Archaeological Excavations at West Deeping, Lincolnshire. Phases 5, 6, & 7: 2020-2021 Interim Report

Résumé 0

Archaeological excavation was carried out by Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) from September 2020 to February 2021 within the Proposed Extraction Area (PEA) at Cemex Quarry, West Deeping, PE6 9HP. The PEA is a 42-hectare plot which has been divided into 10 phases. Previous work within the PEA includes an archaeological evaluation (Patten 2002); excavation of Phase 1 (Murrell 2010a); a watching brief for underground cables (Murrell 2010b); excavation of Phases 2, 9, 10 (Barrett 2021a); excavation of Phases 3 and 4 (Barrett 2021b). The Phases excavated between September 2020 and February 2021 and detailed in this interim report were Phases 5, 6 and the most northerly part of Phase 7. These phases centred on NGR 511084 310368 and totalled 7.87 hectares. The investigations revealed cut features and artefacts relating to Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Medieval and post-Medieval periods. This activity has been contextualised and dated together with supplementary information from the previous archaeological investigations listed above and the extensive geophysical survey undertaken over the PEA (Johnson 1998). Neolithic activity was seen in the form of discrete pits, some of these appearing in clusters, identified by the presence of Peterborough Ware, Grooved Ware and worked flint. A significant proportion of the archaeology uncovered was Bronze Age in date, focussed around droveways and associated enclosures and settlements. These were part of a larger, radial ditch system extending from a point on the River Welland c.1km to the south of the PEA, first excavated within the PEA in 2007 (Murrell 2010a). Situated within this large-scale land management system there were two settlements, evidenced by numerous Bronze Age pits, postholes, a burial and three watering holes, one of which was potentially associated with an industrial area. The Iron Age evidence comprises a cluster of discrete pits and postholes in the southeast corner of Phase 6, representative of a settlement. Roman activity consists of a substantial double ditched trackway that extends from King Street, 2km east beyond the PEA to Market Deeping, of which one of these ditches is present along the southern edge of Phase 7. In addition, clusters of amorphous roadside quarry pits were revealed c.30m east of the Roman road of King Street, which is contiguous with the western edge of the PEA. Archaeology from the Saxon period is represented by seven inhumations in Phase 6. Iron nails and knives, glass beads, a coin pouch including at least one perforated Copper coin, a bone comb, a spindle whorl, a Copper alloy clothing adornment and remains of textile were discovered as grave goods.