The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Spong Hill, North Elmham: The Iron Age, Roman and early Saxon settlementSparse Iron Age occupation was followed by extensive rural occupation, building up over three phases in the Roman period to a large 2nd-4th AD farmstead. In the late 4th century AD this was abandoned for no archaeologically discernible reason to lay the ground for the famous Anglo-Saxon cemetery. Ecofactual evidence for crop-processing (including flax) and artefactual evidence for many craft activities are presented. The large collection of Roman pottery is the first from an excavation in Central Norfolk to receive detailed analysis and indicates fineware flows mostly from the Nene valley. This report fills the gap between Spong Hill 6 (prehistoric occupation) and the cemetery reports, most of which are still available. |
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1st century 3rd century 4th century alignment animal bone assemblage barbarous radiates bead Billingford body sherd bowls Brampton Brancaster catalogue cemetery centre coins colour-coated contained contexts copper alloy cremations cropmarks decoration deposits dumps Early Saxon Early Saxon pottery Early Saxon sherds edge enclosure 146 evidence excavated area farmstead fieldwalking Figure firebars fired clay firing chamber glass grave-goods grey ware included inhumations Iron Age jars kiln late Roman later layer loomweight fragments microfiche microfiche Fig mortaria n.ill Nar Valley Nene Valley Norfolk North Elmham north-west Objects of Copper Objects of Iron Objects of Stone pits Plan Sheet possible Posthole Group primary fills probably quartz quern recut Report represented Roman period Roman Phase Roman pottery Roman sherds Romano-British samian secondary fills sections settlement sherds slag small finds spindle-whorls Spong Hill suggests sunken-featured buildings surface types urns vessels weight west side West Stow