Site Event/Activity record ESF22974 - Excavation, Lowestoft Northern Spine Road, Lowestoft

An archaeological excavation was undertaken along the route of a proposed new road scheme in northern Lowestoft in March to May 2014. Prior evaluation trenching across the site had identified six areas (A-F) which would require open area excavation before the development began, and this report covers the results of that work. A number of undated discrete features were encountered in the northern excavation areas (A and B), mostly undated pits and postholes, with two linear ditch features which may relate to prehistoric field systems that have been superseded by the present surviving field system orientation. The excavation areas on the slopes of the river valley (Areas C-E) contained several small ditches/gullies, in one case potentially forming a track way (in Area D), but none were dateable. By form, they are most similar to boundaries or sub-divisions of prehistoric or Romano-British field systems, and their alignments suggest no link with the existing field system orientations. The southernmost excavation area (Area F) revealed field systems of three distinct phases - Roman, medieval and modern - as well as a number of undated ditches potentially forming the corner of a field system. No further work is recommended as being necessary for this project due to the paucity of artefacts and general dating evidence as well as the scattered and diffuse nature of the archaeological features. A short note in a suitable local journal should fulfil the requirement for publication of the results of this excavation.