Monument record MLI89195 - Late Iron Age/Romano-British features at North Kelsey Road, Caistor
Summary
Late Iron Age/Romano-British features at North Kelsey Road, Caistor
Type and Period (7)
- DITCH (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 100 AD)
- FIELD SYSTEM (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 100 AD)
- RING DITCH (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
- BOUNDARY DITCH (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
- ENCLOSURE (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
- POST HOLE (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
- ROUND HOUSE (DOMESTIC) (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
PRN 55334
A series of ditches were identified during trial trenching. These appear to represent a field system of late Iron Age - early Romano-British date. A small quantity of pottery was recovered and the low concentration of finds supports the conclusion that these features are agricultural in origin rather than settlement related. {1}{2}
The western part of an enclosure, bounded on its western side by a curvilinear ditch, was investigated through an enhanced watching brief carried out by Archaeological Project Services in July 2007. Pottery from the site indicated a late Iron Age date for the enclosure and associated activity, with a particular emphasis on the late 1st century BC. The curvilinear ditch was recorded over a distance of 92m, extending north from the southwest corner of the stripped area, before curving to the northeast. Contained within the main enclosure, was a smaller, rectangular ditched enclosure, aligned with the western boundary ditch. A comparative absence of features inside the smaller area may be taken to indicate a stock-keeping function. Investigations in the remainder of the main enclosure revealed three complete ring gullies. The fill of the southernmost ring gully produced a large quantity of pottery (23% of the total assemblage), indicating use for domestic occupation. The feature was 7.5m in diameter, with an opening to the southeast (conforming to the generally favoured alignment), while a pit or posthole located near the opening provided limited evidence of structural remains. The other ring gullies lay in the northern part of the enclosure. The smaller (3.14m diameter) of the two (undated but probable late Iron Age) may have served as the drain for a haystack. The third ring gully (7m diameter), which opened to the northwest and produced a single sherd of Iron Age, was interpreted as a possible animal pen, as was a small, sub-rectangular enclosure located immediately west of the southernmost ring gully. The investigations also revealed a number of pits and postholes, as well linear and curvilinear gullies - the latter possibly indicative of partially destroyed ring gullies. Many of the discrete features remain undated, but their form and the composition of their fills indicated contemporaneity with the dated late Iron Age contexts. A general absence of faunal remains on the site may be attributed to the acidic nature of the underlying sands in the area. Comparison with the plots of cropmarks visible on aerial photographs indicates that the enclosure lies at the periphery of a set of rectilinear enclosures (a field system?) extending to the west (PRN 52706). However, the comparative irregularity in shape and slightly different alignment of the excavated enclosure indicate that the features might represent different phases of activity. {3}{4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI10934 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2006. Archaeological Evaluation on Land at North Kelsey Road, Caistor. CNK06.
- <2> SLI10935 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2006. Archaeological Evaluation on Land at North Kelsey Road, Caistor. LCNCC 2006.25.
- <3> SLI12506 Report: Archaeological Project Services. Aug 2008. Archaeological Investigations at North Kelsey Road, Caistor, Lincolnshire. CNKR07.
- <4> SLI12507 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Aug 2008. Archaeological Investigations at North Kelsey Road, Caistor, Lincolnshire. LCNCC 2006.25.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TA 09810 01019 (112m by 193m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CAISTOR, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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