Contd.
NORTON ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND This Archaeological Background description is extracted from the Assessment Report of the Archaeological Excavations undertaken at St. Nicholas' School, Norton by Heritage Network in 1995 and 1998. 1 Archaeological Excavations 1.1The landscape around the village of Norton is archaeologically diverse. Within AA 94 there have been several important excavations. Between 1958 and 1974, John Moss-Eccardt excavated a number of sites around Blackhorse Road, covering an area of more than 13 hectares. Within this area, fourteen zones of activity were examined in detail. A wide range of features were excavated including a number of funnel shaped pits dated to the Late Neolithic (c 3100-2500 Cal BC). Each pit contained the skeleton of a dog, pottery sherds and worked flints. Two D-shaped palisaded enclosures were excavated, one of which included artefacts and features from the Late Neolithic period into the Iron Age; the other probably of an Early Iron Age date (c.700bc-400bc) (Moss Eccardt 1988, 44). A possible Middle Iron Age (C.400bc-100bc) roundhouse was situated within a series of enclosures. Several Mid-Late Iron Age pits were revealed, three of which contained human remains. A series of Late Iron Age / Early Romano-British intercutting ditches were also excavated, in one of which an important La Tene II/III iron cauldron collar and rim was found (ibid, 70; Moss-Eccardt 1965). Of great interest was the discovery of eight burials, two of which were thought to be of Iron Age date, whilst the others were considered to represent part of a pagan Saxon cemetery (c.600-700AD) (Moss Eccardt 1988, 74). 1.2.Further Saxon evidence was uncovered during excavations in 1988 at Green Lane, Letchworth. A series of Saxon and early Medieval sunken feature buildings were discovered, indicating a settlement which was initially thought to date from the 9th century through to the 13th century (Matthews & Burleigh 1988). Note that a re-assessment of the pottery from this site prior to publication is leading to a re-evaluation of the conclusions that this is a Saxon site (Fitzpatrick-Matthews 2007): the material is now thought to indicate occupation from AD c 1000 to around 1250. 1.3A number of excavations have also been carried out along the line of the Icknield Way. John Moss-Eccardt investigated an area where it survived as a hollow way, close to where it had been cut by the railway. This same excavation was able to demonstrate that the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age and Romano-British areas of occupation had been bordered by a defensive bank and ditch (Moss-Eccardt 1988, 56). 1.4Further excavations along Blackhorse Road, Letchworth were carried out by the North Hertfordshire District Council Archaeology Field Unit in 1992 under the direction of G. R Burleigh. The remains of a possible trackway running east – west were recognised, following the same alignment as the Icknield Way, but situated a little further to the north. A substantial pit was identified beneath the trackway and amongst the finds recovered were a copper alloy pin, together with several fragments of a green glass flagon dated to the fourth century AD. These finds are likely to represent the remains of a disturbed grave (Richmond and Went 1993, 10). 1.5In 1907, during the construction of new buildings within the grounds of St. Nicholas' School, two glass cosmetic phials (unguentaria) were retrieved, together with Samian pottery (HER 1266, 2265). At about the same time, a Roman coin of Constans, together with the fragments of a decorated Samian bowl and a Roman tazza (HER 1281, 1282), were found during the digging of foundations for cottages at no. 20 Church Lane. Such funds are commonly found in association with cremations and it is possible that they relate to a Romano-British cemetery in the vicinity of the school site. However, the wide variation in date of the material must cast doubt on this interpretation: they may simply be unassociated finds deriving from nearby settlement.
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