAISTOR ST EDMUND, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
STOKE HOLY CROSS, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Cropmarks discussed below have been renumbered. The extra-mural settlement cropmarks are now recorded under NHER 52194, the possible grubenhaus/sunken-floored buildings are NHER 52198. The Roman road to the west of the town is recorded as NHER 52027. Other cropmarks in area include NHER 52190-1, 52195-6.

Dunston Field.
Roman extramural settlement with important Middle Saxon coin finds.

1946 and 1975 to 1977.
Cropmarks of Roman extramural settlement.

1979. Metal-detecting.
Roman and medieval metalwork.

1983. Metal-detecting.
Roman coins, pottery and brick.

1982 to 1983. Metal-detecting.
Roman coins and metalwork, Middle Saxon coins, Early Saxon and Late Saxon metalwork.


1979 to 1985. Metal-detecting.
Contect 1 -
Roman and Middle Saxon coins; Roman, Early Saxon, Late Saxon and medieval metal objects, (S1, S4, S5 and S6).

1984. Metal-detecting.
Roman and Middle Saxon coins and metalwork.

1984 to 1985. Metal-detecting.
Iron Age coins, much Roman material, Early Saxon and Late Saxon brooches.

March 1985. Metal-detecting.
Late Saxon quadrangular zoomorphic brooch of Wangford-type.
Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1985.403).
This brooch is noted in (S14), (S15) and (S16) and is amongst the objects included in the catalogue that accompanies thesis (S17).
A. Beckham (HES), 17 January 2020. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 March 2020.

1985. Metal-detecting.
Middle Saxon and Late Saxon coins, much Roman, Late Saxon (S7) and medieval metalwork

1986. Metal-detecting.
Roman and Middle Saxon coins, Roman, Early Saxon (S8), Late Saxon (S9) and medieval metalwork.

1988. Metal-detecting.
Mesolithic flint serrated blade, Roman and Middle Saxon metalwork, medieval to post-medieval coins

1989. Metal-detecting.
Roman and Iron Age coins, Roman (S10) and medieval metalwork.

1990. Metal-detecting.
Middle Saxon coin.

Pre 1991.
Roman and Early Saxon sherds found.

15 October 1993. NLA air photography (S2).
Site visible but cropmarks are not.
H. Clare (NLA), 21 February 2001.

1996. Fieldwalking.
Roman, Middle Saxon, medieval sherds, flints, Roman tile.
See detailed lists, coin sheets, (S1) and (S2) in file. The results of this work are also summarised in (S12) and (S13).

19 June 1996. NLA air photography (S3).
Cropmarks of ditches and enclosures of Roman settlement visible.
S. Massey (NLA), 13 August 2001.

Summer 1999. Metal-detecting.
Six Roman coins.
See list in file.
Identified by J. Davies (NCM).
K. Hinds (NLA), 26 April 2001.

September 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of extra-mural settlement are now recorded under NHER 52194, the possible grubenhaus/sunken-floored buildings are NHER 52198. The Roman road to the west of the town is recorded as NHER 52027. Other cropmarks in area include NHER 52190-1, 52195-6.
S. Horlock (NMP), 10 September 2010.

Before 20 October 2010. Metal-detecting.
Romano-British plate brooch.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 1 March 2011.

April-August 2012. Metal-detecting. [1].
Late Iron Age bow brooch.
Late Iron Age/Roman Nauheim Derivative brooch.
Roman cosmetic spoon or spoon probe, brooches, a finger-ring, harness fitting and a fragment of bracelet.
Late Saxon to post-medieval lead spindle whorl or weight.
Medieval pin from an annular buckle, a gilt copper alloy unidentified object and a rectangular strap plate with the remains of two iron rivets.
Post-medieval asymmetrical buckle frame and stud chape of a shoe buckle.
18th century ovoid buckle and 18th-19th century pastry jigger.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 2 November 2012.

Before January 2013. Metal-detecting. [2].
Roman brooches, a copper alloy finger ring, mount and an incomplete spoon.
Early Saxon brooch.
Middle Saxon buckle (S11).
Late Saxon/medieval brooch.
Late Saxon to post-medieval lead spindle whorls.
Medieval buckle, bar mount and the arm from a coin balance.
Medieval/post-medieval button.
Post-medieval harness mounts and a buckle frame.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 12 March 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon to Middle Saxon - 410 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon to 19th Century - 851 AD to 1900 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)

Associated Finds

  • FIGURINE (Unknown date)
  • PIN (Unknown date)
  • QUERN (Unknown date)
  • RING (Unknown date)
  • WEIGHT (Unknown date)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • SERRATED BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BROOCH (Late Iron Age - 50 BC to 42 AD)
  • BROOCH (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 100 AD)
  • BOX (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 65 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 75 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 75 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 75 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 80 AD)
  • BUCKET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • CEREMONIAL OBJECT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COSMETIC SPOON (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • DISC (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KNIFE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • LOCKING MECHANISM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PENDANT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PLATE BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SEAL BOX (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SPOON (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SPOON (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STEELYARD WEIGHT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TOILET ARTICLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TWEEZERS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOUNT (Roman - 100 AD to 200 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 200 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 200 AD to 300 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 200 AD to 300 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Roman - 300 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • PERSONAL ORNAMENT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 520 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Early Saxon to Middle Saxon - 650 AD to 800 AD)
  • BROOCH (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • COIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • PIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BOOK FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BOX (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • EAR RING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FIGURINE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • PENDANT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BROOCH (Late Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1175 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Late Saxon to 16th Century - 1000 AD to 1600 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Late Saxon to 16th Century - 1000 AD to 1600 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Late Saxon to 16th Century - 1000 AD to 1600 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PERSONAL ORNAMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SEAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STEELYARD WEIGHT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
  • TUMBREL (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1450 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1270 AD to 1350 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1350 AD to 1450 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1350 AD to 1450 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1450 AD to 1500 AD)
  • BUTTON (Medieval to 16th Century - 1500 AD to 1600 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SPOON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUCKLE (16th Century to 17th Century - 1575 AD to 1700 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (16th Century to 17th Century - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (16th Century to 17th Century - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)
  • BUCKLE (17th Century to 18th Century - 1660 AD to 1720 AD)
  • CUTLERY (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1850 AD)
  • BUCKLE (18th Century - 1720 AD to 1790 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: See file.
---Aerial Photograph: TG2203 K-R, AA, AW, AX, ADV-ADX.
---Article in Serial: Sherlock, D. 1980. An Inscribed Roman Spoon from Caistor St. Edmund. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXVII Pt III pp 346-350. p 346.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG2203/AET.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Photograph: Wicks, D.. 1983. HES Film EAA. Caister St Edmunds Small Finds.. Print and negatives. Frames 5-6, 30-36.
---Photograph: EAV.
---Photograph: 1990. LCB 3-4, Decorative disc..
---Photograph: 1990. LCB 5, Romano British brooch..
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Ovington.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Stoke Holy Cross.
<S1>Illustration: Gregory, T.. 1985. Drawing of Roman brooches, pins, pendants, belt/strap mounts, jug lid and a harness mount.. Paper. 2:1.
<S2>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1993. TG 2303APF - APH; TG 2203AEN - AES.
<S3>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TG 2203AEY.
<S4>Illustration: Gregory, T.. 1985. Drawing of Roman pendants, mounts, possible part of a lock, unidentified Roman objects, a medieval weight, strap-end, spoon handle, brooch, boss and an ornamental stud.. Paper. 2:1.
<S5>Illustration: Gregory, T.. 1985. Drawing of a Roman double-studded vulvate, buckle-plate fragment, key, single-studded decorative plate and a flat rod with cabled edges possible an Early Saxon cruciform handle.. Paper. 2:1.
<S6>Illustration: White, S.. Unknown. Drawing of a Roman copper alloy open work disc.. Paper. 2:1.
<S7>Illustration: Ashley, S.. Unknown. Drawing of a Late Saxon plate brooch.. Film. 2:1.
<S8>Illustration: Unknown. Unknown. Drawing of a Early Saxon copper alloy mount.. Film. 2:1.
<S9>Illustration: Unknown. Unknown. Drawing of a Late Saxon copper alloy pendant.. Film. 2:1.
<S10>Illustration: White, S. Unknown. Drawing of a Roman copper alloy cast relief plaque depicting a lion.. Card. 2:1.
<S11>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2013. Drawing of incomplete Middle Saxon copper alloy buckle.. Film. 2:1.
<S12>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1997. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1996. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt IV pp 547-564. p 549.
<S13>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1998. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 193-210. p 206.
<S14>Publication: Margeson, S. 1997. The Vikings in Norfolk. Fig 21.
<S15>Thesis: Richardson, C. 1993. The Borre Style in the British Isles and Ireland. A Re-assessment. p 17.
<S16>Article in Serial: Kershaw, J. 2009. Culture and Gender in the Danelaw: Scandinavian and Anglo-Scandinavian Brooches. Viking and Medieval Scandinavia. Vol 5 pp 295-325. p 313.
<S17>Thesis: Kershaw, J. 2010. Culture and Gender in the Danelaw: Scandinavian and Anglo-Scandinavian Brooches, 850-1050. No 10 (Lozenge brooch - Hedeby type).
<S18>Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.

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