Monument record MLI60612 - Late Prehistoric Artefacts, South Delph, Washingborough Fen
Summary
Late Bronze Age and early Iron Age artefacts, found at the South Delph pumping station, Washingborough Fen.
Type and Period (1)
- ARTEFACT SCATTER (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC to 401 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Works were conducted to clean out and recut the South Delph of the Witham in 1972, which exposed a number of earlier river channels and revealed a buried peat deposit in the location close to the newly built Washingborough Fen pumping station. Fragments of wood, pottery and bone artefacts were identified in the deposit, and a late Bronze Age antler bridle cheekpiece was recovered. The findings prompted a programme of archaeological excavation to be conducted in 1973. These investigations revealed a stratigraphy sequence that indicated a peat pool had developed in this area during localised ponding conditions of the Witham or a tributary stream. Periods of intermittant flooding of the pool were identified, with the ponding conditions seemingly being re-established soon after. Further sherds of late Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery were recovered, along with fragments of animal and human bone, and several pieces of wood, two of which could be seen to have been worked. The concentration of finds in this area led to the suggestion Washingborough Fen might have been a main fording point of the Witham in prehistoric times. Phillips noted that a former prehistoric routeway may have run along the counterscarp of the Lincolnshire Edge, with the route potentially passing through Washingborough towards this possible fording point. Indeed, such a ford could have continued in use until the early phase of the Roman Conquest, when a bridge was built at Lincoln. {1}{2}{3}
It seems likely that these finds relate to the late Bronze Age site found at the Washingborough Pumping Station (see PRN 63537). {4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI682 Article in Serial: J.M. Coles, B.J. Orme, J. May and C.N. Moore. 1979. 'Excavations of Late Bronze Age or Iron Age Date at Washingborough Fen', in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.14, pp.5-10.
- <2> SLI2881 Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. TF 07 SW: AP.
- <3> SLI683 Article in Serial: ELSDON, S.. 1994. LINCOLNSHIRE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY. Vol 29, pp.55-57.
- <4> SLI12726 Bibliographic Reference: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2009. Exchange and Ritual at the Riverside: Late Bronze Age Life in the Lower Witham Valley at Washingborough, Lincolnshire. WPSE 04.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 0420 7135 (45m by 44m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WASHINGBOROUGH, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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