Monument record MRM 144 - Iron Age features and a Roman field system at Land between Main Road and Felixstowe Road

Magnometer survey identified a set of enclosures of probable prehistoric form that cover the northern part of the site, in addition to other anomalies that may be indicative of past activity (S1).
Following geophysical survey, fieldwalking and metal-detection surveys were carried out on land between Main Road and Felixstowe Road. The surveys produced mainly post-medieval finds, but also one sherd of Roman pottery, seven pieces of Roman CBM, one piece of medieval CBM and a copper alloy bolt of possible medieval date. These showed no clear concentrations across the site. The only potential finds cluster was represented by Middle Bronze Age flint tools and possibly associated burnt flints, accumulated along the eastern edge of the field (S2).

An evaluation on land between Main Road and Felixstowe Road, prior to residential development revealed a number of linear features that include field boundaries, internal subdivisions and irrigation ditches and plough lines, as well as a smaller number of pits and postholes. The artefactual remains varied from a single Neolithic flint to a quantity of mid 20th century RAF/NAFFI china found in a refuse dump pit (a World War II airfield lies to the south) but also Roman and medieval pottery. As there are known Roman finds in close vicinity, it is likely that some of the ditches are part of a Roman field system, with possibly underlying later prehistoric activity and overlying medieval field usage.
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2012 (S3)(S4).