20th October 2018, Dr Adam Tinsley from Oxford Archaeology gave us a very interesting talk about their excavations on the development site south of Newark.  Expecting only to find some civil war remains, they uncovered a multi-period site that is certainly of regional, if not national significance.

Much post-excavation analysis still needs to be written up, but Adam told us about excavations on the east of Bowbridge Lane that identified the remains of a predominantly Iron Age settlement with nearly a dozen roundhouses, numerous pit deposits and various other features, nested within an extensive system of ditched enclosures and associated land divisions. A large assemblage of Iron Age pottery, primarily from the pit deposits, and evidence of metalworking was recovered. There was also a small amount of earlier prehistoric material in the form of worked flint, potentially of Mesolithic to Neolithic date, and Bronze Age pottery, mainly as residual finds in later features, but nevertheless attesting to earlier phases of activity at the site.

One part of the site had a later Roman enclosure with some pottery kilns that looked as if they had been little used.

To the west of Bowbridge Lane they uncovered a possible hengiform or barrow site of late neolithic/early bronze age with cremation remains. Some well preserved collared and bucket urns were lifted for further excavation in their laboratory.  One of the objects recovered was a beautifully decorated piece of jet from a necklace.

For more details about this work and excavation visit Oxford Archaeology’s site on this link.