Monument record MLI88335 - Iron Age settlement enclosure, near Horncastle Road, Wragby
Summary
A section of Mid-Late Iron Age cropmark enclosure and associated ring ditches.
Type and Period (2)
- DOUBLE DITCHED ENCLOSURE (Former Type) (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- ENCLOSURE (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A section of possible prehistoric cropmark enclosure. The feature is double ditched with some interruptions. The earthwork was seen during the National Mapping Programme. {1}
The northwest corner of the enclosure was excavated during a programme of trial trenching in January 2017. A wide, shallow ditch containing Iron Age pottery was revealed, though there was no evidence of a double ditch. Prior to the trenching, the enclosure was also identified on geophysical survey. {2}{3}{4}{5}
An archaeological excavation conducted in 2021 confirmed that the enclosure consisted of a single rectangular ditch, which measured between 6.4m and 8.56m wide, with a maximum depth of 2.04m. A smaller northwest-southeast aligned drainage ditch extended from its northwest corner. This ditch may have represented an earlier phase of agricultural activity on the site as it was truncated by the enclosure ditch. Immediately to the east of the northwest end of this ditch, and perpendicular to it, was a double row of postholes. These respected the alignment of the other features and were likely contemporary, though no firm dating evidence was recovered from them. Within the enclosure formed by the boundary ditch an Iron Age settlement was discovered, consisting of three ring ditches. The largest had been recut at least four times, suggesting prolonged use (although datable evidence suggests a relatively tight period of occupation limited to the Mid-Late Iron Age). To the south of these ring ditches was a pair of ditches running parallel to the northern enclosure ditch. Most of the ditch features produced Mid-Late Iron Age pottery, as well as other domestic waste including animal bone. {6}{7}
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SLI3613 Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. Lincolnshire National Mapping Programme. TF1477: LI.548.4.1.
- <2> SLI17998 Report: On Site Archaeology Ltd. 2016. Horncastle Road, Wragby: Archaeological Desk Based Assessment. -.
- <3> SLI17999 Report: On Site Archaeology Ltd. 2016. Land at Horncastle Road, Wragby: Report on a Geophysical Survey. OSA Site Code: HRW16.
- <4> SLI18000 Report: On Site Archaeology Ltd. 2017. Land at Horncastle Road, Wragby: Report on an Archaeological Evaluation. OSA Site Code: HRW16.
- <5> SLI18001 Archive: On Site Archaeology Ltd. 2017. Land at Horncastle Road, Wragby: Report on an Archaeological Evaluation. LCNCC: 2016.178.
- <6> SLI18005 Report: Allen Archaeology Ltd. 2023. Archaeological Mitigation Report: Strip, Map and Record and Archaeological Monitoring on Land off Horncastle Road, Wragby. AAL Site Code: WRHR 21.
- <7> SLI18006 Archive: Allen Archaeology Ltd. 2021. Archaeological Mitigation Report: Strip, Map and Record and Archaeological Monitoring on Land off Horncastle Road, Wragby. LCNCC: 2021.53.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 14050 77497 (212m by 160m) Centre |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WRAGBY, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jun 4 2024 8:47AM
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