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Summary

Iron Age salt-making site, Helpringham Fen.

Full description

The site was first recognised when the Car Dyke Research Group recorded twelve mounds running in a line more or less parallel to the Helpringham Eau during fieldwalking in the 1960s. The mounds produced a scatter of fired clay debris and some Iron Age potsherds.

Further surface finds of salt making material with a small quantity of Iron Age scored ware pottery were made at approximately TF 155 405, at 'the junction of Helpringham Fen and the Car Dyke', in 1970 (or earlier). The finds represented at least one saltern.

A programme of magnetometry survey and excavations were subsequently undertaken in 1972, with further excavation in 1975. The 1972 excavations uncovered a sub-circular mound surface surrounded by a gully with stakeholes in its base, which suggested a palisade trench. Other gullies were also noted. An ashy depression was thought to be the stokehole, but no indication of a furnace-throat was found. The 1975 excavations uncovered two additional mounds with hearth complexes to the south of the 1972 site. The series of mounds were aligned roughly north/south, with each mound containing hearth remains within clay-built enclosure walls which may represent boiling houses (or pan houses) to shelter the salt-workers. The mounds had ditches around them and possible causewayed entrances. Three main hearth complexes were uncovered, with evidence of rebuilding and relocation. No conclusive evidence for what the hearths were used for was found, leaving open the possibility that they may be kilns. A number of ditches were recorded containing ash, burnt material, fired clay and briquetage. It appeared that the ground surface was entirely artificial, with mounds constantly building up and material being tipped into ditches, with fresh ditches being cut and hearths rebuilt. A quantity of pottery and a quern amongst the finds suggest some occupation of the site. The finds suggest use of the site in the mid third century BC, although the presence of later Iron Age and Roman material suggests some continuity of use. Radio-Carbon dating gave dates in the range 487-116 BC. One fragment of human skull was found that had evidence of saw marks, having been deliberately cut, probably post mortem. {1}{2}{3}{4}

<1> Healey, Hilary, 1999, 'An Iron Age salt-making site at Helpringham Fen, Lincolnshire: Excavations by the Car Dyke Research Group 1972-7' in Lincolnshire Salterns: Excavations at Helpringham, Holbeach St Johns and Bicker Haven, pp.1-19 (Article in Monograph). SLI8225.

<2> Lincolnshire County Council, Sites and Monuments Record Card Index, TF 14 SE: J, Y (Index). SLI2881.

<3> Photographs and illustrations from the excavated saltern site in Helpringham, - (Graphic Material). SLI11271.

<4> A.J. White (ed.), 1976, 'Archaeology in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, 1975' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, vol.11, p.58 (Article in Serial). SLI757.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• GULLY (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• HEARTH (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• KILN (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• PALISADE (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• PAN HOUSE (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• SALT WORKS (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• STAKE HOLE (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)

Associated Finds

• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC? to 101 BC?)
• BRIQUETAGE (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC? to 101 BC?)
• KNIFE (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC? to 101 BC?)
• QUERN (Middle Iron Age - 400 BC to 101 BC)
• SHERD (Middle Iron Age to Roman - 400 BC to 99 AD)

Associated Events

• Helpringham Fen gradiometer survey
• Excavation at Helpringham Fen 1
• Excavation at Helpringham Fen 2

Sources and further reading

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