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Summary

Late Iron Age settlement containing a mint and possibly the largest settlement of the Corieltauvian territory between 50BC and 50 AD

Full description

PRN 60583 now incorporating PRN 60695, now deleted
Stratified and unstratified finds including pottery, found during a watching brief at TF 0775 4595, suggest that there was possibly late Iron Age occupation of the area, though the main thrust of occupation was mid third to late fourth century AD. Features includes pits and ditches. {1}{2}
A small late Iron Age carinated cup was found during building operations. {3}{4}
Trial trenching at TF 0787 4624 shows that the very late Iron Age settlement appears to be concentrated on the eastern half of the site. The field boundaries and drainage ditches that have been found here intimate that the site was probably agriculture-based. The rarity of actual finds on this site suggest that it was peripheral to the Iron Age settlement to the west. {5}{6}
During a watching brief in 2002 centred on TF0781 4597, Prehistoric pottery sherds were recovered which may be of Iron Age date. {7}{8}
During the many excavations on the site, a large amount of Iron Age settlement evidence has been revealed. The extent of the known Iron Age remains cover an area of at least 32 hectares. Aerial photographs hint that the settlement may also extend to the fields to the east of the railway lines. The site is thought to be a major enclosure, possibly defended and the site of a possible Corieltauvian mint. It has been suggested that Old Sleaford could have been the largest settlement in the Corieltauvian territory between 50BC and AD50. Middle Iron Age remains have been found to the south of Boston Road (see PRN 65280). {9}{20}
The later Iron Age occupation is represented by large numbers of ditches, gullies, pits, postholes and stake holes. The site appears to have consisted of at least five enclosures and three structures. One of the structures was probably rectangular in shape, consisting of fourteen stake holes in a ditch along one side of the structure, these are thought to be supports for wattle work which would have been daubed to form a wall, a large amount of daub was recovered from this area which would support this theory. The structure is thought to be approximately 5 metres in length. A second structure was measured at 12 metres by 7 metres. In addition to the enclosures and structures a large complex of pits, intersecting gullies, and ditches suggest a concentration of occupation in this area. An unmetalled trackway runs across the site in a northwest to southeast direction. A large quantity of finds were recovered including late Iron Age fine wares, coin pellet mould fragments and crucible. The centre of the mint on the site has not yet been found, but a large assemblage of fragmentary coin pellet moulds were recovered. The pellet moulds are in trays and the apertures for the pellets came in three different sizes, probably relating to different denominations, minims, half and full denomination. It has been speculated that this may have been a major mint and could have produced as many as 18000 pellets. The trays or moulds themselves only appear to have been used for the production of silver pellets and were used only once. They appear to have been deliberately broken to remove each pellet and then discarded. Despite all the minting evidence only three coins have been recovered from the site. Two uninscribed Corieltauvian silvers coins of the South Ferriby type and a bronze inscribed coin of the Dobunni. Fragments of crucibles were recovered indicating some metalworking was undertaken either on site or close to it. {9}{20}
Excavations during a pipeline centered at TF07604585 revealed further evidence of habitiation, including gullies ditches, pottery, animal remains and enclosure ditches. Other features may be interpreted as post built huts and an ancient trackway. Past excavations indicate that this was a high status site, although the mint that was expected to have been located in this area was not located at this site. {10}{11}
A single late Iron Age feature was identified at the western edge of development on the former Dalgety Warehouse site. A small quantity of late Iron Age/Roman transition period pottery was also recovered. {14}{15}
Excavation at the Hopland Business Centre uncovered several linear features, probably boundary ditches, and pits of late Iron Age date which are probably associated with the settlement. Unabraded late Iron Age pottery was found in these features. An almost complete loom weight was also recovered. Animal remains from the site are predominatly sheep/goat including foetal remains, indicating breeding of animals on site, and also older remains, suggesting that animals were kept for wool and milk as well as meat. {16}{17}
A complete Iron Age pot was found in The Hoplands (approx TF 078 458) in 1976 or earlier, during building works. The pot is a small wheel-turned pot of late Iron Age date (about AD1 to AD43). {13}{18}
During trial trenching at the Hoplands Business Centre (TF 0776 4596), evidence of late Iron Age activity was uncovered. Although only one feature, a ditch, could be dated to this period, quantities of pottery were found in several later features suggesting that the site was occupied during the late Iron Age. This occupation was either of low density, or the remains of it have been destroyed by the subsequent Romano-British occupation. {21}{22}
During excavation by Archaeological Project Services at the former Hoplands Business Centre [60583a] in January and February 2009, evidence of a late Iron Age to early Roman settlement was revealed. Features revealed included sub curcular enclosures, pits, ditches and linears and finds included late Iron Age to early Roman pottery, animal bone and a loomweight. {25}{26}

<01> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 1995, Archaeological Watching Brief Report: The Hoplands, Sleaford, THS95 (Report). SLI5315.

<02> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 1995, Archaeological Watching Brief: The Hoplands, Sleaford, LCNCC 134.95 (Archive). SLI1739.

<03> NORTH KESTEVEN RECORDS, NK 34.38, 0, - (Index). SLI2106.

<04> City and County Museum Collection, LCNCC 212.76 (Artefact). SLI8.

<05> Archaeological Project Services, 2001, Archaeological Evaluation of Land at the Hoplands, Sleaford, THSA01 (Report). SLI7268.

<06> Archaeological Project Services, 2001, Archaeological Evaluation of Land at the Hoplands, Sleaford, LCNCC:2001.59 (Archive). SLI7269.

<07> Archaeological Project Services, Feb 2003, Archaeological Watching Brief of Geotechnical Test Pits on Land at The Hoplands, Sleaford, STH02 (Report). SLI8564.

<08> Archaeological Project Services, Feb 2003, Archaeological Watching Brief of Geotechnical Test Pits on Land at The Hoplands, Sleaford, LCNCC 2002.500 (Archive). SLI8565.

<09> Shelia M. Elsdon, 1997, Old Sleaford Revealed: A Lincolnshire Settlement in Iron Age, Roman, Saxon and Medieval Times: Excavations 1882-1995 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI8621.

<10> Archaeological Project Services, 1997, Archaeological Investigation of a Pipeline along St Giles' Avenue, Sleaford, SSG96 (Report). SLI1943.

<11> Archaeological Project Services, 1997, Archaeological Investigation of a Pipeline along St Giles' Avenue, Sleaford, LCNCC:137.96 (Archive). SLI1686.

<12> Ewerby & Evedon SMR Cards, TF 04 NE; BS (Index). SLI3007.

<13> Sleaford SMR cards, TF 04 NE; BR, BW, E (Index). SLI3265.

<14> Archaeological Project Services, 2005, Archaeological Scheme of Works on Land at the Former Dalgety Warehouse Site, Sleaford, SDW03 (Report). SLI10611.

<15> Archaeological Project Services, 2005, Archaeological Scheme of Works on Land at the Former Dalgety Warehouse Site, Sleaford, LCNCC 2003.98 (Archive). SLI10612.

<16> Archaeological Project Services, 2006, Archaeological Evaluation on land at the Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford, SHBC 05 (Report). SLI10619.

<17> Archaeological Project Services, 2006, Archaeological Evaluation on land at the Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford, LCNCC 2005.245 (Archive). SLI10620.

<18> A.J. White, 1976, Letters regarding an Iron Age pot, - (Correspondence). SLI11080.

<19> FENNELL, K.R., 1955, Excavations at Old Place, Sleaford (July-October 1955), - (Report). SLI11983.

<20> City and County Museum, 1960 onwards, Letters, notes and other material relating to the 1960s excavations at Old Sleaford, - (Correspondence). SLI11986.

<21> Archaeological Project Services, 2008, Archaeological Evaluation on Land at Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford, HBCS07 (Report). SLI12004.

<22> Archaeological Project Services, 2008, Archaeological Evaluation on Land at Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford, LCNCC 2007.218 (Archive). SLI12005.

<23> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), p 657 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<24> Ordnance Survey, Sleaford O.S. cards, TF 04 NE: 14 (Index). SLI2726.

<25> Archaeological Project Services, 2011, Excavation and Salvage Recording at former Hoplands Business Centre, Boston Road, Sleaford, HBCS09 (Report). SLI13705.

<26> Archaeological Project Services, 2011, Excavation and Salvage Recording at former Hoplands Business Centre, Boston Road, Sleaford, LCNCC 2009.9 (Archive). SLI13706.

Monument Types

• ARTEFACT SCATTER (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• DITCH (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• MINT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• PIT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• STRUCTURE (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
• COIN (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• COIN (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• CRUCIBLE (Middle Iron Age to Roman - 400 BC to 43 AD)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• COIN MOULD (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 50 AD)
• LOOMWEIGHT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• SHERD (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• SLAG (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• SHERD (Late Iron Age to Roman - 50 BC to 50 AD)

Associated Events

• Excavation and Salvage Recording at former Hoplands Business Centre, Boston Road, Sleaford
• Archaeological excavation along St Giles' Avenue, Sleaford, 1996
• Archaeological evaluation at The Hoplands
• Watching brief on land at The Hoplands, Sleaford
• Excavations adjacent to St Giles Avenue, 1955.
• Excavations near St Giles Church, 1960
• Excavations on land between Old Place and Mareham Lane, 1960-61
• Excavations on land between Old Place and Mareham Lane, 1963-4
• Excavations on land at Old Place, Sleaford, 1984-5
• Excavations on land south of Boston Road, Sleaford, 1989
• Watching brief at The Hoplands, Sleaford, 1995
• Watching brief on land at the former Dalgety Warehouse site, Sleaford
• Archaeological excavation at the former Dalgety Warehouse site, Sleaford
• Archaeological evaluation on land at Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford
• Archaeological evaluation on land at Hoplands Business Centre, Sleaford

Sources and further reading

Related records

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