A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire: Brampton South Landscape Block Archaeology Report, Specialist Reports: Finds

Fieldwork: The total excavated area of the Brampton South Landscape Block was 5.83 hectares: 3.63ha in TEA 10B East and 2.2ha in TEA 13. TEA 10B East was stripped and archaeologically investigated due to its location within a landscape of Iron Age, Romano-British and early medieval settlements. This TEA encompassed a narrow corridor for the realignment of Grafham Road/Brampton Road south of Lenton Lakes. Stripping of the site took place between March and April 2017 with hand excavation continuing until June 2017. Fieldwork within TEA 10B East followed the methodology set out in the Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) (Highways England 2015). TEA 13 was designated as a 'Targeted Excavation Area' based on features identified in the geophysical survey and aerial photography. This TEA was intended for mineral extraction with a spoil store on the eastern side, subsequently used as a pond. This designation was not communicated to the construction team resulting in parts of the TEA (to the east, south and west) being impacted by construction before the archaeological work had taken place. A small area (0.6ha) to the west was excavated in March 2017. A larger area surrounding this had been impacted by construction, but two ditches were observed and recorded. The remaining area of TEA 13 (1.6ha) was stripped in June 2017 with hand excavation taking place between June and August 2017. All works were undertaken in accordance with the Written Scheme of Investigation (Atkins CH2M, 2016) and metal detection was undertaken across both TEAs after stripping of the topsoil. The WSI stipulated the proportion of features to be excavated - 50% of discrete features; 20% of non-structural linear features; and 100% of structural features. Post-excavation: The preliminary grouping and stratigraphic sequencing of features presented in the Post-Excavation Assessment report (MHI 2019a) is superseded here. Stratigraphic information recorded on site has been complemented by the pottery and radiocarbon dates to provide a more detailed understanding of the chronology of the archaeology within the Brampton South Landscape Block. In this report, archaeological features have been grouped and assigned to periods using standardised terms and numeration in line with scheme-wide methodology for the stratigraphic analysis using QGIS (MHI 2020). Chronological periods referred to in this report are based on the established period divisions used in Cambridgeshire and beyond and in consultation with our pottery specialists. Where necessary, some features have been subgrouped to provide a more detailed understanding of specific features. Many features have also been assigned to a 'land use' and/or settlement which has enabled detailed analysis and comparisons of archaeological sites across the landscape blocks. The Brampton South landscape block comprised two Targeted Excavation Areas (TEAs) covering 5.83 hectares, situated approximately 400m apart. The archaeological evidence from the landscape block ranged from the late Bronze Age-early Iron Age to the 19th century, with the focus of activity concentrated in the middle to late Iron Age. The earliest feature within the landscape block was a late Bronze Age-early Iron Age pit alignment which crossed TEA 13 from the north-west to the south-east. Two middle to late Iron Age settlements were identified in the Brampton South landscape block. Settlement 1 was focused on TEA 10B East and comprised three roundhouses, two enclosures, cooking pits, wells, waterholes and a series of ditches forming a field system. Settlement 2 in TEA 13 comprised three roundhouses, a D-shaped enclosure, a rectangular enclosure with an annexe, and a 'ladder' field system. Later activity was characterised by medieval agricultural furrows, which were present across both TEAs, two areas of post-medieval quarrying within TEA 13, and 19th century field boundaries.

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