Monument record BEG 059 - OUTLINE RECORD - Prehistoric enclosures and Saxon settlement at East Anglia One Area 23 (WB)

2017: Excavations on the site produced palaeoenvironmental evidence spanning Mesolithic to medieval times. The environmental data came from naturally accumulated deposits within a series of five palaeochannels near the floor of the Fynn valley, which suggest that the site was occupied by a Mesolithic braided river system, which gradually became marshland dotted with stands of alder carr forest, as the river Fynn gradually moved into its current position, some 230m to the west of the site. These deposits form a continuous chronological sequence, charting climatic change from the boreal forests of the early Holocene to the deciduous forests and agricultural fields of the medieval period. Occasional artefacts – either contemporaneous or residual – mostly represent hunter-gatherer activity, or traces of settlement activity higher up the valley slopes. A notable exception to this may be Late Neolithic roe deer ‘frontlet’, which had been frequently handled – creating polished aeras on the inside of the skulls. It is possible that these were used in ritual or ritualistic activity connected to the marsh, though they may also be further evidence of hunting activity.

Peaks of human activity on the site occurred during Early Bronze Age, and medieval to early postmedieval times. Early Bronze Age activity comprises a burnt mound and a pit, which are likely indicative of nearby settlement activity in the area to the north of Martlesham Creek. The medieval and postmedieval remains, dating to between the 13th and 17th centuries, include a large medieval L-shaped dwelling with an adjacent garden, yard, and pond, which may be the remains of Seckforth Hall – the medieval predecessor to the 16th century Seckford Hall, c 500m to the northeast. The dwelling was occupied until the 16th century, before being demolished, making Site 23 on of the few sites on the EAONE project to show continuity of use across the famines and plagues that decimated the population of Europe from the late 13th and 14th centuries. It was re-built in the mid-16th century but was probably abandoned and demolished by the early 17th century. The entire site had been converted into agricultural and by the 19th century.

Artefacts related to the medieval and post-medieval dwellings include a wealth of pottery, animal bone and registered finds that speak to the high status of the occupants – potentially the Seckford family – and included beer brewing cisterns, table wars for entertaining, imported good from Spain and Germany, padlocks for securing valuable items, shackles for detaining prisoners, and riding equipment.

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2017 (S1).