Monument record FSG 036 - Late Bronze Age settlement at Fornham Park, Fornham St Genevieve

2019: A metal detecting survey was undertaken in order to assess whether there was any evidence for the historic 'Battle of Fornham' site which was reputed to have taken place within the environs of Fornham Park. However, the metal detecting survey uncovered no evidence for the battlefield with the recovered finds largely being of modern date relating to the use of the site as a World War II training camp. Some of the finds did have antiquity with two copper alloy objects dating to the Roman period and three medieval artefacts including a folded silver long cross penny.

An evaluation identified three zones of archaeology; the first in the north of the site (Trench 2), one in the centre of the site (Trenches 6-10) and the last in the south (Trenches 11, 13, 14, 18 & 19). The main period represented on the site dated to the Late Bronze Age. The bulk of this evidence consisted of ditches, pits and post-holes with some of these almost certainly relating to settlement. Three clusters of features were identified forming fairly defined zones, with different zones also appearing to be used for different functions. The northern zone of activity was focused around two parallel ditches, which may be a trackway and a perpendicular ditch suggesting the presence of field systems or enclosures. One charcoal rich pit was excavated with this containing a significant dump of domestic waste material (charcoal and pottery) which suggests contemporary settlement is present in the vicinity. The central zone had the highest concentration of features on the site consisting of ditches, post-holes and pits. Two clusters of post-holes may define post-built roundhouses and therefore indicate that the central part of the site was the focus of the Late Bronze Age settlement. The southern zone consisted mainly of ditches and pits with the potential that this area was more agricultural in nature. However, similar to both the northern and central zones, a number of pits were identified which appeared to have been used for the deposition of domestic waste, or on one occasion, for the deposition of flint knapping waste. This may indicate that there was fairly widespread settlement across the site. (S1)

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2019 (S4).