Monument record MLI81154 - Romano-British settlement site, Meadow Lane, North Hykeham

Summary

Romano-British enclosure and possible industrial site, Meadow Lane, located 100m to the south of a Roman settlement (PRN 60783).

Type and Period (8)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

PRN 61395 This monument has been amalgamated with information from PRN 62431. PRN 62431 has been deleted. A geophysical survey identified several anomalies on the site, requiring that a scheme of trial trenching be carried out. During trial trenching, a series of pits, ditches and gullies dating to the Roman period were recorded. The site appears to have been in use from the 1st century AD right through to the 4th century AD. Two sherds of Iron Age pottery were retrieved from one of the ditches, but are believed to be residual, as they were found with Roman potsherds. Finds of iron Age pottery are common on 1st century Romano-British sites, reflecting continued use of earlier pottery types and traditions. Several gullies are believed to date to the early Roman period at the latest, but their function was not ascertained. A series of intercutting north-west/south-east aligned ditches are thought to be enclosure ditches, possibly related to animal husbandry or arable farming. Pottery found in these ditches was of a general Roman date, with a concentration during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, suggesting use of the enclosure during this period. A high level of charcoal in one of the ditches suggests the burning of organic matter close by. A possible break in one of the enclosure ditches may be an entranceway. {1}{2}{3} The evidence from this site suggests that it lay on the periphery of a settlement dating from the 1st-3rd centuries AD, and a settlement site circa 100m to the north (PRN 60783) has remains of this date. The purpose of the enclosure has not been determined, but such enclosures are commonly found on the periphery of Roman settlements, for holding stock. However, finds of iron slag in several of the ditches suggest a possible industrial use for the site. Industrial activities generally took place at the edge of the main settlement, close to a water source, and therefore, this site would have been ideal, located as it is close to numerous streams. The relatively small bone and pottery assemblage would seem to support this idea. {1}{2}{3} Archaeological evaluation at SK 4947 6548 was undertaken prior to the construction of eleven dwellings with garages on land off Meadow Lane. Three linear features were identified, one of which contained eight sherds of 2nd century Romano- British pottery, six of which were from the same vessel. A gully containing a single sherd of samian ware was also recorded together with a pit that also contained Romano-British material. The presence of low numbers of features suggest that the core of Romano-British settlement activity occurred towards the south, in the adjacent field.{5}{6} An archaeological excavation was undertaken on land at Meadow Lane, North Hykeham prior to the construction of 23 dwellings. The Roman activity appeared to be largely focused towards the southeastern part of the site and dating to between the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. The features were, mainly north to south and east to west aligned ditches and gullies. A small circular pit containing cremated human bone was excavated. The cremation was heavily fragmented with no associated vessel.{7}{8}

Sources/Archives (8)

  •  Report: John Samuels Archaeological Consultants. May 1999. Desk-based assessment of land off Meadow Lane, North Hykeham.
  •  Report: John Samuels Archaeological Consultants. Dec 1999. Land off Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. MLH99.
  •  Archive: John Samuels Archaeological Consultants. Dec 1999. Land off Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. LCNCC 100.99.
  •  Index: North Kesteven Records. North Hykeham. NK43.23.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2002. Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. MLNH02.
  •  Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2002. Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. LCNCC 2002.107.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Jan 2006. Archaeological Investigation at Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. NHM04.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Jan 2006. Archaeological Investigation at Meadow Lane, North Hykeham. LCNCC 2004.256.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 9468 6544 (148m by 172m)
Civil Parish NORTH HYKEHAM, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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