If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Early - middle Saxon settlement at Town Road, Quarrington.

Full description

Archaeological trial trenching and excavation in advance of housing development revealed the remains of an early to middle Anglo-Saxon settlement with small-scale industrial activity. The importance of the site lies in its size and longevity within the Anglo-Saxon period and the evidence for early Anglo-Saxon metalworking. In addition the ceramics represent one of the largest excavated assemblages in Britain demonstrating a wide range of forms, fabrics and stylistic developments and trading contacts. The animal bone record has provided a rare insight into the developing rural economy and given a hint of the widespread changes taking place. Parts of the site had poor preservation and given the shallow nature of the features, site conditions were such that almost all the organic record was erased. The Anglo-Saxon activity at the site is represented chiefly by ditches, pits, gullies, hearths and postholes, with associated artefacts which are almost exclusively early and middle Anglo-Saxon. The earliest Anglo-Saxon pottery is thought to be fifth to sixth century. The settlement continued into the seventh and eighth century and the presence of imported vessels suggests that the site was not an insular backwater but susceptible to at least regional influences. The absence of late Anglo-Saxon pottery suggests, with near certainty, that the excavated part of the site at least had been abandoned by this period. Structures clustered in one area of the site and the pottery indicates that this general area was used for habitation during both early and middle periods. With the exception of one possible beam slot and a possible sunken featured building, all that remains of the actual structures is the postholes. Sub-circular and rectangular structures were identified. Two distinct pit groups were also found. One yielded finds that were almost entirely early Anglo-Saxon in date and included evidence for metal working. Slag, hearth linings, mould and crucible fragments were found, indicating the smelting of ferrous and non ferrous metals in a separate industrial zone. The other pit group lay nearer the habitation zone and would appear to have been used for household waste disposal, as latrines or both. Seeds and the remains of cereals were retrieved indicating that arable agriculture was practised, and it seems likely that the bones recovered are those of locally reared stock. Bone identified included cow, sheep, pig and horse in descending order of frequency, there was also dog and cat bones, and environmental sampling added rodent, amphibian and fish. Over 150 fragments of lava quern, probably imported from the Rhineland, were recovered and are an indication of food preparation on the site. Worked animal bone was present in the form of combs and a spindle whorl, which together with loom weights and a pin beater attest to spinning and weaving on site. Finds of non local origin suggest the settlement had links with the Anglo-Saxon trading network. The heart of the site, the residential zone, lies at the western edge of the excavated area and continues into the adjacent unexplored paddocks. It is possible that there was a general trend of settlement moving to the west towards the medieval village core. The result of the excavation and the post excavation research suggests an abstract image of Quarrington with chattering spinners and weavers briefly listening to the hammering of the metalworkers and watching the smoke and sparks of their hearths in the near distance while dogs and cats scavenge and gnaw meal waste; bobbing chickens home in on loose grain around the querns while sooted cooking pots suspended over fires heat bean stews. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}{8}{9}{10}

<1> Archaeological Project Services, 1996, An Early and Middle Saxon Settlement at Quarrington, QTR92; QTR93 (Report). SLI1832.

<2> Archaeological Project Services, 1996, An Early and Middle Saxon Settlement at Quarrington, LCNCC 50.93; 77.94 (Archive). SLI1509.

<3> JARVIS, M., 1992, HERITAGE LINCOLNSHIRE SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, pp 33-4 (Article in Serial). SLI640.

<4> BUCKLEY, D., 1994, HERITAGE LINCOLNSHIRE THIRD ANNUAL REPORT, P 38 (Article in Serial). SLI645.

<5> Heritage Lincolnshire, 1992, Archaeological Evaluation at Town Road, Quarrington, QTR92 (Report). SLI1844.

<6> F.N. Field and I. George, 1994, Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, Vol 29, p 49 (Article in Serial). SLI696.

<7> F.N. Field and I. George, 1995, Archaeology in Lincolnshire, Vol 30, pp 48-9 (Article in Serial). SLI697.

<8> F.N. Field and I. George, 1996, Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, Vol 31, p 60 (Article in Serial). SLI698.

<9> COUPLAND, F. AND WALKER, F., 1995, HERITAGE LINCOLNSHIRE FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT, pp 40-1 (Article in Serial). SLI636.

<10> Taylor, G., 2003, 'An Early to Middle Saxon Settlement at Quarrington, Lincolnshire' in The Antiquaries Journal, Vol 83; pp 231-80 (Article in Serial). SLI11978.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• HOUSE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• INDUSTRIAL SITE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• METAL WORKING SITE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• PIT (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• POST HOLE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• MOULD (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)
• SLAG (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 849 AD)

Associated Events

• Geophysical survey at Town Road, Quarrington
• Archaeological excavations at Town Road, Quarrington
• Trial excavation at Town Road, Quarrington

Sources and further reading

Related records

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.