Monument record MLI20178 - Iron Age Remains, Fen Farm, Pinchbeck

Summary

Iron Age remains near Fen Farm, Pinchbeck.

Type and Period (5)

  • (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 500 BC to 101 BC)
  • (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 500 BC to 101 BC)
  • (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 500 BC to 101 BC)
  • (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 500 BC to 101 BC)
  • (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 500 BC to 101 BC)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

This site yielded over 100 middle Iron Age sherds of pottery dating to the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Much of the pottery had been ploughed out from a band of dark soil c.5m wide which separated areas of 'clean' silt. Fragments of burnt stone and cobbles were also noted and the dark soil stain in which they were situated was of grey appearance. Many animal bones were collected; it has been observed that animal bones commonly occur in greater abundance on Iron Age and Saxon sites than on similarly located Roman sites. Burnt cobbles and a grey soilmark are also characteristic of Iron Age sites on the fen edge (cf. Thurlby). There was no evidence of saltmaking on the site. Middle Iron Age material is still very rare on marine soils particularly when not connected to salt production. {1} The site was investigated as part of the Fenland Management Project in 1994. The site was walked, augered and a magnetic susceptibility survey was conducted. A T-shaped trench was also excavated. The earliest feature discovered was a slightly curving 8m wide naturally formed creek or channel. The channel had gently sloping sides into which had been cut a series of interconnecting pits and gullies. At the edge of these pits and gullies, a 1.2m diameter pit was recorded. Virtually no finds were recovered apart from animal bones in the very bottom of several of the gullies. It seems likely that this arrangement represents some kind of industrial activity, perhaps utilising the still-active channel for a meat-salting process or storage. Later, an episode of marine flooding deposited silts and sands which infilled the channel and sealed the pits and gullies. Dug through these silts on virtually the same line as the earlier creek was a later ditch which contained middle Iron Age pottery. This ditch had been cut and repeatedly recut. It appears that even when the channel was no longer functioning it continued to influence human activity in this area. A rectangular pit, and a further ditch or gully were also dug at approximately the same time. Analyses of the samples provided no clue as to the function of the ditches and the pit, but they did indicate that the features were unlikely to have been lcoated very near to a settlement. Perhaps the ditches were part of a system if water management. {2}{3}

Sources/Archives (3)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: Hayes, P. P. and Lane, T. W.. 1992. The Fenland Project No.5: Lincolnshire Survey, the South-West Fens. 5 GAZ PIN55, pp.144-5.
  •  Article in Serial: TRIMBLE, D.. 1995. HERITAGE LINCOLNSHIRE FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. p.25.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Crowson, A.; Lane, T. and Reeve. J. (eds). 2000. Fenland Management Project Excavations 1991-1995. PIN 55 (PFF 93) pp.146-149.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 1898 2192 (69m by 65m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish PINCHBECK, SOUTH HOLLAND, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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