Table Of Content

EAST ANGLIAN ARCHAEOLOGY Excavations in Thetford, North of the River, 1989-90 by Phil Andrews and Kenneth Penn with contributions from Sue Anderson, Justine Bayley, Mark Blackbum, John A Davies, Val Fryer, David Gurney, Rachel Hutton MacDonald, Irena Lentowicz, Alexandra Little, Sue Margeson, Peter Murphy, Lucy Talbot and John Wymer with illustrations by Steven Ashley, David Fox, Piers Millington-Wall ace and Hoste Spalding East Anglian Archaeology Report No.87, 1999 Norfolk Archaeological Unit Norfolk Museums Service EAST ANGLIAN ARCHAEOLOGY REPORT N0.87 Published by Field Archaeology Division Norfolk Museums Service Union House · Gressenhall Dereham Norfolk NR20 4DR in conjunction with The Scole Archaeological Committee Editor: Peter Wade-Martins Managing Editor: Jenny Glazebrook Scole Editorial Sub-committee: David Buckley, County Archaeologist, Essex Planning Department Keith Wade, County Archaeological Officer, Suffolk Planning Department Peter Wade-Martins, County Field Archaeologist, Norfolk Museums Service Stanley West Set in Times Roman by Joan Daniells using Core! Ventura1 M Printed by Geerings of Ashford Ltd., Ashford, Kent ©FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY DIVISION, NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE ISBN 0 905594 27 4 For details of East Anglian Archaeology, see last page This volume is published with the aid of a grant from English Heritage Cover photograph: Thetford looking west. The Little Ouse River runs from centre left to the top, with the postulated line of the Late Sax on defences north of the river marked by the semi-circular street pattern in the centre. The Iron Age hillfort and Norman motte lie just off the bottom of the picture, the Cluniac priory towards the top. Photo: Derek A.Edwards (ref. TL8783/K/GCN13) Contents List of Contents V IV. The Pottery, by Irena Lentowicz 46 List of Plates vi Introduction 46 List of Figures vi Melhod 47 List of Tables vii The Prehistoric and Roman pottery 47 Contributors vii The Late Saxon, Medieval and Acknowledgements Vlll Post-medieval pottery 51 General Introduction ix Conclusions 55 The pottery catalogue 55 V. Zoological and Botanical Evidence 59 Part I: Excavations at Guildhall Street, 1989, Human bones, by Sue Anderson 59 Site 25296, by Phil Andrews Plant macrofossils and molluscs, I. Introduction 1 by Val Fryer and Peter Murphy 60 Summary 1 VI. Discussion 63 The site 1 Phasing 1 11. The Excavations 1 Part Ill: Excavations at Minstergate, 1989, Trenches 1 and 2 1 Site 5913, by Kenneth Penn Trench 3 2 I. Introduction 66 Trench 4 6 Summary 66 Ill. The Finds 6 The site 66 Introduction, by Phi! Andrews 6 Geology 68 Metalworking evidence, 11. The Excavations 68 by Justine Bayley 6 The trial trench 68 The pottery, by Alexandra Little 8 Main excavation 68 Stone objects, by Phil Andrews 9 The pits and their contents 68 IV. Discussion 9 Ill. The Finds 71 Non-ferrous artefacts, by Sue Margeson 71 Part 11: Excavations at St Nicholas' Street, Metalworking evidence, by Justine Bayley 71 1990, Site 1134, by Phil Andrews IV. The Pottery, by Alexandra Little 72 Introduction 72 I. Introduction 12 The fabrics 72 Summary 12 Discussion 73 The site 12 The pottery catalogue 73 Phasing 15 V. Discussion 74 11. The Excavations 15 Prehistoric 15 Period I Roman 15 Part IV: Animal Bones from St Nicholas' Middle Saxon 22 Street and Guildhall Street, Period 11 Late Saxon 23 Period Ill Early Medieval 26 by Rachel Hutton MacDonald 75 Period IV Medieval 30 Period V Late Medieval 32 Part V: Watching Briefs and Trial Trenches Period VI Post-Medieval 35 I. St Nicholas' Churchyard, Site 5913, Period VII c. 1800-1990 37 by Phi! Andrews 83 Ill. The Finds 38 11. 21 Old Market Street, Site 5747, Coins and jettons, by David Gurney, by Phi! Andrews 85 Mark Blackburn with John Davies, Ill. Thetford Link Road, Site 5747, and Sue Margeson 38 Bingo Hall Extension, Site 28122, Non-ferrous metal objects, by Lucy Talbot by Phi! Andrews 'In with a contribution by Sue Margeson 38 IV. Thetford Priory Car Park, Site 5748, Iron objects, by Lucy Tal bot 40 by Kenneth Penn 88 Metalworking evidence, by Phil Andrews 43 Stone objects, by Lucy Talbot 43 Struck flint, by J.J. Wymer 44 Part VI: Conclusions, by Phil Andrews 89 The glass, by Lucy Talbot 44 Ceramic objects, by Lucy Talbot 46 Bibliography 96 Bone and antler objects, by Lucy Talbot 46 Index, by Ann Hudson 99 V List of Plates Plate I Guildhall Street, Site 25296. Late Plate Ill St Nicholas' Street, Site 1134. Trench Saxon ditch 122. Facing south-east 4 2 during excavation. Facing west 14 Plate 11 St Nicholas' Street, Site 1134. Trench Plate IV St Nicholas' Street, Site 1134. 1 during excavation. Facing south 14 Carolingian and Anglo-Saxon coins (numbers refer to catalogue nos) 38 List of Figures Fig.1 Location maps X Fig.38 Iron objects 42 Fig.2 Map of Thetford XI Fig.39 Stone objects 43 Fig.3 Key to plan and section Fig.40 Flint objects 44 conventions xii Fig.41 Glass object 44 Fig.42 Glass object 44 Guildhall Street Fig.43 Bone and antler objects 45 Fig.4 Location plan of trenches at Fig.44 Pottery. Roman: micaceous grey Guildhall Street, Site 25296 2 ware 1 55 Fig.5 Plan of Trench 3, all features 3 Fig.45 Pottery. Roman: micaceous grey Fig.6 Plan of Trench 3, Periods I-III 3 ware 1 56 Fig.7 Section of pit 134 (Period I) 3 Fig.46 Pottery. Roman: micaceous grey Fig.8 Section of ditch 122 (Period Il) 5 ware2 57 Fig.9 Section of pit 157 (Period Ill) 6 Fig.47 Pottery. Roman: other wares 58 Fig.10 Crucibles and litharge cakes 7 Fig.48 Pottery. Late Saxon and medieval Fig.11 Pottery. Iron Age 8 wares 58 Fig.12 Pottery. Thetford Ware 8 Fig.l3 Pottery. Medieval 8 Minstergate Fig.14 Hone 9 Fig.49 Location plan of trenches at Fig.l5 Map of Thetford: medieval Minstergate, Site 5913, showing topography, south-east of town 10 major modern features 67 Fig.50 Section: part of west edge of St Nicholas' Street excavation 69 Fig.16 Plan of all features 16 Fig.51 Plan, all features by period 70 Fig.17 Plan of Period I features 17 Fig.52 Non-ferrous metal and bone objects 71 Fig.l8 Plan of Trench 2 Period I features 18 Fig.53 Pottery 73 Fig.19 Plan and section of corn drier 714 Animal Bones (Period I) 19 Fig.54 Animal bone (Site 1134): Fig.20 Plan and section of corn drier 739 proportional representation by (Period I) 19 period of Bos, ovicaprines and Sus 77 Fig.21 Sections of ditches (Period I) 20 Fig.55 Animal bone (Site 1134): skeletal Fig.22 Sections of pits (Period I) 21 element distribution (MZE) of early Fig.23 Plan of burial 671 (Period I) 22 medieval Bos, ovicaprines and Sus 80 Fig.24 Map: Romano-British settlement in Fig .56 Animal bone (Site 1134): cattle the Thetford area 23 size based on first phalange 80 Fig.25 Plan of Period II features 24 Fig.26 Plan and section of hearth 638 Watching Briefs and Trial Trenches (Period Il) 25 Fig .57 Plan of burials and other features at Fig.27 Plan of burial 580 (Period Il) 25 St Nicholas' churchyard, Site 5913 84 Fig.28 Plan of Trench I: distribution of Fig .58 Map ofThetford: excavations and human bone in pits 26 watching briefs, south-east of town 85 Fig.29 Plan of Period III features 28 Fig.59 21 Old Market Street (Site 5747) Fig.30 Sections of pits (Period Ill) 29 plan of trenches 86 Fig.31 Plan of Period IV features 31 Fig.60 21 Old Market Street (Site 5747) Fig.32 Plan of Period V features 33 section of pit 19 86 Fig.61 21 Old Market Street (Site 5747) Fig.33 Plan of Trench I Structure 3 (Period V) 34 crucible 87 Fig.34 Plan of Period VI features 36 Conclusions Fig.35 Site location based on 1885 OS map 37 Fig.62 Map of Thetford: conjectural Late Fig.36 Non-ferrous metal objects 39 Saxon and Medieval topography, Fig.37 Lead objects 40 north of the river 90 VI List of Tables Table 1 Pottery: sherd number and weight Table 13 Burnt molluscs from an early by period 47 medieval (Period Ill) pit 60 Table 2 Pottery: sherd numhe.r ~nd weight Table 14 Carbonised plant remains from by chronological group 47 Roman (Period I) corn driers 60 Table 3 Roman pottery: fabric totals (from Table 15 Carbonised plant remains from all periods) 48 early medieval (Period Ill) pits 62 Table4 Roman pottery: minimum number Table 16 XRF analyses of crucible sherds of vessels 48 (Site 5913) 72 Table 5 Post-Roman pottery: sherd number Table 17 Animal bone (Site 1134): species and weight by fabric 52 present in Late Roman contexts 76 Table 6 Pottery: fabric totals from Period 11 Table 18 Animal bone (Site 1134): species contexts 52 present in Late Saxon contexts 77 Table 7 Pottery: fabric totals from Period Table 19 Animal bone (Site 25296): species Ill contexts 52 present in Late Saxon ditch 78 Table 8 Pottery: fabric totals from Period Table 20 Animal bone (Site 1134): species IV contexts 53 present in early medieval contexts 78 Table 9 Pottery: fabric totals from Period V contexts 54 Table 21 Animal bone (Site 1134): age Table 10 Pottery: fabric totals from Period determination of early medieval VI contexts 55 cattle 81 Table 11 Human bone: minimum number of Table 22 Animal bone (Site 1134): age individuals (MNis) by trench 59 determination of early medieval Table 12 Human bone: age groups in Trench 1 59 ovicaprines 81 Contributors Phil Andrews, BSc, MIFA l{achel Hutton MacDonald formerly Project Manager, Norfolk Archaeological Unit formerly Researcher, Fauna) Remains Unit, University of Cambridge Sue Anderson, BA, MPhil, MIFA Osteoarchaeological Consultant Irena Lentowicz, BA, AIFA formerly Finds Officer, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Steven Ashley, FCSD, AIFA Illustrator, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Alexandra Little, BA formerly Finds Researcher, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Justine Bayley, BSc, MSc, PhD, FSA Head of Technology Section, Ancient Monuments The late Sue Margeson, PhD, FSA Laboratory, English Heritage formerly Keeper of Archaeology, Norwich Castle Mark Blackburn, MA, PhD, FSA Museum Keeper of Coins and Metals, Fitzwilliam Museum, Piers Millington-Wallace, BA Cambridge Illustrator, Norfolk Archaeological Unit John A. Davies, BA, PhD, FRNS, MIFA Peter Murphy, BSc, MPhil Keeper of Archaeology, Norwich Castle Museum Environmental Archaeologist, Centre of East Anglian David Fox Studies, University of East Anglia formerly Illustrator, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Kenneth Penn, BEd, MIFA Val Fryer, BA Senior Project Manager, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Freelance Archaeological Consultant Hoste Spalding David Gurney, BA, MIFA formerly Illustrator, Norfolk Archaeological Unit Principal Landscape Archaeologist, Lucy Talbot Norfolk Museums Service Finds Researcher, Norfolk Archaeological Unit John Wymer, MA, DSc, FSA, FBA, MIFA formerly Field Officer, Norfolk Archaeological Unit VII Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to all contributors to this volume. Service (Accession No.l23.990). Post-excavation work Andrew Rogerson made arrangements for the excavation was financed by a generous grant from English Heritage, and post-excavation work on all sites reported on here, and of whom Philip Walker should be particularly thanked, is particularly thanked for his continued inspiration and and we are happy to acknowledge their support. Myk support of the work in Thetford. Flitcroft, Dave Adams and Phi! Copies ton undertook trial excavation in June and July 1989. The writer was assisted GuildhaU Street in the main excavations by John Davies, Tony Frost Excavations at Guildhall Street were funded by Chantry (Finds), Alistair Barclay, Pip Bradley, Kelly Gorbould and Homes plc. Myk Flitcroft was responsible for the trial Ella Leibowitz. We are grateful to Oliver Bone of the excavation, helped by Dave Adams and Phi! Copleston. Ancient House Museum, Thetford, for his help. The writer The subsequent excavation was carried out by the author is grateful to Richard Parrot and Ronald Clark who visited with the assistance of Dave Adams, Andy Crowson and the site and discussed details of its important later Tony Frost. Barbara Green and Bill Milligan of Norwich industrial history. The finds were conserved at Norwich Castle Museum commented on the Iron Age pottery, and Castle Museum by Alison Wain, and the pottery cleaned John Wymer identified the flint. Special thanks go to by Vera and Stuart Friedenson. Justine Bayley of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory for examining the metallurgical debris, and her colleagues J on Other sites Webb and Robert Ball for carrying out the XRF analyses of the crucibles and analyses of a litharge cake Salvage work and recording at St Nicholas' churchyard respectively. was largely carried out by the writer, Dave Adams and Tim Longman. The groundwork contractors, Trell Ltd, kindly St Nicholas' Street allowed access to the site and Sean O'Reilly is particularly Excavations at St Nicholas' Street were funded by thanked for notifying us on the discovery of various Breckland District Council who also supported the burials and for collecting pottery and other finds during post-excavation work. Paul Durrant and Jim Durrant of ground works. Breckland District Council were instrumental in the The watching brief at 21 Old Market Street was done smooth running of the excavations by ensuring access to by the writer, who wishes to thank the owners for allowing the site, and arranging fencing, machinery and an opportunity to record the site during building work. accommodation. Oliver Bone of the Ancient House Funds for the watching brief and post- excavation work Museum, Thetford, is warmly thanked for making on the Thetford Link Road were provided by Breckland available various facilities throughout the course of the District Council. Arrangements for this were organised by excavations. David Crabtree of Laings kindly granted David Gurney of the Norfolk Archaeological Unit and access to the site during subsequent construction work to John Goldsmith of Breckland District Council. Access to allow the recording of areas not excavated. During the the site during road construction was kindly facilitated by main excavation Alex Little acted as site supervisor, and the contractors, Wimpey Construction. Brian Fisher was Tony Frost was responsible for the on-site processing of responsible for the metal-detector work during topsoil the finds and also for all metal-detector scanning. The stripping. The watching brief to the rear of the Bingo Hall excavation team comprised Tim Longman, Kelly was carried out by the writer and Tim Longman. Gorbould, Jenny Sawyer, Dave Adams, Lucy Talbot, The trial trenches at the Priory car park were funded Richard Holbury and Lisa Wastling. The writer is grateful by Breckland District Council and carried out by the writer to all of these members of the team who ensured that the with the assistance of Steven Ashley, Tony Frost and Kelly site was successfully completed on schedule, and to Reg Gorbould. Fisher who completed the initial finds processing. Mary This report (largely completed by the end of 1992) has Davis, archaeological conservator at the Castle Museum, benefitted from discussion with Andrew Rogerson and Norwich, provided a rapid and efficient conservation Brian Ayers, and from access to Alan Davison 's service, invaluable for the post-excavation programme. documentary work on Thetford prior to publication. Various people have provided assistance and offered Figures l-6, 10-15,49-50,52-53 and 57-61 were drawn advice during work on the finds. Those who should be by Steven Ashley, Figures 7-9 by David Fox, Figures particularly thanked are David Gurney, Andrew Rogerson, 17-27 and 29-34 by Piers Millington-Wallace, Figures Sue Margeson and Trevor Ash win. We are grateful to Jim 36-48 by Hoste Spalding, Figures 16, 28 and 54-56 by Deacon for providing information on the more recent Phi! Andrews, Figure 35 by Sue White, Figure 51 by history of the site. Kenneth Penn, and Figure 62 by Brenda Craddock. Photographic processing was carried out by Dave Wicks Minstergate who also produced Plate IV. The texts were typed by Joy Excavations at Minstergate were funded by the developers Lodey, Joan Daniells and Pat Dickerson, and all of the site, T.S. Frobisher and Sons Ltd. We are pleased to administrative matters efficiently dealt with by Jane express our gratitude to them and to Mr Nigel Everett. Copyediting was carried out by Susanne Atkin. Wolstenholme, a director of that company, for their help The writers are pleased to record their thanks to all and the donation of the finds to the Norfolk Museums these people. viii