Monument record MNL 154 - Fifty Farm (BA)

Occupation site indicated by surface (molehill) finds in pasture during field to field survey, and excavated in 1934 by C S Leaf. Trenched then open area excavated over area circa 26 feet diameter.
6 inch deep occupation layer of loose grey sand sealed by 6 inches of peaty sand and sandy peat with 12 inches of peat (ploughsoil) above. Overlaying sand over gravel and chalk marl at 4 feet 6 inches depth.
Occupation layer contained bones of sheep, ox, pig, red deer, roe deer and water vole, some gnawed by (?) dogs. A human lower jaw and a part of tibia were also found (note human bones from MNL 165 and 153). Artefacts included tip of a bone pin or awl; a cut bone; 161 flint implements, some patinated, others unpatinated, including 118 scrapers, 15 cores, 3 barbed and tanged arrowheads, one lopsided/single barbed arrowhead, 3 knives (1 + plano-convex), and ? borer/awl. Also one rough sandstone hammer. Very few burnt flints. Much pottery, mainly beaker or rusticated forms, both of which had traces of white `inlay' - beaker divided into two groups according to difference in weathering included 2 handles and a decorated base. One beaker restored (S1)(S2). Beaker classified by Clarke (S3) and Gibson (S4), who identifies part of a possible Peterborough bowl (see Neo) and urn. Location of site at TL 652 759 approximate only, taken from small sketch plan in (S1)(S2)(R1).
Charcoal associated with beaker and other occupation material radiocarbon dated to 1850 +/- 150 bc (BM-133)(S6)(S7)(R2).
1986: Fieldwalked for Fenland survey, details not yet available (S5). ? Leaf's notebook (catalogue number W08/1/7) and drawings dated 1935/1936 in Cambridge University Museum (S8), presumably relating to this site. Also Neo.