Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History

 

Volume 45, part 4 (2024)

 

Early Neolithic activity, a Beaker burial and a prehistoric funerary enclosure at Woolpit

 

by Tom Woolhouse

 

Excavation by Pre-Construct Archaeology found evidence of prehistoric activity on an outcrop of sand and gravel geology. Sherds of Mildenhall-ware type pottery and Mesolithic–Early Neolithic struck flints were recovered from dispersed glacial features and tree hollows, probably representing the remnants of surface scatters of occupation debris that had been incidentally caught up and preserved. One pit contained a larger, deliberately deposited, group of Early Neolithic pottery, flint and plant remains, radiocarbon-dated to 3798–3652 cal. BC. Arguably the most significant discovery was the crouched burial of an adult/elderly man (?) accompanied by a Beaker vessel and radiocarbon-dated to the Chalcolithic period. The grave was surrounded by an unusual ‘sub’-square enclosure formed by a continuous ditch and measuring 22.5m by 18.5m. Artefact evidence and two radiocarbon dates are inconclusive as to whether the enclosure was contemporary with the burial or a later feature, but comparison with the small corpus of similar enclosures known in Suffolk and adjacent counties suggests that a later Bronze Age or Iron Age date is most likely. Based on its morphology and the lack of associated features or cultural material, the enclosure is considered most likely to have had a funerary or other ‘ritual’ function. It might perhaps have been dug to reference and monumentalise an earlier, missing, cairn over the Beaker burial.

 

Late Bronze Age settlement and salt production on the Stour estuary: excavations at Stutton Close, Stutton

 

by Matt Brudenell, Lawrence Billington and Nicholas Cox

 

Small-scale excavations in the village of Stutton in south-east Suffolk, overlooking the estuary of the river Stour, revealed part of an unenclosed Late Bronze Age settlement, including one probable post-built structure and several pit groups. The pits produced significant finds assemblages, including pottery, quern stones, loom weights and spindle whorls, whilst charred plant remains indicate the cultivation and processing of wheat and barley. Radiocarbon dating of the charred plant remains provided dates covering the ninth and tenth centuries BC. Most significantly, several of the pits produced evidence for salt working in the form of a substantial assemblage of briquetage. This represents the earliest secure evidence for salt working in Suffolk, but should be seen in the context of comparable material from Late Bronze Age sites further south, in Essex and along the Thames Estuary. The site makes an important contribution to the understanding of Late Bronze Age settlement in the county, whilst extending the known distribution of early salt working sites in eastern England.

 

The Iron Age origins of Sudbury: did prehistoric defences influence the layout and development of Late Anglo-Saxon settlement seen at the Gainsborough’s House Museum excavations, by Jezz Meredith

 

The curving street pattern of Sudbury reflects the large defensive ditch encompassing the historic core of the town. Although the circular street plan as we see it today is likely to have Anglo-Saxon origins, is it possible that the extensive ditch and bank itself could have been earlier and is possibly of Iron Age date. If prehistoric, these defences were later repurposed to create an Anglo-Saxon defended settlement or ‘burh’. Such a reuse of earlier earthworks conforms to a pattern of refortification of Iron Age defences seen across Anglo-Saxon England.

In this article the Iron Age use and occupation of Sudbury will be reviewed and the prehistoric origins of the town defences considered. Recent excavations at Gainsborough’s House Museum by Cotswold Archaeology (Suffolk office) have revealed intriguing remains of the Iron Age and Late Anglo-Saxon periods. Could the Iron Age features relate to the adjacent defensive bank and ditch? And how did the bank and ditch influence the later layout of the Anglo-Saxon town?

 

Medieval and post-medieval archaeology at Manor Farm, Bawdsey

 

by Andrew A.S. Newton, Lindsay Lloyd-Smith and Liam Podbury

 

The village of Bawdsey, in eastern Suffolk, is known to have medieval origins. Despite numerous archaeological investigations having taken place within the village, mostly ahead of development projects, little clear evidence for medieval activity has been recorded. However, recent work in the area, including an archaeological excavation conducted by Archaeological Solutions Ltd (AS; now Wardell Armstrong) in 2019, is beginning to change this picture. Work by AS identified medieval activity of the type that may be found at the edge of domestic occupation. This includes possible horticultural or small-scale arable cultivation, the corralling of livestock, and the deposition of refuse material generated in a domestic setting.

 

The Ipswich ancestors of Geoffrey Chaucer

 

by Keith Briggs

 

The generally accepted genealogy of Geoffrey Chaucer is that created by Redstone in 1905, using documents in the Ipswich town archives. A re-examination of the same sources shows that Redstone made several unwarranted assumptions, making several of his claims dubious. Moreover, evidence concerning the crucial initial generation was misused. Here a new genealogy is established, containing only rigorously proven links.

 

Hiding in plain sight: the site of the medieval market butchery at Hadleigh

 

by Sue Andrews

 

Having read many documents housed at Hadleigh Archive concerning the market, when parking my car one day between Market Hall to the north, the Corn Exchange on the south and the Guildhall behind me on the west, I realised that the row of wooden gates and the brick wall facing me represented the former site of Hadleigh’s medieval market butchery. Having discovered the location, this article explores the long-term role that the medieval market butchery played within Hadleigh and the subsequent development of the site when a designated butchery area was no longer required. It also gives an insight into some of the lives of men who operated as butchers within Hadleigh.

 

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