More information : [SE 563121] Earthworks [G.T.] (1)
The banked and ditched earthworks (visible on AP's) (4) situated on marshy ground on Sutton Common were excavated 1933-5 by Prof Whiting.
The structures had superficial appearances not unlike those of Roman camps, but this hypothesis was not confirmed by excavation. A series of post-holes, some containing the remains of partially decayed wooden stakes, with evidence of brushwood between, was found beneath the rampart, suggesting a palisade predating the earthwork. Circular depressions on the ramparts, each surrounding a low mound, were considered to represent hut circles.
Finds were few, comprising a perforated stone object possibly a net sinker or spindle whorl; a clay ball; fragments of RB pot of late 2nd/early 3rd cent. date; a wooden object, possibly a wheel; Me to BA Flint implements mostly found below the old soil line and consisting of scrapers, blades, flakes and cores; also animal bones.
Whiting considered that the position of the R.B. pottery dated the earthworks to before the end of the 2nd cent. A.D., but this is by no means definite, and the state of preservation of the wooden finds suggests a much more recent date. (2-4)
Published survey (25") revised. The banks enclose two small pasture grounds within an area of drained fen. The 'earthworks' are of no recognisable form but appear to be the result of seasonal 'warping', (alluvial deposits from controlled flooding) and may be no earlier than Medieval in date. (5)
Possible Mesolithic flint working site, cores and blades/flakes. (6)
Aerial photograph of plough damage. (7)
Owing to agricultural destruction the site was partially excavated in 1987-9. Enclosure B contained organic remains including hurdle fencing and prehistoric carpentry. C14 dating of the timber and seeds suggest the enclosure was used around the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
The excavation of enclosure A uncovered the remains of timber-built buildings, possibly dwellings, in the form of post-holes, a few still had the remains of posts within them. A row of stakes was found when the central bank was excavated. However, a serious peat fire in the 1960s may have destroyed most of the organic remains in this area. The site's history may be summarised as follows:
1. The whole peat basin must at one time have been open water bounded by reedswamp and woodland, with a slow moving river running through northwards to the River Went. This episode probably coincided with the Mesolithic activity noted on the small island (Sut 2).
2. The two largest Islands were enclosed by earth banks and ditches, possibly around the 5th to the 4th century BC, though the banks of Enclosure A post-dated a timber palisade of unknown date.
3. The preserved timber in the ditches of Enclosure B demonstrate that woodland in the area was coppiced during this time. (8)
Additional reference. (9)
An examination of air photographs dating to the 1970s and 1980s (10a)
reveals that enclosure A has been levelled by ploughing, although it
is still showing in 1984 as cropmarks. Ploughing has respected
enclosure B which in 1987 still survives as earthworks. (10)
SE 563 121 and SE 565 121. Earthworks on Sutton Common. Scheduled
no. SY/291. (11)
Two large enclosures and some ditch are visible as earthworks on air photographs. They may be interpreted as enclosed settlements of Iron Age date. They are centred at SE 5641 1207.
The western and smaller of the enclosures is formed by a bank and a ditch (the latter appears to run in parts around both the interior and exterior sides of the bank). The bank measures 4-5m wide and the ditch is 3-5m wide. In plan the enclosure is slightly triangular. Part of the bank extends from a possible entrance in the south-east side towards to second larger enclosure lying 68m to the east. This may be a hint of a causeway (Van de Noort, 2004). There is a second possible entrance in the south-western side. The larger enclosure is sub-rectangular in plan and defined (along the eastern side at least) by between 3 and 4 ditches and a similar number of banks. It is not clear whether these features are defensive. Around the western side there is less evidence on the air photographs available of such multivallate construction. There appear to be entrances facing north-west (in line with the possibly causewayed entrance in the smaller enclosure) and south-east (through the multivallate earthworks).
(12-16)
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