Monument record EXG 112 - Neolithic features and undated ditch on Land South of Burwell Road, Exning (TGL) GEO

A sample of periglacial hollows were investigated by the excavation of a series of 1m test pits, with one the hollow yielding Early Neolithic pottery and animal bone. In the north-west part of the site, a large ditch with a north-east to south-west alignment. No finds were recovered and therefore the ditch remains undated; a single grain of emmer/spelt was recovered from an environmental sample. A small number of other features were recorded in the north-west part of the site, including a pit and post-hole yielding Early Neolithic pottery in two trenches, and a post-medieval ditch in a further trench. At the south-eastern limits of the site, two small pits and a ditch terminus were uncovered. Although the pits contained no finds, one pit was found to contain fragments of hazelnut. Ditch terminus contained animal bone, Early Neolithic pottery and Early Neolithic worked flints. Early Neolithic pottery was also recovered from three trenches in the north-west corner, including from a possible post-hole. Although much of the site was found to be devoid of archaeological remains, a small area of Early Neolithic activity has been uncovered along the south-east limit of the site. Early Neolithic ditches are deemed unusual, therefore making this small number of features and its unabraded finds assemblage significant (S1).

Following evaluation in 2019, excavation revealed a large natural hollow containing a deposit rich in Early Neolithic pottery, animal bone, and worked flint. The pottery assemblage is significant as the fresh condition and multiple re-fits between the sherds strongly suggests that this material had not moved since it was deposited.
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2022 (S2)

Evaluation uncovered two small pits and a ditch terminus at the south-eastern limits of the site. The ditch terminus contained animal bone, Early Neolithic pottery and worked flints. Further features containing Early Neolithic pottery included a pit and post-hole in the northwest part of the site and a number of periglacial hollows. Other features included a post-medieval ditch and a large undated ditch identified from geophysical survey.
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2019 (S3)

Aside from one small pit, the majority of the features exposed during this phase of excavation had been formed by natural processes. The feature associated with Early Neolithic finds discovered in the evaluation was demonstrated to be part of a large natural hollow which contained a localised dark deposit from which a substantial amount of Early Neolithic pottery was recovered, alongside struck flints and animal bone. The fresh condition of some of the pottery and multiple re-fits between the sherds suggested that this material had not been subject to significant disturbance since it was deposited, possibly as a result of what might have been ‘everyday and informal’ discard activities. In addition, the presence of two small sherds of Middle Neolithic pottery from the same deposit suggest a later phase of activity in this area. Six other test pits were excavated into the same hollow (104) but only sparse finds were recovered from these. Close to the south edge of hollow, adjacent to the finds-rich deposit, lay another smaller natural feature from which Early Neolithic pottery was also recovered. The single small pit revealed by the excavation contained no finds, and test pits excavated into other natural features on the site also yielded no finds. It therefore appears that the Early Neolithic activity observed at the site was focused on a small area within the south-eastern corner of the site. The domestic nature of the finds assemblage recovered from hollow suggests settlement activity in the vicinity, in particular, the un-abraded condition of the pottery indicates it has not moved since it was deposited. From the small size of this deposit within such a concentrated area is difficult to infer sustained settlement activity. It is more probable that the site was visited episodically as a stopover site or camp, while the presence of two sherds of Middle Neolithic pottery within the same deposit indicates that it could have been utilised in a similar way for a much longer period of time (S4).