Monument record MLI52842 - ROMANO-BRITISH SITE, GREETWELL QUARRY

Summary

ROMANO-BRITISH SITE, GREETWELL QUARRY

Type and Period (17)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

PRN 52842 Romano-British settlement site, part of which may show on aerial photographs. {1} Field walking and geophysical survey across the site in advance of quarrying suggests settlement dating to the third or fourth century. Dense limestone scatters in this area, and the results of the geophysical survey, may be indicative of former buildings, although practically to gravel by ploughing, making positive identification of building materials an impossibility. {3}{4}{5} Trial trenching in 1997, centred on TF 007 724, recorded features dating to the mid-3rd to 4th centuries. A series of linear features in Trench 3 contained building debris, tile and pottery, although interestingly the pottery assemblage contained no Samian. The building debris is thought to be from stone buildings or the stone footings of timber buildings. Several pits were also recorded in this trench. A ring ditch in Trench 4 contained late 2nd to 4th century pottery. An unexcavated feature within the ring ditch, with contemporary pottery on its surface, may represent one or more burials, providing the ring ditch is related to a barrow. A depression in Trench 6 contained two contemporary pits with an area of trample between, suggesting protracted use. The function of the pits was unknown, however. The fired clay pieces found in the pits are unusual, and similar to pieces from the furnace lining bricks of an iron smelting furnace at Laxton, Northants. No other evidence for industrial activity was recorded, however, and the fired clay was not slagged, but the fired clay raises the possibility of industrial remains. A north-east/south-west aligned ditch containing pottery, building material, animal bone and mollusc remains was recorded in Trench 7. {6}{7} Archaeological excavations at about TF 0063 7257 recorded features dating from the mid-2nd century to the 4th century, although the bulk of the dating evidence indicates mainly 3rd century occupation. {8}{9} AGRICULTURAL - Natural features indicated scrub clearance prior to laying out of the rectilinear field system, where ten corn driers were recorded; these were grouped in a relatively small area (with one outlier) bounded by the Iron Age triple ditch system (50348) to the west and by Roman ditches to the north and south, presumably for drainage. Environmental sampling indicated crop processing on the site, and the ditches were thought to be contemporary with the corn driers, which may continue to the south of this excavation. The stray corn drier was different in character; the remains suggested a haphazard construction with reuse of building materials (eg, faced stone, tile). {8}{9} A large east/west ditch contained 40% of the animal bone recovered from the site; when combined with the lack of domestic refuse in this ditch, this is suggestive of small-scale meat processing. The large open space south of this ditch was possibly cleared in this period for livestock or crop-growing. {8}{9} BUILDINGS - Two drip-gullies representing roundhouses were probably contemporary with another to the east, representing sparse domestic occupation predating some corn driers. The eastern roundhouse had a drip-gully which drained into a ditch via a small channel. This drainage evidence, when combined with the large quantities of grain in a pit in the interior of the roundhouse, suggests a storage function, which possibly also applies to other similarly dated ring-forms on the site. Another ring-form may be a more elaborate dwelling, or for storage/livestock. {8}{9} CEMETERY/BURIALS - West of the triple ditch system was an informal burial ground. Finds indicated usage from the mid 2nd century, although concentrated in the 3rd century, making the cemetery contemporary with the other features on the site. The eastern boundary may have been the triple ditch system, as no burials were found beyond it, but past quarrying may have removed these. The burials may, however, continue to the north and south. {8}{9} Thirteen burials were recorded, eleven adults and two children. The children were aged one year and nine years, and their graves contained much more elaborate grave-goods than the adult burials, including a selection of jewellery. Evidence for burial in coffins was found in some graves, as well as hobnails indicating shoes in the child graves. One crouched and one partial possible crouched inhumation were also recorded. {8}{9} ENVIRONMENTAL - A marked absence of industrial evidence was noted in the environmental samples, which indicated open country with a small woodland element, and a well drained landscape. Area H was thought to be a possible garden or paddock area. {8}{9} Field walking was undertaken on the proposed route of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass. Four sherds of Romano-British pottery were recovered from this field. {10}{11}

Sources/Archives (11)

  •  Verbal Communication: COLCUTT S. 1996. -.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF0072,1994, .
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Oct 1997. Land at Greetwell. LGW97.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Oct 1997. Land at Greetwell. LCNCC 226.97.
  •  Report: Oxford Archaeotechnics. 1997. Land at Greetwell, Lincolnshire.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 1998. Land at Greetwell: proposal for quarry extension. GWQ97.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 1998. Land at Greetwell: proposal for quarry extension. LCNCC 1997.273.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. July 2001. Greetwell Quarry Extension Phase 1. GQE99.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. July 2001. Greetwell Quarry Extension Phase 1. LCNCC 95.99.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. Mar 2003. Fieldwalking on the the proposed route of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass. LEB03.
  •  Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeology. Mar 2003. Fieldwalking on the the proposed route of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass. LCNCC 2003.20.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 0070 7240 (579m by 580m)
Civil Parish GREETWELL, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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