Archaeological Mitigation at Magna Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire

Contents

1: Introduction

Project background

Topography and geology along the route

Historical and archaeological background

Archaeological work in the area

Approach to the archaeological investigation

Summary and site phasing

Planning application and 106 agreement

2: The archaeological evidence

Period 1, Areas A13 and A15, middle Bronze Age funerary sites (1500-1000BC)

Period 2a, Areas A2, A15 and X25, middle-late Iron Age settlements

Period 2b, Areas A1, A10, A13 and A15, late Iron Age/early Roman transition (late 1st century BC- middle 1st century AD)

Periods 3a-3e, Roman occupation, Areas A1, A2, A10, A13 and X25 (AD43-AD350+)

Period 3a, Areas A1, A10, A13 and X25, early-middle Roman (AD43-AD150)

Period 3ai, Areas A2, A10 and A13 early Roman (early-middle 2nd century AD) (AD100-AD150)

Periods 3b-3d, Area A1, A2, A10 and A13, middle-late Roman, (AD150-AD350)

Period 3d, Areas A1 and A2, late Roman activity (AD250–350)

Period 3e, Area A1, Roman quarrying activity (AD350+)

Periods 4, 5 and 6: Medieval to post-medieval (Early-middle Saxon to the late 17th – 18th century)

Periods 4a-4aii, 5a-5e, Areas A 15, A18, X24 and X25, Saxon and medieval activity

Period 5a, Areas A15, A18 and X25, medieval settlement activity (11th–12th century)

Periods 5a, 5ai, 5aii and 5b, Area X25, 11th-12th century medieval settlement

Periods 5a-5b, Areas X25, 12th century medieval settlement

Period 5c, Areas A18 and X25, 12th-middle 13th century medieval activity

Period 5d, middle 13th-14th century medieval activity, Areas A18 and X25

Period 5e, Area A18, late 14th-middle 16th century activity

Period 6a, Area X24, post-medieval track

3: Finds

Worked Flint – Ann Bojko

Middle Bronze Age pottery cremation vessels – Nicholas J Cooper

Iron Age and Roman pottery – Nicholas J. Cooper

Saxon to post-medieval pottery – Paul Blinkhorn

Fired clay loomweights and oven plates – Pat Chapman

The slag – Andy Chapman

The stone – Andy Chapman

Ceramic building material and fired clay – Rob Atkins

Metal and non-metallic small finds – Nina Crummy

4: Human remains

Human bone – Chris Chinnock

5: The faunal and environmental evidence

The animal bone – Adam Reid

Charred plant remains – Wendy Smith

Wood-Charcoal Analysis – Marvin Demicoli

6: Discussion by Rob Atkins and Stephen Morris

Landscape characterisation

Early prehistoric activity

Middle Bronze Age burials

Late Bronze Age and early Iron Age

Roman occupation (AD43-middle 4th century)

Area Trench X24, medieval/post-medieval track

Bibliography