Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting 9781789696455, 9781789696462

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English Pages [185] Year 2020

Table of contents :
Cover
Title Page
Copyright page
Contents Page
List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Site location
Figure 1.2: Results of geophysical survey, showing major structures (by Geophysical Surveys, Bradford, from Warwickshire Museum 1997)
Figure 1.3: Aerial view of the northern half of the site, looking north, showing major Iron Age structures and the furrows of the medieval field system (original images by Andy Holland)
Figure 1.4: General site plan, showing the prehistoric features and the overlying furrows of the medieval field system
Figure 1.5: Looking north-east across enclosure E4 to the linear boundary ditch D1, showing the water-filled features following the flooding during March and April 1998
Figure 1.6: Excavation of enclosure E1, producing copper alloy casting debris; maintaining progress by use of barrow runs across the wet surface and bailing out features as necessary
Figure 1.7: Near the end of the excavation, looking towards the north-east corner of the site, with the machine stripped areas to the left, centre and top, and the box scraper stripped areas to the centre-right and foreground
Figure 2.1: Plans and sections of Bronze Age pits
Figure 3.1: General plan of Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-5
Figure 3.2: The development of the Middle Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-4
Figure 3.3: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400BC)
Figure 3.4: The southern portal posthole, 195, and the narrow wall slot, 196, of the early roundhouse RD6, looking south
Figure 3.5: Aerial view of the principal roundhouse RD5, looking north (image by Andy Holland)
Figure 3.6: Principal roundhouse RD5, looking west across the late outer enclosure ditch
Figure 3.7: Aerial view of the copper alloy working area, Group1, looking north (image by Andy Holland)
Figure 3.8: Set of loomweights from a pit in RD18
Figure 3.9: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.400-350/300BC)
Figure 3.10: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/200-250/200BC)
Figure 3.11: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)
Figure 3.12: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC- AD75)
Figure 4.4: Group 1: ditch sections for RD2, RD3 and E1
Figure 4.5: The western (a: S21, 40 and 29) and eastern (b: S20, 27 and 34) ditch terminals of ring ditch RD3, and a section to the south-east (c: S25, 31 and 34)
Figure 4.6: Group 2, roundhouses RD5, RD6, RD16, RD17 and RD33
Figure 4.7: Group 2, sections for roundhouse RD5
Figure 4.8: The northern ring ditch terminals of roundhouse RD5, the inner ditch, 166 (left) and outer ditch, 167 (right)
Figure 4.9: The outer northern ring ditch terminal of RD5, 167, looking north, showing the dark fills containing burnt cobbles
Figure 4.11: Group 3, ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9, RD10 and RD11
Figure 4.12: Group 3, sections for ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9 and RD11
Figure 4.13: Section of the main southern doorway post-pit, 260 (right), of RD12, and the shallow external plank settings, 261(left)
Figure 4.15: The eastern ring ditches, RD1, RD21 and RD22
Figure 4.16: The northern enclosures, E6 and E7, and enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1, E8 and RD7
Figure 4.17: The northern enclosures, RD7, E4 and RD8, abutting boundary ditch D1
Figure 4.18: Section across the enclosure E4 and boundary ditch D1
Figure 5.1: Early (1-3) and Middle Iron Age pottery (4-6)
Figure 5.2: Middle Iron Age pottery (7-11)
Figure 5.3: Early Iron Age, 1-2, and Middle Iron Age pottery, 1-2, 4-5 and 11 (Scale 10mm)
Figure 5.4: Middle Iron Age pottery (12-15)
Figure 5.5: Middle Iron Age scored ware pottery (16 -17 & 19)
Figure 5.6: Scored ware pottery, 17-19
Figure 5.7: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, all fabrics
Figure 5.8: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, sandy
Figure 5.9: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, fine shell (red) and coarse shell (blue)
Figure 6.1: The distribution of finds in the bronze and bone working complex
Figure 6.2: Copper alloy casting debris, 1: crucible, 2-3: sprue cups, 4: pouring gate and 5-6: mould fragments with impressions of cast objects
Figure 6.3: Crucibles: a) SF7 three views and b) SF28 profile (Scale 10mm)
Figure 6.4: Body of circular mould, plan and section, SF110 (Scale 10mm)
Figure 6.5: Sprue-cups, a) complete, plan and profile, SF49 and b) incomplete, plan, SF50 and SF16 (Scale 10mm)
Figure 6.6: The mould matrix: a) SF109, left and SF78 right and b) sprue-cup and mould matrix from Gussage All Saints, as displayed in the British Museum (Scale 10mm)
Figure 6.7: Reconstructed lost wax casting mould for a bridle bit side link, showing variations in the firing of the clay mould
Figure 6.8: Open bar mould, plan and section, SF102
Figure 6.9: Open bar mould, SF102 (Scale 10mm)
Figure 6.10: Micrograph of slag/crucible interface with silica grains alongside metal prills
Figure 6.11: Micrograph of crucible showing minute pieces of charcoal
Figure 6.12: Micrograph of crucible showing peculiarly-shaped bronze shavings and scrapings
Figure 6.13: Micrograph of crucible showing tin, copper and bronze prills
Figure 6.14: Micrograph of crucible showing rhomboidal crystalline Cassiterite
Figure 7.1: ‘Thurrock-type’ potin cast bronze coin, showing the head (left) and the stylised charging bull (right) (16.5mm diameter)
Figure 7.2: Intact loomweight, SF69, from pit 284, RD18 (Scale 10mm)
Figure 7.3: Fired clay loomweights (1-5)
Figure 7.4: Saddle querns and rubbing stones (1-5) (Scales 10-20mm)
Figure 7.5: Rotary querns and a grinding stone (7-9) (Scales 20mm)
Figure 7.6: Worked bone: comb, teeth lost (1); handles (2-3) and point (4) (Scale 10mm)
Figure 7.7: Sawn bone (1-3); sawn and cut horn (4-5) and sawn antler (6-7) (Scale 10mm)
Figure 8.2: Kill off pattern for pigs; western roundhouses
Figure 10.1: The development of Coton Park, Phases 2-4, and comparative plan of DIRFT, the Lodge
Figure 10.2: Aerial view showing roundhouse RD5 and associated buildings, left, and the copper alloy casting and bone working area, right (image by Andy Holland)
Figure 10.4: Roundhouses RD5 and RD6, showing surviving elements: door posts, walls slots, outer ring of posts (RD6) and ring ditch systems
Figure 10.5: Comparative plans and sections of portal post-pits RD5, left, and RD12, right
Figure 10.6: Comparative plans and sections of northern slots at Coton Park, RD5, and DIRFT, Lodge, RD4
Figure 10.7: The Iron Age enclosure and roundhouse at Brigstock, surviving as an earthwork, with an enclosing ditch and internal bank, with a stone track leading to the door of the roundhouse, left centre
Figure 10.8: The Iron Age roundhouse at Brigstock, showing the encircling ring ditch, left, the narrow wall slot, left and right, and with a stone path approaching the doorway, which is defined by large post-pits at the ends of the wall slots
Figure 10.9: Plan of the Iron Age roundhouse at Brigstock (Jackson 1983, fig 4)
Figure 10.10: Brigstock, sections (Jackson 1983, fig 5)
Figure 10.11 Aldwincle, Hut 2 showing the doorway post-pits, foreground and the wall trench with surviving post impressions
Figure 10.12 Aldwincle, the wall trench of Hut 2 on the south side, showing the post impressions
Figure 10.13. Aldwincle, plan of Hut 2 showing the ring of wall posts and the outer ring (OP) (Jackson 1977, fig 8)
Figure 10.14: Aldwincle, sections of wall slots (Jackson 1977, fig 4)
Figure 10.15: Wakerley, Hut 2, showing wall slot and inner post ring (Jackson and Ambrose 1978, fig 10)
Figure 10.16: Wakerley, Hut 6, showing wall slot and inner square of support posts (Jackson and Ambrose 1978, fig 12)
Figure 10.17: A large Iron Age saddle quern, 470mm long, from Pineham Barns, Northampton, left, and the new technology, a beehive rotary quern in Millstone Grit from Doncaster Redhouse, South Yorkshire (Scales 50mm)
Figure 10.18: Storage jars from DIRFT the Lodge, 1; Coton Park, 17; and Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, 2 and 4
Figure 11.1: General plan of Bronze Age and Iron Age/Roman features at Coton medieval village
Figure 11.2: Middle Bronze Age pits at Coton medieval village
Figure 11.3: Bronze Age pottery from pit 1493, Vessels 1-5
Figure 11.4: The middle Bronze Age cremation cemetery at Coton medieval village
Figure 11.5: The urn from cremation burial B7
Figure 11.6: Late Iron Age/early Roman ring ditch, building B1
Figure 11.7: Early Roman building, B2, within enclosure E4
Figure 11.8: Possible late Iron Age/early Roman circular shrine, building B3, within rectangular enclosure E7
List of Tables
Table 2.1: Quantification of finds from the Bronze Age pits
Table 2.2: Radiocarbon determinations for the Middle Bronze Age pits
Table 2.3: Charcoal from the Bronze Age pits
Table 3.1: Radiocarbon determinations for the Iron Age settlement
Table 3.2: Summary of Iron Age chronology
Table 4.1: Quantification of finds from E5, RD14 and RD34
Table 4.2: Quantification of finds from RD6
Table 4.3: Quantification of finds from pit cluster
Table 4.4: Quantification of finds from linear pit group/pit alignment
Table 4.5: Quantification of finds from RD24
Table 4.6: Quantification of finds from RD2
Table 4.7: Quantification of finds from ring ditch RD3
Table 4.8: Quantification of finds from RD4
Table 4.9: Quantification of finds from E1
Table 4.10: Quantification of finds from E2
Table 4.11: The development of Group 2, the principal roundhouse RD5
Table 4.12: Quantification of finds from roundhouse RD5
Table 4.13: Quantification of finds from RD17
Table 4.14: Quantification of finds from RD16
Table 4.15: Quantification of finds from RD15
Table 4.16: Quantification of finds from RD10
Table 4.17: Quantification of finds from RD18
Table 4.18: Quantification of finds from RD19
Table 4.19: Quantification of finds from enclosure RD9
Table 4.20: Quantification of finds from RD11
Table 4.21: Quantification of finds from RD12
Table 4.22: Quantification of finds from the linear ditch and RD13
Table 4.23: Quantification of finds from RD26
Table 4.24: Quantification of finds from RD26
Table 4.25: Quantification of finds from RD28
Table 4.26: Quantification of finds from RD1
Table 4.27: Quantification of finds from RD21
Table 4.28: Quantification of finds from RD22
Table 4.29: Quantification of finds from E10
Table 4.30: Quantification of finds from E6
Table 4.31: Quantification of finds from E7
Table 4.32: Quantification of finds from E8
Table 4.33: Quantification of finds from RD7
Table 4.34: Quantification of finds from E4
Table 4.35: Quantification of finds from RD8
Table 4.36: Quantification of finds from ditch D1
Table 4.37: Quantification of finds from D2
Table 4.38: Quantification of finds from D1/D4
Table 4.39: Quantification of finds from D5
Table 5.1: Quantification of the pottery by fabric type
Table 5.2: Quantification of vessel fragmentation
Table 5.3: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), ring ditches
Table 5.4: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), other ditch systems
Table 5.5: Quantification of rim diameters by fabric type
Table 5.6: Pottery occurrence by structural group, ring ditches
Table 5.7: Pottery occurrence by structural group, boundary ditches and enclosures
Table 6.1: Analyses of metal prills and droplet
Table 7.1: The loomweights
Table 7.2: Catalogue of querns, rubbing and grinding stones
Table 8.1: Summary of taxonomic distribution using Minimum Anatomical Unit (MAU)
Table 8.2: Summary of taxonomic distribution by site area using Minimum Anatomical Unit (MAU), (percentage of total by site area)
Table 8.3: Quantification of bone fragmentation
Table 8.4: Definitions of tooth wear stages
Table 8.5: Tooth wear for cattle, western roundhouses
Table 8.6: Tooth wear for pig, western roundhouses
Table 8.7: Tooth wear for Ovicaprid (sheep); boundary ditches
Table 8.8: Bone elements by species, copper alloy and bone working area
Table 8.9: Bone elements by species, boundary ditches
Table 8.10: Bone elements by species, western roundhouses
Table 8.11: Bone elements by species, northern enclosures
Table 8.12: Bone elements by species, north-western enclosures
Table 8.13: Wood species represented by surviving charcoal
Table 8.14: Charcoal from Iron Age contexts
Table 10.1: The distribution of pottery by weight (g) within ring ditches
Table 10.2: The distribution of animal bone by weight (g) within ring ditches
Table 10.3: Lodge, Long Dole and Coton Park, Rugby, weight of recovered Iron Age pottery
Table 10.4: Tabulation of roundhouse diameters
Table 10.5: Roundhouse frequency by diameter at Coton Park, with floor areas and comparison to the modern average house size
Table 10.6: Floor areas for structural groups through time
Table 10.7: The volume of four storage jars
Table 11.1: Composition of the flint assemblage
Table 11.2: The cremation burials
Table 11.3: Charcoal from the Bronze Age cremation burials
Table 11.4: Radiocarbon dates for burials B3 and B6
Acknowledgements
List of Contributors
Chapter 1
Introduction
Background
Location, topography and geology
Objectives
Methodology
Hand excavation and recording
Machine excavation
Later disturbances
Chapter 2
Neolithic and Bronze Age activity
The Middle Bronze Age pits
Pit 100
Pit 530
The worked flint
The radiocarbon dates
The Bronze Age pottery
Pit 100
Vessel 1
Vessel 2
Pit 530
Discussion
The copper alloy dagger
Wood species identifications
Discussion
by Rowena Gale
Chapter 3
The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development
Radiocarbon dating
Settlement development
Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400 BC)
Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age: (c.400-350/300BC)
Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/300-250/200BC)
Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)
Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC-c.75AD)
The pottery chronology
Chapter 4
The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence
Andy Chapman and Pat Chapman
Early ring ditches and pit groups:
Enclosure E5, ring ditches RD14, RD34, RD6 and RD23
Enclosure E5
A line of pits
Ring ditch RD14
Ring ditch RD34
Pit cluster beneath RD5
Principal roundhouse RD6
The ring ditch
The wall slot and portal postholes
Ring ditch RD23
The linear pit group or pit alignment
The northern linear gully
Ring ditch RD24 and enclosure E11
Ring ditches and enclosures
Middle Iron Age, Group 1:
The copper alloy and bone working area
Ring ditch RD2
Ring ditch RD3
Ring ditch RD4
Enclosure E1
Enclosure E2
Middle Iron Age, Group 2:
The principal roundhouse RD5 and associated ring ditches
Principal roundhouse RD5
The northern slot
The wall slot and portal post-pits
The inner ring ditch
The outer ring ditch
The enclosure ditch
The middle or realigned ring ditch
Ring ditch RD16
Ring ditch RD17
Ring ditch RD15
Ring ditch RD33
Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 3
Ring ditch RD10
Ring ditch RD18
Enclosure RD9
Ring ditch RD19
Ring ditch RD11
Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 4
Ring ditch RD12
Linear ditch
Ring ditch RD13
Ring ditch RD20
Ring ditch RD26
The eastern ring ditches and enclosures
Ring ditch RD1
Ring ditch RD21
Ring ditch RD22
Enclosure E10
Ring ditch RD29
Ditch system D7
Enclosure E12
Enclosure E9
The southern roundhouses
Ring ditch RD27
Ring ditch RD28
Enclosures north of the principal roundhouse group
Enclosure E6
Enclosure E7
The north-western enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1
Enclosure E8
Ring ditch (enclosure) RD7
Ring ditch RD8
The main boundary system, D1 and D3
Ditch D1, the east-west boundary
Ditch D3, the eastern boundary
The northern enclosures
Ditch D2
Enclosure E3
Ditch D4
Enclosure E13
Ring ditch RD25
Ring ditch RD30
Ring ditch RD32
Enclosure E14
Chapter 5
The Iron Age pottery
Fabrics
Introduction
Paul Blinkhorn, Dennis Jackson and Andy Chapman
Summary of Chronology
Vessel Fragmentation
Vessel forms
Decoration
Jars
A possible dairy bowl
The scored ware
Catalogue of illustrated pottery
Quantification of the Iron Age pottery by structure
Vessel size analysis
Paul Blinkhorn
Chapter 6
The copper alloy working debris
Andy Chapman and Matthew Ponting
Introduction
The crucibles
Fabric and condition
Forms
Type A
Type B
Investment moulds
Fabric
Form
Sprue-cups
Runners
The mould matrix
Conclusions
The bar mould
Copper alloy working dross
Metallurgical analysis of crucible fragments
by Matthew Ponting
The analysis
Discussion
Chapter 7
Other finds
An Iron Age coin
by Steve Critchley and Andy Chapman
Copper
Iron
Other metal and stone finds
by Pat Chapman
Pat Chapman and Andy Chapman with Ivan Mack, Gerry McDonnell, Steve Critchley and Karen Deighton
Fired clay loomweights
Form and manufacture
by Pat Chapman and Andy Chapman
Distribution
Catalogue of illustrated weights (Fig 7.3)
Shale
Querns, rubbing stones and grinding stones
Rotary querns
Rubbing stones
Saddle querns
by Andy Chapman
Distribution
Sharpening stones
by Pat Chapman
Slags
by Ivan Mack and Gerry McDonnell
The worked bone
by Pat Chapmanbone identifications by Karen Deighton
Catalogue of illustrated worked bone (Fig 7.6)
Combs
Distribution
Handles
Miscellaneous
Point/awl
Bone and antler working debris
Antler
Bone
Catalogue of illustrated bone working debris (Fig 7.7)
Horn cores
by Andy Chapmanbone identifications by Karen Deighton
Fired clay
by Pat Chapman
Roman ceramic tile
by Pat Chapman
Chapter 8
Animal Bone and Environmental Evidence
Karen Deighton and Rowena Gale
The animal bone
Methodology
by Karen Deighton
Ageing
Preservation
Body part analysis
Pathologies
Sexing
Skeletons
Discussion
Environmental sampling
Wood species identifications
Materials and methods
The Iron Age wood species
Ring ditches RD2 and RD3
Roundhouse RD1
Roundhouse RD5
by Rowena Gale
Discussion
Environmental evidence
Chapter 9
The medieval field system and modern field drains
The medieval field system
The modern field drains
Chapter 10
Discussion
Middle Bronze Age pits and a cremation cemetery
The physical structure of the Iron Age settlement
The social structure of the Iron Age settlement
The economic structure of the Iron Age settlement
Distribution of pottery and animal bone within ring ditches
The rate of finds deposition in comparison to DIRFT Lodge and Long Dole
The size of the roundhouses
The Iron Age roundhouse
Background
The evidence from Coton Park
Ring ditches
The roundhouse doorway and wall slots
A northern slot
The Brigstock roundhouse: ring ditch, wall slot and door posts
Aldwincle, Hut 2: wall trench with posts
Wakerley roundhouses: wall slots and inner post rings
An Iron Age pottery typology and chronology for the south Midlands
Earlier Middle Iron Age (400-250/200 BC)
Early Iron Age (650-400 BC)
Later Middle Iron Age (250/200-100 BC)
Late Iron Age (100-0 BC)
Late pre-Roman Iron Age (0-43AD)
The Coton Park saddle querns
The introduction of the rotary quern in the Middle Iron Age
Storage jars and the introduction of the rotary quern: cause and effect?
Final thoughts
Interpreting the data
Recording the data
Chapter 11
Prehistoric and early Roman activity at Coton medieval village
Acknowledgements
Anthony Maull and Andy Chapman
Background
Topography and geology
Neolithic and Early Bronze Age activity
The flint assemblage and a polished stone axe
by Andy Chapman
The Middle Bronze Age pits
The Middle Bronze Age pottery
by Andy Chapman
Catalogue of vessels from pit 1493 (Fig 11.3, 1-5)
The Middle Bronze Age cremation cemetery
The cemetery
The cremation deposits
The Bronze Age pottery
by Andy Chapman
Charcoal from the cremation deposits
The cremated human bone
by Rowena Gale
Discussion
by Trevor Anderson
The radiocarbon dates
The Iron Age and Roman settlement
Iron Age settlement
Enclosure E1 and E2, Building B1 and Structure S1
Roman settlement
The Southern Group (Enclosures E3-E6 and building B2)
Ditch groups DG1-DG3
Enclosure E7 and Building B3
Enclosures E8-E13
The Iron Age and Roman pottery
by Jane Timby
Iron Age pottery
Roman pottery
Other Iron Age and Roman finds
by Tora Hylton
Bibliography

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Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Andy Chapman

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Andy Chapman

with contributions by

Trevor Anderson, Paul Blinkhorn, Pat Chapman, Steve Critchley, Karen Deighton, Tora Hylton, Dennis Jackson, Ivan Mack, Anthony Maull, Gerry McDonnell, Matthew Ponting and Jane Timby Illustrations by

Andy Chapman, Pat Walsh and Mark Roughley

Archaeopress Archaeology

Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Summertown Pavilion 18-24 Middle Way Summertown Oxford OX2 7LG www.archaeopress.com

ISBN 978-1-78969-645-5 ISBN 978-1-78969-646-2 (e-Pdf)

© the individual authors and Archaeopress 2020 Front cover: View of ring ditch RD3, which produced the coper alloy and bone working debris, looking north. Back cover: A triangular crucible for copper alloy casting, top, and a sprue-cup from a lost wax investment mould, bottom.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com

Contents List of Figures��vii List of Tables��x Acknowledgements��xii List of Contributors��xiii Chapter 1 Introduction�� 1 Background��1 Location, topography and geology��1 Objectives��1 Methodology��2 Machine excavation��2 Hand excavation and recording��2 Later disturbances��5 Chapter 2 Neolithic and Bronze Age activity�� 9 The worked flint��9 The Middle Bronze Age pits��9 Pit 100��9 Pit 530��10 The radiocarbon dates��10 The copper alloy dagger��11 The Bronze Age pottery��11 Pit 100��11 Vessel 1��11 Vessel 2��11 Pit 530��11 Discussion��12 Wood species identifications��12 by Rowena Gale Discussion��12 Chapter 3 The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development�� 13 The pottery chronology��13 Radiocarbon dating��13 Settlement development��13 Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400 BC)��14 Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age: (c.400-350/300BC)��18 Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/300-250/200BC)��22 Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)��23 Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC-c.75AD)��24 Chapter 4 The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence�� 25 Andy Chapman and Pat Chapman Ring ditches and enclosures��25 Early ring ditches and pit groups: ��25 Enclosure E5, ring ditches RD14, RD34, RD6 and RD23��25 Enclosure E5��25 Ring ditch RD14��26 Ring ditch RD34��26 A line of pits��26 Principal roundhouse RD6��28 The wall slot and portal postholes��28 The ring ditch��28 Pit cluster beneath RD5��28 The linear pit group or pit alignment ��29 i

The northern linear gully ��29 Ring ditch RD23 ��29 Ring ditch RD24 and enclosure E11��30 Middle Iron Age, Group 1: ��30 The copper alloy and bone working area ��30 Ring ditch RD2��31 Ring ditch RD3��31 Ring ditch RD4��32 Enclosure E1��36 Enclosure E2��36 Middle Iron Age, Group 2: ��37 The principal roundhouse RD5 and associated ring ditches��37 Principal roundhouse RD5 ��37 The wall slot and portal post-pits��37 The northern slot��37 The inner ring ditch��39 The outer ring ditch��39 The middle or realigned ring ditch��40 The enclosure ditch��40 Ring ditch RD17��42 Ring ditch RD16��42 Ring ditch RD33��43 Ring ditch RD15��43 Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 3��43 Ring ditch RD10��43 Ring ditch RD18��44 Ring ditch RD19��45 Enclosure RD9��45 Ring ditch RD11��46 Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 4��48 Ring ditch RD12��48 Linear ditch��50 Ring ditch RD20��50 Ring ditch RD13 ��50 Ring ditch RD26��50 The southern roundhouses��51 Ring ditch RD27��51 Ring ditch RD28��51 The eastern ring ditches and enclosures��51 Ring ditch RD1��51 Ring ditch RD21��52 Ring ditch RD22��52 Ring ditch RD29��53 Enclosure E10��53 Enclosure E9��54 Enclosure E12��54 Ditch system D7��54 Enclosures north of the principal roundhouse group��54 Enclosure E6��54 Enclosure E7��55 The north-western enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1��55 Enclosure E8��55 Ring ditch (enclosure) RD7��57 Ring ditch RD8��59 The main boundary system, D1 and D3��60 Ditch D1, the east-west boundary��60 Ditch D3, the eastern boundary��61 ii

The northern enclosures��61 Enclosure E3��63 Ditch D2��63 Ditch D4��64 Ring ditch RD25��64 Ring ditch RD32��64 Ring ditch RD30��64 Enclosure E13��64 Enclosure E14��65 Chapter 5 The Iron Age pottery�� 66 Paul Blinkhorn, Dennis Jackson and Andy Chapman Introduction��66 Summary of Chronology��66 Fabrics��66 Vessel Fragmentation��67 Vessel forms��67 Jars��68 Decoration��68 A possible dairy bowl��70 The scored ware��70 Catalogue of illustrated pottery��72 Vessel size analysis��75 Paul Blinkhorn Quantification of the Iron Age pottery by structure��75 Chapter 6 The copper alloy working debris�� 79 Andy Chapman and Matthew Ponting Introduction��79 The crucibles��79 Fabric and condition��79 Forms��79 Type A��80 Type B��81 Investment moulds��81 Fabric��81 Form��81 Sprue-cups��81 Runners��84 The mould matrix��84 Conclusions��85 The bar mould��85 Copper alloy working dross��86 Metallurgical analysis of crucible fragments��87 by Matthew Ponting The analysis��87 Discussion��88 Chapter 7 Other finds�� 90 Pat Chapman and Andy Chapman with Ivan Mack, Gerry McDonnell, Steve Critchley and Karen Deighton An Iron Age coin��90 by Steve Critchley and Andy Chapman Other metal and stone finds��90 by Pat Chapman Iron��90 Copper��90 Shale ��91 iii

Fired clay loomweights��91 by Pat Chapman and Andy Chapman Form and manufacture��91 Distribution��92 Catalogue of illustrated weights (Fig 7.3)��93 Querns, rubbing stones and grinding stones��94 by Andy Chapman Saddle querns��94 Rubbing stones��94 Rotary querns ��94 Distribution ��95 Sharpening stones��97 by Pat Chapman Slags��97 by Ivan Mack and Gerry McDonnell The worked bone��97 by Pat Chapman, bone identifications by Karen Deighton Combs��98 Handles��98 Point/awl��98 Miscellaneous ��98 Distribution ��98 Catalogue of illustrated worked bone (Fig 7.6)��98 Bone and antler working debris��99 by Andy Chapman, bone identifications by Karen Deighton Bone��99 Horn cores��99 Antler��99 Catalogue of illustrated bone working debris (Fig 7.7)��99 Fired clay��101 by Pat Chapman Roman ceramic tile��101 by Pat Chapman Chapter 8 Animal Bone and Environmental Evidence�� 102 Karen Deighton and Rowena Gale The animal bone��102 by Karen Deighton Methodology��102 Preservation��103 Ageing��103 Sexing��105 Pathologies��105 Skeletons��105 Body part analysis��105 Discussion��108 Environmental sampling��114 Wood species identifications��114 by Rowena Gale Materials and methods��114 The Iron Age wood species��114 Roundhouse RD1��114 Ring ditches RD2 and RD3��114 Roundhouse RD5��115 Discussion��116 Environmental evidence ��116

iv

Chapter 9 The medieval field system and modern field drains�� 117 The medieval field system��117 The modern field drains��117 Chapter 10 Discussion �� 118 Middle Bronze Age pits and a cremation cemetery��118 The physical structure of the Iron Age settlement��118 The social structure of the Iron Age settlement��120 The economic structure of the Iron Age settlement��121 Distribution of pottery and animal bone within ring ditches��122 The rate of finds deposition in comparison to DIRFT Lodge and Long Dole��123 The size of the roundhouses��124 The Iron Age roundhouse��126 Background��126 The evidence from Coton Park��127 Ring ditches��127 The roundhouse doorway and wall slots��127 A northern slot��131 The Brigstock roundhouse: ring ditch, wall slot and door posts ��131 Aldwincle, Hut 2: wall trench with posts��134 Wakerley roundhouses: wall slots and inner post rings��136 An Iron Age pottery typology and chronology for the south Midlands��137 Early Iron Age (650-400 BC)��139 Earlier Middle Iron Age (400-250/200 BC)��139 Later Middle Iron Age (250/200-100 BC)��139 Late Iron Age (100-0 BC)��140 Late pre-Roman Iron Age (0-43AD)��141 The Coton Park saddle querns��141 The introduction of the rotary quern in the Middle Iron Age��141 Storage jars and the introduction of the rotary quern: cause and effect?��144 Final thoughts��146 Interpreting the data��146 Recording the data��147 Chapter 11 Prehistoric and early Roman activity at Coton medieval village�� 149 Anthony Maull and Andy Chapman Background��149 Acknowledgements��149 Topography and geology��149 Neolithic and Early Bronze Age activity��150 The flint assemblage and a polished stone axe��150 by Andy Chapman The Middle Bronze Age pits��151 The Middle Bronze Age pottery ��151 by Andy Chapman Catalogue of vessels from pit 1493 (Fig 11.3, 1-5)��151 The Middle Bronze Age cremation cemetery ��152 The cemetery��152 The cremation deposits��154 The Bronze Age pottery ��155 by Andy Chapman The cremated human bone��156 by Trevor Anderson Charcoal from the cremation deposits ��156 by Rowena Gale Discussion��157 The radiocarbon dates��157

v

The Iron Age and Roman settlement��157 Iron Age settlement��158 Enclosure E1 and E2, Building B1 and Structure S1��158 Roman settlement ��158 The Southern Group (Enclosures E3-E6 and building B2)��158 Ditch groups DG1-DG3��160 Enclosure E7 and Building B3��161 Enclosures E8-E13��162 The Iron Age and Roman pottery ��162 by Jane Timby Iron Age pottery��162 Roman pottery��163 Other Iron Age and Roman finds��163 by Tora Hylton Bibliography�� 164

vi

List of Figures Figure 1.1: Site location��3 Figure 1.2: Results of geophysical survey, showing major structures (by Geophysical Surveys, Bradford, from Warwickshire Museum 1997)��4 Figure 1.3: Aerial view of the northern half of the site, looking north, showing major Iron Age structures and the furrows of the medieval field system (original images by Andy Holland)��5 Figure 1.4: General site plan, showing the prehistoric features and the overlying furrows of the medieval field system��6 Figure 1.5: Looking north-east across enclosure E4 to the linear boundary ditch D1, showing the water-filled features following the flooding during March and April 1998��7 Figure 1.6: Excavation of enclosure E1, producing copper alloy casting debris; maintaining progress by use of barrow runs across the wet surface and bailing out features as necessary��7 Figure 1.7: Near the end of the excavation, looking towards the north-east corner of the site, with the machine stripped areas to the left, centre and top, and the box scraper stripped areas to the centre-right and foreground��8 Figure 2.1: Plans and sections of Bronze Age pits��9 Figure 2.2: The bronze dagger, SF1, from pit 100 (scale 10mm)��11 Figure 3.1: General plan of Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-5��16 Figure 3.2: The development of the Middle Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-4��17 Figure 3.3: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400BC)��18 Figure 3.4: The southern portal posthole, 195, and the narrow wall slot, 196, of the early roundhouse RD6, looking south��19 Figure 3.5: Aerial view of the principal roundhouse RD5, looking north (image by Andy Holland)��19 Figure 3.6: Principal roundhouse RD5, looking west across the late outer enclosure ditch��20 Figure 3.7: Aerial view of the copper alloy working area, Group1, looking north (image by Andy Holland)��20 Figure 3.8: Set of loomweights from a pit in RD18��21 Figure 3.9: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.400-350/300BC)��21 Figure 3.10: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/200-250/200BC)��22 Figure 3.11: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)��23 Figure 3.12: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC- AD75)��24 Figure 4.1: Later early Iron Age: Roundhouse RD14, ring ditch RD34 and enclosure E5��27 Figure 4.2: Later early Iron Age, ring ditch RD24 and enclosure E11��30 Figure 4.3: Group 1, structures RD2, RD3 and RD4 and enclosures E1-E2, copper alloy casting and bone working area��32 Figure 4.4: Group 1: ditch sections for RD2, RD3 and E1��33 Figure 4.5: The western (a: S21, 40 and 29) and eastern (b: S20, 27 and 34) ditch terminals of ring ditch RD3, and a section to the south-east (c: S25, 31 and 34)��34 Figure 4.6: Group 2, roundhouses RD5, RD6, RD16, RD17 and RD33��38 Figure 4.7: Group 2, sections for roundhouse RD5��39 Figure 4.8: The northern ring ditch terminals of roundhouse RD5, the inner ditch, 166 (left) and outer ditch, 167 (right)��40 Figure 4.9: The outer northern ring ditch terminal of RD5, 167, looking north, showing the dark fills containing burnt cobbles��40 Figure 4.10: Disturbed dog burial within the enclosure ditch, 182 on the south side of roundhouse RD5 (Scale 150mm)��42 Figure 4.11: Group 3, ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9, RD10 and RD11��46 Figure 4.12: Group 3, sections for ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9 and RD11��47 Figure 4.13: Section of the main southern doorway post-pit, 260 (right), of RD12, and the shallow external plank settings, 261(left)��48 Figure 4.14: Group 4, ring ditches RD12, RD13, RD20 and RD26��49 Figure 4.15: The eastern ring ditches, RD1, RD21 and RD22��53 Figure 4.16: The northern enclosures, E6 and E7, and enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1, E8 and RD7��56 vii

Figure 4.17: The northern enclosures, RD7, E4 and RD8, abutting boundary ditch D1��58 Figure 4.18: Section across the enclosure E4 and boundary ditch D1��59 Figure 4.19: The north-eastern area, showing boundary ditch D1 and structures within enclosure E3��62 Figure 4.20: Section across boundary ditch D1��63 Figure 5.1: Early (1-3) and Middle Iron Age pottery (4-6)��68 Figure 5.2: Middle Iron Age pottery (7-11)��69 Figure 5.3: Early Iron Age, 1-2, and Middle Iron Age pottery, 1-2, 4-5 and 11 (Scale 10mm)��70 Figure 5.4: Middle Iron Age pottery (12-15)��71 Figure 5.5: Middle Iron Age scored ware pottery (16 -17 & 19)��72 Figure 5.6: Scored ware pottery, 17-19��73 Figure 5.7: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, all fabrics��76 Figure 5.8: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, sandy��77 Figure 5.9: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, fine shell (red) and coarse shell (blue)��77 Figure 6.1: The distribution of finds in the bronze and bone working complex��80 Figure 6.2: Copper alloy casting debris, 1: crucible, 2-3: sprue cups, 4: pouring gate and 5-6: mould fragments with impressions of cast objects��82 Figure 6.3: Crucibles: a) SF7 three views and b) SF28 profile (Scale 10mm)��83 Figure 6.4: Body of circular mould, plan and section, SF110 (Scale 10mm)��84 Figure 6.5: Sprue-cups, a) complete, plan and profile, SF49 and b) incomplete, plan, SF50 and SF16 (Scale 10mm)�84 Figure 6.6: The mould matrix: a) SF109, left and SF78 right and b) sprue-cup and mould matrix from Gussage All Saints, as displayed in the British Museum (Scale 10mm)��85 Figure 6.7: Reconstructed lost wax casting mould for a bridle bit side link, showing variations in the firing of the clay mould��85 Figure 6.8: Open bar mould, plan and section, SF102��86 Figure 6.9: Open bar mould, SF102 (Scale 10mm)��86 Figure 6.10: Micrograph of slag/crucible interface with silica grains alongside metal prills��87 Figure 6.11: Micrograph of crucible showing minute pieces of charcoal��87 Figure 6.12: Micrograph of crucible showing peculiarly-shaped bronze shavings and scrapings��87 Figure 6.13: Micrograph of crucible showing tin, copper and bronze prills��88 Figure 6.14: Micrograph of crucible showing rhomboidal crystalline Cassiterite��89 Figure 7.1: ‘Thurrock-type’ potin cast bronze coin, showing the head (left) and the stylised charging bull (right) (16.5mm diameter)��90 Figure 7.2: Intact loomweight, SF69, from pit 284, RD18 (Scale 10mm)��92 Figure 7.3: Fired clay loomweights (1-5)��93 Figure 7.4: Saddle querns and rubbing stones (1-5) (Scales 10-20mm)��96 Figure 7.5: Rotary querns and a grinding stone (7-9) (Scales 20mm)��97 Figure 7.6: Worked bone: comb, teeth lost (1); handles (2-3) and point (4) (Scale 10mm)��98 Figure 7.7: Sawn bone (1-3); sawn and cut horn (4-5) and sawn antler (6-7) (Scale 10mm)��100 Figure 8.1: Tooth wear for cattle; western roundhouses��104 Figure 8.2: Kill off pattern for pigs; western roundhouses��105 Figure 8.3: Comparison of cattle body parts to Binford’s (1978) meat utility index��106 Figure 8.4: Preservation of cattle bone compared to Brains’ (1981) modern index��106 Figure 8.5: Comparison of sheep/goat body parts with Binford’s (1978) meat utility index��107 Figure 8.6: Comparison of sheep/goat body parts to Brains’ (1981) modern data��108 Figure 10.1: The development of Coton Park, Phases 2-4, and comparative plan of DIRFT, the Lodge��119 Figure 10.2: Aerial view showing roundhouse RD5 and associated buildings, left, and the copper alloy casting and bone working area, right (image by Andy Holland)��120 Figure 10.3: Distribution of pottery, left, and animal bone, right, within major ring ditches��123 Figure 10.4: Roundhouses RD5 and RD6, showing surviving elements: door posts, walls slots, outer ring of posts (RD6) and ring ditch systems��128 Figure 10.5: Comparative plans and sections of portal post-pits RD5, left, and RD12, right��129 Figure 10.6: Comparative plans and sections of northern slots at Coton Park, RD5, and DIRFT, Lodge, RD4��130 viii

Figure 10.7: The Iron Age enclosure and roundhouse at Brigstock, surviving as an earthwork, with an enclosing ditch and internal bank, with a stone track leading to the door of the roundhouse, left centre��131 Figure 10.8: The Iron Age roundhouse at Brigstock, showing the encircling ring ditch, left, the narrow wall slot, left and right, and with a stone path approaching the doorway, which is defined by large post-pits at the ends of the wall slots��132 Figure 10.9: Plan of the Iron Age roundhouse at Brigstock (Jackson 1983, fig 4)��133 Figure 10.10: Brigstock, sections (Jackson 1983, fig 5)��134 Figure 10.11 Aldwincle, Hut 2 showing the doorway post-pits, foreground and the wall trench with surviving post impressions��135 Figure 10.12 Aldwincle, the wall trench of Hut 2 on the south side, showing the post impressions��135 Figure 10.13. Aldwincle, plan of Hut 2 showing the ring of wall posts and the outer ring (OP) (Jackson 1977, fig 8)��136 Figure 10.14: Aldwincle, sections of wall slots (Jackson 1977, fig 4)��137 Figure 10.15: Wakerley, Hut 2, showing wall slot and inner post ring (Jackson and Ambrose 1978, fig 10)��138 Figure 10.16: Wakerley, Hut 6, showing wall slot and inner square of support posts (Jackson and Ambrose 1978, fig 12)��139 Figure 10.17: A large Iron Age saddle quern, 470mm long, from Pineham Barns, Northampton, left, and the new technology, a beehive rotary quern in Millstone Grit from Doncaster Redhouse, South Yorkshire (Scales 50mm)��142 Figure 10.18: Storage jars from DIRFT the Lodge, 1; Coton Park, 17; and Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, 2 and 4��145 Figure 11.1: General plan of Bronze Age and Iron Age/Roman features at Coton medieval village��150 Figure 11.2: Middle Bronze Age pits at Coton medieval village��152 Figure 11.3: Bronze Age pottery from pit 1493, Vessels 1-5��153 Figure 11.4: The middle Bronze Age cremation cemetery at Coton medieval village��154 Figure 11.5: The urn from cremation burial B7��156 Figure 11.6: Late Iron Age/early Roman ring ditch, building B1��159 Figure 11.7: Early Roman building, B2, within enclosure E4��160 Figure 11.8: Possible late Iron Age/early Roman circular shrine, building B3, within rectangular enclosure E7��161

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List of Tables Table 2.1: Quantification of finds from the Bronze Age pits��10 Table 2.2: Radiocarbon determinations for the Middle Bronze Age pits��10 Table 2.3: Charcoal from the Bronze Age pits��12 Table 3.1: Radiocarbon determinations for the Iron Age settlement��14 Table 3.2: Summary of Iron Age chronology��15 Table 4.1: Quantification of finds from E5, RD14 and RD34��26 Table 4.2: Quantification of finds from RD6��28 Table 4.3: Quantification of finds from pit cluster��29 Table 4.4: Quantification of finds from linear pit group/pit alignment��29 Table 4.5: Quantification of finds from RD24��31 Table 4.6: Quantification of finds from RD2��34 Table 4.7: Quantification of finds from ring ditch RD3��35 Table 4.8: Quantification of finds from RD4��36 Table 4.9: Quantification of finds from E1��36 Table 4.10: Quantification of finds from E2��37 Table 4.11: The development of Group 2, the principal roundhouse RD5��37 Table 4.12: Quantification of finds from roundhouse RD5��41 Table 4.13: Quantification of finds from RD17��42 Table 4.14: Quantification of finds from RD16��43 Table 4.15: Quantification of finds from RD15��43 Table 4.16: Quantification of finds from RD10��44 Table 4.17: Quantification of finds from RD18��44 Table 4.18: Quantification of finds from RD19��44 Table 4.19: Quantification of finds from enclosure RD9��45 Table 4.20: Quantification of finds from RD11��45 Table 4.21: Quantification of finds from RD12��48 Table 4.22: Quantification of finds from the linear ditch and RD13��50 Table 4.23: Quantification of finds from RD26��50 Table 4.24: Quantification of finds from RD26��51 Table 4.25: Quantification of finds from RD28��51 Table 4.26: Quantification of finds from RD1��52 Table 4.27: Quantification of finds from RD21��52 Table 4.28: Quantification of finds from RD22��53 Table 4.29: Quantification of finds from E10��54 Table 4.30: Quantification of finds from E6��55 Table 4.31: Quantification of finds from E7��55 Table 4.32: Quantification of finds from E8��57 Table 4.33: Quantification of finds from RD7��57 Table 4.34: Quantification of finds from E4��59 Table 4.35: Quantification of finds from RD8��60 Table 4.36: Quantification of finds from ditch D1��61 Table 4.37: Quantification of finds from D2��63 Table 4.38: Quantification of finds from D1/D4��64 Table 4.39: Quantification of finds from D5��65 Table 5.1: Quantification of the pottery by fabric type��67 Table 5.2: Quantification of vessel fragmentation��68 Table 5.3: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), ring ditches��74 Table 5.4: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), other ditch systems��74 Table 5.5: Quantification of rim diameters by fabric type��76 Table 5.6: Pottery occurrence by structural group, ring ditches��78 Table 5.7: Pottery occurrence by structural group, boundary ditches and enclosures��78 x

Table 6.1: Analyses of metal prills and droplet��88 Table 7.1: The loomweights��91 Table 7.2: Catalogue of querns, rubbing and grinding stones��95 Table 8.1: Summary of taxonomic distribution using Minimum Anatomical Unit (MAU)��102 Table 8.2: Summary of taxonomic distribution by site area using Minimum Anatomical Unit (MAU), (percentage of total by site area)��102 Table 8.3: Quantification of bone fragmentation��103 Table 8.4: Definitions of tooth wear stages ��103 Table 8.5: Tooth wear for cattle, western roundhouses��104 Table 8.6: Tooth wear for pig, western roundhouses��104 Table 8.7: Tooth wear for Ovicaprid (sheep); boundary ditches��105 Table 8.8: Bone elements by species, copper alloy and bone working area��109 Table 8.9: Bone elements by species, boundary ditches��110 Table 8.10: Bone elements by species, western roundhouses��111 Table 8.11: Bone elements by species, northern enclosures��112 Table 8.12: Bone elements by species, north-western enclosures��113 Table 8.13: Wood species represented by surviving charcoal��115 Table 8.14: Charcoal from Iron Age contexts��115 Table 10.1: The distribution of pottery by weight (g) within ring ditches��122 Table 10.2: The distribution of animal bone by weight (g) within ring ditches��122 Table 10.3: Lodge, Long Dole and Coton Park, Rugby, weight of recovered Iron Age pottery��123 Table 10.4: Tabulation of roundhouse diameters��124 Table 10.5: Roundhouse frequency by diameter at Coton Park, with floor areas and comparison to the modern average house size��125 Table 10.6: Floor areas for structural groups through time��125 Table 10.7: The volume of four storage jars��144 Table 11.1: Composition of the flint assemblage��150 Table 11.2: The cremation burials��155 Table 11.3: Charcoal from the Bronze Age cremation burials��156 Table 11.4: Radiocarbon dates for burials B3 and B6��157

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Acknowledgements Steve Parry was the project manager for Northamptonshire Archaeology, with Andy Josephs of Entec UK the consultant to the developers. The excavation was directed by Andy Chapman assisted by Joe Prentice with a project team including Tony Baker, Helen Finnigan, Tim Hallam, Steve Haywood, Andy Holland, Richard Jennings, M McLean, K McLellan, Deidre Prinsen and David Salt; my apologies to any others whose names have been lost in time. The team deserve particular thanks for battling through a very difficult excavation. Following the flooding that began early in the excavation, water did not drain away on the heavy clays and the morning bucket chain to bail out features under excavation became a daily ritual for much of the excavation. Andy Holland also provided and operated the balloon and camera setup used to obtain aerial views of the site towards the end of the excavation. The original analysis of the pottery in 2001 was by Paul Blinkhorn and Dennis Jackson, although the discussion of the ceramic chronology was revised by Andy Chapman in 2017 to take more recent interpretations into account. The metallurgical analysis of the crucibles was carried out in 2002 by Matthew Ponting, then of the Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham. The analysis of the animal bone is by Karen Deighton. The analysis of the wood charcoals by Rowena Gale was carried out in 2001. Pat Chapman wrote the first draft of the description of the structural evidence and the reporting of other finds. These have been revised and edited by Andy Chapman, and comment on the coin is by Steve Critchley and Andy Chapman. The slags were analysed by Gerry McDonnell and Ivan Mack in 2002, both then of the Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences at Bradford University. Any uncredited finds reports are by the principal author. Pat Chapman has proof read the final text, but any surviving errors are the responsibility of the author. The photographic images in Chapter 10 from excavations at Brigstock and Aldwincle by Dennis Jackson are from his photographic archive, held by Andy Chapman. Acknowledgements for the excavation of Coton medieval village, which was directed by Anthony Maull, are included in Chapter 11, describing the prehistoric and Roman aspects of those excavations. The final preparation of the report for publication was carried out in 2019-20, following the retirement of the principal author. Publication through Archaeopress Archaeology has been sponsored by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) Northampton.

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List of Contributors Dennis Jackson Independent archaeologist (deceased)

Andy Chapman Retired, formerly Senior Project Manager, MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) Northampton, and Senior Archaeologist, Northamptonshire Archaeology

Ivan Mack Former post-graduate research student at Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford

Pat Chapman Retired, formerly Post-Excavation Supervisor, MOLA Northampton and Northamptonshire Archaeology

Gerry McDonnell Former Archaeometallurgist at Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford, now Archaeometallurgy Consultant

Anthony Maull Senior Project Manager, MOLA Northampton and Northamptonshire Archaeology

Paul Blinkhorn Independent pottery researcher

Matthew Ponting Formerly Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, now Senior Lecturer, University of Liverpool, Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology

Steve Critchley Independent metal detectorist

Mark Roughley Former illustrator Northamptonshire Archaeology

Karen Deighton Formerly Project Officer Environmental Archaeology, Northamptonshire Archaeology

Jane Timby Independent pottery specialist

Trevor Anderson Independent osteoarchaeologist (deceased)

Pat Walsh Former illustrator Northamptonshire Archaeology

Tora Hylton Finds Manager, MOLA Northampton and Northamptonshire Archaeology

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xiv

Chapter 1

Introduction Background

Location, topography and geology

The Iron Age settlement at Field 13, Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire (SP 513 778, Fig 1.1) was one of two sites of archaeological interest identified by geophysical survey (Fig 1.2) and trial trench evaluation within an area of some 100ha on the northern outskirts of Rugby proposed for a mixed residential and commercial development (Warwickshire Museum 1997).

The site lies to the north of Rugby, immediately east of the A426 at its junction with Newton Manor Lane, and just over 1.0km south of the M6 motorway (Fig 1.1). At the time of excavation housing development had extended up to Newton Manor Lane to the south and up to the eastern field boundary. The field within which the settlement was situated lay partly within Rugby and partly in the parish of Churchover, although formerly it was fully within the parish of Brownsover.

The Warwickshire County Planning Archaeologist, Douglas Moir, considered that the development would severely damage or destroy the archaeological remains present and he advised the planning authority, Rugby Borough Council, that an excavation should take place. A brief for an archaeological excavation was compiled by Andy Josephs, Principal Archaeologist for Entec UK (Entec 1997).

The Iron Age settlement lay on high ground towards the top of an east facing slope on a north-south ridge, at between 127.0m aOD and 124.5m aOD. It lies on the eastern margins of the valley of the River Swift, with the river some 700m to the west and flowing southwards to join the River Avon some 1.4km to the south. To the immediate east of the settlement, a deep hollow associated with former ponds and a probable spring line, descended to 121.0m aOD (Fig 1.2). It appears to be the head of a former incised valley running eastward to the River Avon, where the valley floor is at just under 90.0m aOD.

Northamptonshire Archaeology, now MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), Northampton, was commissioned by Entec UK, acting for the developers, to carry out the excavation. Work commenced in March 1998 and all fieldwork was completed before the end of June 1998, a total of 16 weeks including a week lost to waterlogging during the widespread flooding that occurred across much of Midland England through March and April 1998 (Figs 1.3-1.6).

The underlying geology is Boulder Clay over Lower Lias (British Geological Survey 1974). Objectives

An assessment report was prepared (Chapman 1999) and a subsequent interim report (Chapman 2000), but a final report was not completed in the years following excavation, although much of the finds reporting included here was completed in the early to mid-2000s. The final preparation of the report for publication was carried out in 2019-20, following the retirement of the principal author, with publication through Archaeopress Archaeology sponsored by MOLA, Northampton.

The broadly stated objective of the excavation was to ‘gather information on the Middle Iron Age open settlement’. This was to be achieved within a framework of open area excavation and selective sampling of features as defined in the brief and further specified within the Project Proposal prepared by Northamptonshire Archaeology (1998). The available information on the site gathered by previous archaeological field evaluation comprised a geophysical survey by Geophysical Surveys of Bradford (Survey No: 97/18) (Shiel and Stephens 1996) (Fig 1.2), and trial trench excavation comprising seven trenches, carried out by Warwickshire Museum in August 1997 (Warwickshire Museum 1997). This work had identified and confirmed the broad nature and date of the site and located the main areas of activity, although the open area excavation was to show that activity extended well beyond the limits of these earlier investigations.

The site archive has been deposited with Warwickshire Museums under accession number T/1031. Part of the deserted medieval village of Coton, which lay 1.0km to the north (Fig 1.1: NGR SP 517 788), was also excavated by Northamptonshire Archaeology in 1998, from July onwards, in advance of further development works (Maull 2001). This site also produced Bronze Age pits, a small Bronze Age cremation cemetery and a small complex of late Iron Age and early Roman settlement. These are described in Chapter 11 of this volume.

1

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Methodology

The overall aim was to achieve a relatively consistent level of feature sampling across the site. There were a few exceptions to this. Ring Ditch RD3 and part of Enclosure E1 were sampled more intensively to recover the majority of a localised assemblage of bronze working crucibles and mould fragments, as well as bone and antler working debris. The lowest level of sampling was on the ‘empty’ enclosures E9 and E12 and on ring ditch RD29, in the south-eastern group, where at the time of excavation the clean and compact fills were both intransigent and unproductive of finds, and subsequently the area was too waterlogged to excavate.

Machine excavation Machine stripping of the topsoil commenced at the beginning of March 1998. As a result of the exceptionally wet weather, leading to floods in many places, including Northampton, it was not possible to run dumper trucks (Moxy articulated tipper trucks) across the field, and the planned strategy had to be revised. A 360o excavator was used to open individual areas centred on and encompassing the main groups of structures and enclosures identified through geophysical survey (Figs 1.2-1.4). Seven areas were opened; the four larger areas took in the known structures on the western and northern parts of the field, while three smaller areas took in parts of the boundary system and isolated structures to the north-east and south. The excavated topsoil was dumped adjacent to each area in temporary spoil heaps.

In general, excavation of the entire site was hampered by the exceptionally wet spring and early summer, which on clay natural resulted in frequent flooding, so that after any rainfall it was necessary to bail out all partially excavated features. The level of the local watertable also fluctuated with the weather. At best it fell to c.1.0m below ground level, so that only the deeper ditches were constantly wet. At its worst the site was waterlogged to the point of saturation, when the clay natural had the consistency of jelly and excavation became impossible. These conditions made it particularly difficult to obtain full sections of the deep boundary ditch at the northern end of the site.

By the middle of May the ground was dry enough to permit the use of heavy machinery. A 360o excavator and two dumper trucks were used to remove the temporary spoil heaps to spoil dumps along the western margin of the field. The topsoil was then stripped from between the individual areas on the western and northern parts of the site using a 360o excavator operating to the same standard as for the initial areas, to create a single open area. At the south-western corner of the site the natural surface had been disturbed by deep wheel ruts resulting from the use of this area as the main dumper truck access to the western spoil heaps, resulting in a loss of detail in the area of ring ditches RD27 and RD28 (Fig 1.4).

The site was planned by hand at a scale of 1:50, and sections of excavated features were drawn at a scale of 1:10 or 1.20. The broader context of the excavations and their relationship to the surrounding landscape was recorded by field survey using a total station theodolite with automatic data logging. In order to reduce the quantity of paperwork and to speed the recording process, a modified system of single context recording was employed. Each discrete feature and each feature within a single sectioned length of a linear or curvilinear ditch complex was given a unique context number in a single continuous sequence, and sometimes these single numbers also encompassed recuts not visible on the surface. Layers within these features were identified by a decimal suffix to the feature number (eg. ditch 120 would have fills 120.1, 120.2, etc), rather than by separate context numbers. As a result the entire context record fits in a single lever-arch file, and comprises 570 numbered features. During excavation context descriptions were written directly onto the section drawing sheets rather than the context sheets. Especially given the inclement weather during so much of this period, this recording methodology gave a considerable saving of time. All finds were recorded to context and layer suffix, when clearly identified during excavation. The intention was to transfer the context descriptions to the context sheets during post-excavation, but no assistants were made available to achieve this.

Across the remainder of the eastern and southern parts of the site, where there were few known features, the topsoil was removed by box scraper working systematically either west-east or south-north to maintain the maximum area of cleanly scraped surface (Fig 1.7). This ensured that no major ditch systems would escape detection, although in the disturbance caused by the machine tracks any smaller features would have been missed. This work revealed a series of previously unknown enclosures and ring ditches to the east, all with clean fills that had not fully registered on the geophysical survey and which produced few finds. Hand excavation and recording With the ring ditches and enclosures, all intact terminals were excavated by hand along with all major ditch intersections and further sections spaced evenly around their circuits (Figs 1.5 and 1.6). A few terminals or major intersections were not excavated due to disturbance caused by either the furrows or field drains. 2

Introduction

Site

0

500m

© Crown Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Licence Number 100047514

Excavated areas

Figure 1.1: Site location

3

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 1.2: Results of geophysical survey, showing major structures (by Geophysical Surveys, Bradford, from Warwickshire Museum 1997)

4

Introduction

Later disturbances

former field system ran across the alluvial deposits, indicating that they pre-dated the establishment of the medieval field system.

Across the entire site the Iron Age features were overlain by a regular system of furrows, the ploughed out remnant of the medieval field system (Fig 1.4). These both obscured and truncated the Iron Age features. In addition, the site was crossed by numerous ceramic field drains inserted over the past 150 years (see Chapter 9 for further details).

As the Iron Age features were evidently truncated, and presumably lost further down slope, the area of the hollow was not fully excavated. A test pit excavated at the centre of the deposits revealed tenacious blue grey alluvial clays beneath the upper clays, but no organic deposits were located. The alluvial clays were not bottomed due to the depth of the excavation and the incoming water, but they appear to denote the former presence of a pond in this area. These deposits lay below the depth of any likely disturbance from the proposed development.

Excavation around the margins of the deep hollow to the north-east had shown that the upper alluvial clays within it overlay features of Iron Age date, and these features had been truncated prior to the deposition of these clays. The furrows of the

Figure 1.3: Aerial view of the northern half of the site, looking north, showing major Iron Age structures and the furrows of the medieval field system (original images by Andy Holland)

5

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 1.4: General site plan, showing the prehistoric features and the overlying furrows of the medieval field system

6

Introduction

Figure 1.5: Looking north-east across enclosure E4 to the linear boundary ditch D1, showing the water-filled features following the flooding during March and April 1998

Figure 1.6: Excavation of enclosure E1, producing copper alloy casting debris; maintaining progress by use of barrow runs across the wet surface and bailing out features as necessary

7

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 1.7: Near the end of the excavation, looking towards the north-east corner of the site, with the machine stripped areas to the left, centre and top, and the box scraper stripped areas to the centre-right and foreground

8

Chapter 2

Neolithic and Bronze Age activity The worked flint

a site which also produced a group of middle Bronze Age pits and a small cremation cemetery (see Chapter 11).

Only five pieces of struck flint were recovered. They are all in good quality vitreous flint, brown or grey in colour. The group comprises three hard-hammer struck flakes, a large flake with miscellaneous retouch on one edge and a small heavily worked core with three platforms.

The Middle Bronze Age pits Pit 100 On the eastern part of the site a group of intercutting pits (Fig 1.4) formed an arc extending up 4.0m northsouth (Fig 2.1). The original feature may have comprised a slightly curving slot or gully, 102/101, at least 2.1m long by 0.50m wide and 0.20m deep, with two postholelike cuts within it, 101.1, at the northernmost end, and

This material lacks diagnostic features and can only be broadly ascribed to the Neolithic/early Bronze Age. It may be noted that 30 flints and part of a polished stone axe were recovered during the excavation of the deserted medieval village of Coton, 1.3km to the north,

101.1 101 101.2 102

102

102.1

103 X SF1

100

100

100.1

2m

0 sw

NE 100.1

100

S

101.2

102.1

N

101

102

101.1 101.2

101.3

0

root disturbance

101

2m S230

N

S

530.1

530

Figure 2.1: Plans and sections of Bronze Age pits

9

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 2.1: Quantification of finds from the Bronze Age pits

Pit 530

Feature

pot (g)

bone (g)

100.1 pit

898

-

101.1 pit

14

-

103.1 pit

-

40

530.1 pit

299

-

A further pit, 530, lay 60m to the west (Figs 1.4 & 3.1). It was circular, 0.85m in diameter, steep-sided with an uneven base up to 0.25m deep (Fig 2.1). The fill comprised mid to dark grey sandy loam with dense charcoal flecking, sparse pebbles and some middle Bronze Age pottery (Table 2.1).

Totals

1211

40

other finds Copper dagger, SF1

In both pit groups the charcoal was mainly oak, but other species were present in small quantities (see Gale below). The pottery comes from Middle Bronze Age bucket or barrel urns, with the example from pit 530 having applied cordons in the Deverel-Rimbury tradition.

101.2, c.0.45m and 0.30m in diameter, respectively. It is possible that a third posthole lay at the southern end, lost to the later cutting of the southern pit, 100, which was 1.75m long by 0.80m wide and 0.2m deep, with a bowl-shaped profile. The fills of all these features comprised grey to grey-brown clay, with fill 102.1 of the slot containing orange-brown mottling but without charcoal inclusions. This was similar to fill 101.3, although this did contain a little charcoal. There was dense charcoal in the northernmost posthole, 101.1, and also in the other posthole, 101.2. Within the southern pit, 100, there was a thin layer of denser charcoal within a generally charcoal-flecked fill, also including pebbles, with some burnt, 101.1. A bronze dagger (SF1) was recovered from the exposed surface of the fill immediately after machining, and nearly 1.0kg of pottery was recovered from the fill.

The radiocarbon dates Given the state of radiocarbon dating at the end of the 1990s, the quantities of charcoal from short-lived species was insufficient for dating, so oak charcoal was used. Although this is potentially from older wood, the material present was identified as coming from poles or cordwood (see Gale below) which would suggest that the oak charcoal would not be significantly older than its context of deposition. The samples from pits 60m apart are closely consistent in species representation and are close enough in date for it to be considered likely that they derive from a single episode of site activity occurring within the two century range where the dates overlap, 1450-1260 Cal BC. They

A small oval pit, 103, west of the southern pit, was 0.37m long by 0.24m wide and 0.05m deep, with some animal bone in the fill.

Table 2.2: Radiocarbon determinations for the Middle Bronze Age pits Laboratory & Sample Numbers

Context Details

Wk-10428 CP98/3

Pit 100 includes pot & bronze dagger

Wk-10429 CP98/14

Pit 530 small pottery group

13C/12C ratio

Conventional radiocarbon age BP

Cal BC 95.4% confidence

Wood charcoal, Quercus (oak), poles and cordwood

-25.5 +/- 0.2

3070 +/-60

1490-1480 (0.5%) 1450-1190 (92%) 1180-1160 (1.6%)

Wood charcoal, Quercus (oak) poles and cordwood

-24.6 +/- 0.2

3140 +/-60

1530-1260 (94.5%) 1250-1230 (0.9%)

Sample details

Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory: Wk: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand Method of analysis: standard radiometric; Calibration: INTCAL13; Plot: OxCal v4.3.2

10

Neolithic and Bronze Age activity

The Bronze Age pottery A small assemblage of Bronze Age pottery comprising 36 sherds (weighing 898g) from at least two large, thick-walled bucket or barrel urns, was recovered from the fill 101.1 of pit 100. Further similar material comprising 6 sherds (weighing 299g) from two vessels came from pit 530, some 60m to the west.

Figure 2.2: The bronze dagger, SF1, from pit 100 (scale 10mm)

also span the same date range as the small cremation cemetery on the deserted medieval village site to the north (see Chapter 11).

The fabrics are typically free of mineral inclusions, but contain varying amounts of small rounded pellets of grog and there are some small voids, presumably from leached organic material. All of the vessels have been poorly manufactured and finished, and are in poor condition as a result of being fired at relatively low temperatures.

Pit 100 The assemblage comprises mainly plain body sherds, but there is part of a single base, and rim sherds from at least two vessels. In all instances there is too little surviving to fully characterise the forms, but they appear to be simple bucket or barrel urns. The single base sherd is flat and comes from a vessel some 400500mm in diameter, while the two rim sherds are from vessels with rim diameters of around 300mm, although in all instances the irregularities leave these measurements as rough averages.

The copper alloy dagger A small tanged, copper alloy knife or dirk (Small Find SF1) was recovered from the surface of pit 100 immediately following machining, indicating that it had been deposited at a late stage in the filling of the pit, even allowing for later truncation of the upper fills. The dagger is in moderate condition, with one surface extensively pitted by corrosion, while on the other side the end of the blade is pitted (Fig 2.2). It is 102mm long, up to 28mm wide and weighs 31g. The blade has angled facets on both sides and tapers down to a width of 9mm at the irregular, broken point. It has a lozenge-shaped hilt and rivet-notches, rather than holes. These notches may suggest that it had been cut down from a larger weapon, with rivet-holes originally, as occurred with a very similar dirk from the post alignment at Flag Fen, Peterborough (Coombs 1992, 506 & fig 2, 5). Coombs has classified the Flag Fen dirk as belonging to the Appleby type of Burgess and Gerloff (1981, 74-82, numbers 57786), dating to 1200-1000BC.

Vessel 1 A plain, thick-walled barrel urn with an internally bevelled rim. The core is dark grey, the interior is uniformly orange and the exterior is patchy varying from grey to orange brown. The fabric is slightly sandy, containing fine quartz grains. Vessel 2 A plain probable bucket urn with a simple rim with a rounded external bevel. The core is grey-black and the interior and exterior surfaces are brown.

The radiocarbon date from oak charcoal within the layer beneath the dagger has given at date of 1500-1120 Cal BC (Wk 10428, 95% confidence), which falls within the range quoted for the dagger, although at 68% confidence the calibrated date of 1410-1260 Cal BC is slightly earlier (Table 1). This might suggest that the dagger was deposited in the partially silted-up pit up to a century later than the layer containing the charcoal and the pottery, or that the dagger may be a little earlier in date, perhaps c.1400-1250 BC.

Pit 530 Five sherds are evidently from a single thick-walled bucket urn with an internally bevelled rim with oblique, finger-pinched decoration on the external surface immediately below the rim. A single body sherd has a scar from a lost horizontal applied cordon. The core is grey-black, while the inner and outer surfaces vary from dark grey to dark brown. 11

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting There is a single, small sherd from a flat-based vessel in an orange-brown fabric rich in pellets of grog.

of the sampled Iron Age features, but it was very poorly preserved and friable, and often contaminated throughout with sediments. See Gale in Chapter 8, Wood Species identification, for details of the methodology and the full range of taxa from the site.

Discussion The vessel from pit 530, with its applied cordon and fingertip decorated rim, conforms to the DeverelRimbury tradition of the middle Bronze Age, and charcoal from this pit has been radiocarbon dated to 1530-1210 Cal BC (95% confidence, Table 2.2).

The range of taxa identified included alder (Alnus glutinosa), hazel (Corylus avellana), the hawthorn/ Sorbus group (Pomoideae), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and oak (Quercus sp.). Oak was most frequent and derived mainly from poles or cordwood wide enough to contain heartwood.

The plain urns from pit 100 can be dated by the associated dagger to 1200-1000BC or a little earlier, and by radiocarbon dating to 1500-1120 Cal BC (95% confidence, Table 2.2). They would lie towards the end of the DeverelRimbury tradition, which is currently given a date range of 1400 to 1000 BC (Gibson and Woods 1997, 142-45).

Discussion Deposits in the Bronze Age pits contained comparatively large amounts of charcoal and the species content was more or less similar in each, indicating the use of wood from numerous species: oak, blackthorn, the hawthorn group, hazel and alder (Table 2.3). The origin of the charcoal is unknown: perhaps domestic or industrial fuel debris, although the copper dagger in pit 100 could indicate ritual deposition.

Wood species identifications by Rowena Gale Charcoal was fairly abundant in the sampled Bronze Age pit fills 100.1 and 530.1, more so than in most

Table 2.3: Charcoal from the Bronze Age pits Species Context/ Structure (Sample)

Alnus (alder)

Alnus/ corylus (alder/hazel)

Pomoideae (hawthorn, apple etc

Corylus (hazel)

Prunus (cherry etc)

Quercus (oak)

100.1 pit group (3)

1

-

1

2

10

87h, 9s

530 pit (14)

-

1

-

8

1

91h, 3s

12

Chapter 3

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development The pottery chronology

A sample of dog bone from a semi-articulated skeleton in the fills of the later outer enclosure ditch that surrounded the principal and long-lived roundhouse RD5, was submitted in order to obtain a date relating to the latest use of this area, and probably also the final phase of the domestic occupation. Unexpectedly, this date was no more than a century later than the date from RD3, the copper alloy and bone working area, and as it comes from a dog burial the material dated must be regarded as contemporary with its context. The broad date at 95% confidence, 360-180 Cal BC (Table 3.1, Beta482664, 2190 +/- 30 BP), can be subdivided into two component dates at 68% confidence, 360-290 Cal BC at 46.3% confidence and 230-200 at 21.9% confidence. Of course in this instance, as the bone sample is from the final phase of use of this roundhouse RD5, it would have been preferable if the 3rd century date had carried a higher confidence level.

The pottery from Coton Park includes some material with Early Iron Age characteristics that indicate a probable origin in the 5th century BC (Phase 1: c.450400BC). The earliest settlement was a small domestic focus that was a direct precursor to the expansion of settlement through the earlier Middle Iron Age (Phases 2 & 3: 400-250/200BC), followed by decline and abandonment into the later Middle Iron Age (Phase 4: 250/200-150BC). There was a separate period of activity on the northern part of the site during the Late Iron Age/early Roman period (Phase 5: c.0BC-c.AD75), evidenced only by a small amount of pottery, parts of two rotary querns and Roman roof tile from the later fills of the major boundary ditch system (Table 3.2). There are further details about the ceramic chronology in the description of the pottery assemblage in Chapter 5, and a broader overview in the discussion, Chapter 10.

The two radiocarbon dates are consistent and agree with the pottery in indicating that the main phase of occupation lay within the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and, while not conclusive, there is a slight statistical preference in both towards the earlier of the double dates. This may suggest that the main period of settlement activity, including the copper alloy casting, had all occurred within a period of only a little over 100 years from c.400BC to c.290BC. This interpretation would lead towards a much tighter overall chronology, perhaps: Phase 1: c.450-400BC; Phases 2 & 3: 400300BC and Phase 4: 300-200 BC. There is much in the archaeological record to commend such a short chronology, however, given the current double dates resulting from the radiocarbon calibration curve through the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, for the time being at least we must accept the broader date ranges and the uncertainties that they provide, as summarised in Table 3.2.

Radiocarbon dating A sample of cow horn core from ring ditch RD3 was submitted for radiocarbon dating in order to provide a date for the copper alloy casting and the bone, antler and horn working all focussed on ring ditch RD3 and the adjacent enclosure E1. At 95% confidence, there is a double date range 410-350 Cal BC at 48.3% confidence and 320-210 Cal BC at 47.1% confidence (Table 3.1, Beta-188360, 2280 +/- 40 BP). These dates are broadly consistent with the pottery assemblage in indicating that the main phase of occupation spanned the earlier Middle Iron Age (400-250/200BC). However, as with all radiocarbon dates within this time span, the dip in the calibration curve produces pairs of dates, one in the 4th and the other in the 3rd century BC, which hinder our ability to provide more precise chronologies for Middle Iron Age sites.

Settlement development

Given the almost identical confidence levels, it is not possible to discriminate between a date in the early to mid-4th century BC, which would be acceptable given the presence, if in small quantities, of Early Iron Age pottery, and a date within the 3rd century BC, which is also acceptable given that the pottery shows occupation extending into the later Middle Iron Age (250/200-150BC). It is only at the 68% confidence level, where a date in the 4th century, 400-360 Cal BC, at 44% confidence, has the higher probability.

The excavation appears to have taken in most but not quite all of a single Middle Iron Age settlement. The extent of the main settlement area to the north and east was established by the presence of the major boundary ditches. The density of features to the south was declining but its full extent may not have been reached. To the west settlement features clearly continued to and beyond the limit of the available geophysical survey data (see Figs 1.4 & 3.1). The presence of the A426 road to the west and existing housing estates to 13

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 3.1: Radiocarbon determinations for the Iron Age settlement Lab. & Sample No

Context Details

Sample details

13C/ 12C ratio

Beta-188360 CP98/RD3

Ring ditch RD3 Bronze and bone working area

Bone collagen Cow horn core (SF93 & 96)

-21.8

Beta-482664 CP98/182

Ring ditch RD6, Outer ditch 182.2

Bone collagen Dog burial

-20.1 (d15N +8.9)

Conventional radiocarbon age BP

Cal BC 68% confidence 95% confidence

2280 +/- 40

400-360 (44%) 280-260 (18%) 250-240 (6%) 410-350 (48.3%) 320-210 (47.1%)

2190 +/- 30

360-290 (46.3%) 230-200 (21.9%) 360-180 (95.4%)

Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory: Beta Analytic, Miami, Florida, USA Method of analysis: AMS. Calibration: INTCAL13; Plot OxCal v4.3.2

the south and east preclude the possibility of further establishing the broader context of the excavated part of the settlement. The area to the north, between Coton Park Iron Age village and the medieval village (see Fig 1.1) has since been subject to evaluation and some excavation prior to further housing development, but without locating a further area of significant Iron Age settlement.

date the group of small ring ditches and enclosures across the eastern part of the site to the north of RD1. It is even possible that one of more of these were actually contemporary with the Middle Bronze Age pits in the same area, but merely lacking the characteristic finds recovered from the Bronze Age pit fills. The minor ring ditches and curvilinear ditch systems to the north of the main boundary ditch are also poorly dated. The assignment of these to the Late Iron Age/ early Roman reuse of the settlement site is influenced by boundary ditch D4 cutting the fills of the main boundary ditch D1, which suggests that the creation of all the ditched enclosures to the north was perhaps part of a final reuse of the site.

The broad development of the settlement is summarised below (Fig 3.2 & Table 3.2), and the details of the structural evidence are catalogued in Chapter 4. As with most Iron Age settlements, while there are areas of the site, in this instance the row of roundhouses and enclosures on the western part of the site, where there was sufficient intercutting of features to enable a sound sequence to be constructed for this area, there are many other structural elements beyond this core area that were both discrete and lacking in finds assemblages suitable for close dating. The overall model provided is inevitably, therefore, just that, a model, and one that is certain to contain errors of detail. Hopefully, it does provide a valid and useful overview of the major transformations of the central core of the settlement through time and a broad view of the contemporary structures beyond the core.

Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400 BC) The early domestic focus comprised a sub-circular enclosure, E5, possibly a ring ditch containing a small roundhouse, c.7.0m in diameter, but much of this structure was lost beneath medieval furrows (Fig 3.3). It was replaced by a small roundhouse, RD14, 8.0m in diameter, and an adjacent sub-enclosure, RD34, 6.5m in diameter, which may have been either an annex or contained a smaller structure. Curvilinear gullies to the east of RD14 may have formed an annex beyond the eastern entrance, set between RD14 and RD6. These structures were all defined by particularly shallow ring gullies, surviving 0.10-0.25m deep.

The pottery assemblage from roundhouse RD1, to the south, does suggest that the southward expansion of settlement occurred quite late, but there was little to 14

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development

Table 3.2: Summary of Iron Age chronology Period

Chronological and Structural groups

Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400 BC)

Early focus comprising a single roundhouse group Enclosure E5, Roundhouse RD14 and ring ditch RD34 Roundhouse RD6 The pit line/pit alignment Other pits A linear gully and minor ring gully RD23 Enclosure E11 and ring gully RD24 Residual pottery

Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.400-350/300BC)

Linear boundary ditch, D1, and expansion of settlement The early focus is replaced by new roundhouse groups Copper alloy working area, Group 1, to east Principal roundhouse complex, Group 2, replaces early focus Second roundhouse group to south, Group 3 Enclosures and ring gullies abutting the boundary ditch Parts of eastern group of minor structures?

Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/300-250/200BC)

Minor reorganisation and recutting of ditches Principal roundhouse complex, Group 2, rearranged and extended southwards Consequent reorganisation of roundhouse Group 3 Group 4 as new addition, replacing lost capacity of Group 3? Parts of eastern group of minor structures?

Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)

Principal roundhouse enclosed and other roundhouse groups reorganised Main roundhouse, Group 2, enclosed New roundhouses in Groups 3 and 4 Copper alloy working area abandoned? New roundhouses to south as part of expansion? Settlement abandoned c.150BC

Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC-c.AD75)

Minor settlement within enclosures at north end of site Enclosures to north of boundary ditch containing minor structures Small quantities of Late Iron Age pottery, rotary querns and Roman ceramic tile deposited in upper fills of boundary ditch system

A similar and broadly contemporary transition from a small roundhouse complex to a larger settlement comprising a row of roundhouse groups, but with the later principal roundhouse closely adjacent to the original group, was also seen at the nearby site of the Lodge, DIRFT, Northamptonshire, just 7.5km to the east (Chapman 2015, 114-134, figs 4.2, 4.4 & 4.29).

Roundhouse RD14 may have either been replaced by ring ditch RD6 as the principal roundhouse or, alternatively, it was always a secondary structure to the larger roundhouse. Roundhouse RD14 was 10.0m in diameter, with an eastern doorway, 1.5m wide, defined by a pair of postholes that may have held oak posts up c.0.25m thick and c.0.50m wide (Fig 3.4). Lengths of narrow wall slot, 0.15m wide and 0.20m deep, survived beyond the doorway. An arc of widelyspaced postholes, surviving only around the north side, may have held posts supported the ends of the rafters. The surrounding ring ditch was only 0.40m wide and up to 0.28m deep, and had not been recut, suggesting a relatively short lifetime for the building.

To the south of the early roundhouses a line of pits was traced for a length of 19m on a north-east to south-west alignment. These have the appearance of a short length of pit alignment, but there was no indication of a continuation to the north-east, and to the south-west it ran beyond the excavated area, leaving its extent unknown. A cluster of pits that lay ‘within’ roundhouse RD5, but probably pre-dating the structure, also produced some Early Iron Age pottery.

However, while the ditch surrounding RD6 had been cut by the outer of a pair of ring ditches surrounding the subsequent principal roundhouse, RD5, the walls of these two roundhouses stood at least 3m apart, so they could both have stood at the same time if RD5 was initially surrounded by only its innermost ring ditch. This might suggest that roundhouse RD6 was retained through the transition period between the roundhouse complex of Phase 1 and the creation of the much enlarged settlement of Phase 2, post-400BC.

To the north, a discontinuous line of shallow linear ditch started south of the main boundary ditch, D1, and continued to the north of it, indicating that boundary ditch D1 was a later addition, introduced in Phase 2. A small ring ditch system, RD23, in the northern part of the site, which produced some early pottery, may have been an outlying ancillary structure or structures lying to the west of the linear gully. 15

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 3.1: General plan of Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-5

16

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development

Figure 3.2: The development of the Middle Iron Age settlement, Phases 1-4

17

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting the settlement. To east, Group 1, an irregular enclosure, a circular enclosure and a roundhouse formed a craft focus, with quantities of debris from copper alloy casting and bone, antler and horn working dumped into the ditches. It appears that this craft activity had been deliberately sited at some distance from the associated domestic structures. A linear boundary ditch, D1, formed the northern limit of the enlarged settlement (Fig 3.9). This ditch was up to 1.25m deep and had been recut several times, indicating that it survived throughout the lifetime of the settlement and beyond, see Phase 5 below. It is considered likely that ditch D1 was a land/territorial boundary marker that would have extended some distance beyond the settlement. Unfortunately, there is no information available to establish how far.

Figure 3.3: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 1: later Early Iron Age (c.450-400BC)

To the north-east of the early roundhouses, ring ditch RD24 set within enclosure E11 was also part of the early usage of the site, pre-dating enclosure E1 of the copper alloy and bone working area of Phase 2. The shallow ditches and clean fills, which had not registered on the magnetometer survey (see Fig 1.2), did not produce any finds to indicate a functional purpose, but it may be significant that this ring ditch and enclosure were set a little away from the contemporary domestic buildings, mirroring the later arrangement of the copper alloy and bone working area and perhaps serving a comparable functional purpose.

To the east, an associated ditch D3, on a similar scale to D1 and also recut several times, defined the eastern limit of the settlement. It terminated 80m to the south of D1, roughly in line with the southern limit of the initial settlement. There were no ditched boundaries further to the south, and the ditch was not extended further south in the later southward expansion of the settlement.

Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age: (c.400-350/300BC)

A series of sub-rectangular and sub-circular enclosures abutted the southern side of boundary ditch D1, and were probably a succession of changes and additions, also with multiple recuts, through the lifetime of the main settlement. The sub-rectangular enclosure to the west, E8, perhaps a stock enclosure, and a semi-circular ring ditch to its east, RD7, may have belonged to Phase 2. To the immediate south, another detached sub-square enclosure, E6, 13m by 12m, with an entrance to the east, perhaps closed with a timber gate, may have been a further stock enclosure. The two enclosures were perhaps used for a limited number of prize animals, a bull for breeding, plough oxen or ponies, for instance.

The enlarged settlement consisted of a row of roundhouses to the west, at least Groups 2 and 3, each comprising a pair of roundhouses. These formed the main domestic core of

The domestic focus of Phase 1 was replaced by a new and larger domestic focus, Group 2, which lay directly south of its predecessor. It is likely that roundhouse RD6 of the 18

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development The single ring ditch that enclosed the new roundhouse in its original form probably met the ring ditch enclosing its predecessor RD6. The new roundhouse was also defined by a partial wall slot and substantial post-pits, indicating the provision of an elaborate, perhaps monumental doorway (see Fig 10.2 and associated discussion of doorways). The oak posts of the door surround may have continued above the roof line, perhaps carved and decorated, totem-pole like. This was the largest roundhouse in the settlement, with the longest and most complex sequence of enclosing ditches. It is regarded as the principal roundhouse of the settlement. However, there was only a single set of doorposts and a single wall slot, suggesting that a single house stood throughout the life of the settlement and the many changes in the associated structures. The finds from the ring ditches were not particularly exceptional, although it did produce the only bone comb (see Fig 7.6, 1) and, in the ditch of Phase 4, the skeleton of a small dog (see Fig 4.12). To the immediate south of RD5 there was a secondary roundhouse RD17, probably c.8m in diameter, although no structural elements had survived. The ring ditch, which would have met the ring ditch around RD5, was relatively narrow and shallow, up to 0.70m wide by 0.30m deep with no evidence of recutting, perhaps suggesting that this roundhouse had a relatively short life, perhaps between the demise of the early house RD6, and first reorganisation of Group 2.

Figure 3.4: The southern portal posthole, 195, and the narrow wall slot, 196, of the early roundhouse RD6, looking south

early focus was retained through the transition, with a new and even larger roundhouse, RD5, c.12m in diameter, constructed immediately alongside it (Figs 3.5 and 3.6).

Figure 3.5: Aerial view of the principal roundhouse RD5, looking north (image by Andy Holland)

19

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 3.6: Principal roundhouse RD5, looking west across the late outer enclosure ditch

Figure 3.7: Aerial view of the copper alloy working area, Group1, looking north (image by Andy Holland)

Thirty-five metres to the north-east of the principal roundhouse, RD5, there was a complex of enclosures and ring ditches, Group 1, that were the focus for copper alloy casting as well as bone, antler and horn working. Ring ditch RD3 was 10m in diameter, with a steep-sided slot-

like V-shaped ditch, which had been recut several times, but with no evidence of an internal structure. It may have been an open working area, unless there was some light structure that had left no below-ground evidence. It was perhaps used for preparatory work for copper 20

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development

alloy casting, such as the creation of moulds, and the preparation of bones derived from butchering to provide material suitable for working objects of bone, antler and horn. The copper alloy casting and bone working debris was concentrated in the ditch fills of RD3, particularly the eastern half of the circuit, and the south-eastern corner of enclosure E1, with smaller quantities from roundhouse RD2 and a small ancillary structure RD4 (Fig 3.7). Ring ditch RD2 to the east, had probably enclosed a roundhouse c.9m diameter, with a large internal pit containing hearth debris. The house may have provided a warm enclosed space for other preparatory work, such as the preparation of wax master models and the drying of moulds, or for fine bone, antler and horn working. The small partial ring, RD4, set in the angle between RD2 and RD3, was only 5m in diameter and may appear as a minor ancillary structure. However, the variable profiles and depths of the gully, with steep sides and bowl-shaped hollows in the base along the central part of the circuit, may suggest that it had held upright timbers. These could have formed a screen or windbreak around an area in which, say, the actual melting and casting of the copper alloy was carried out, set apart from the associated stages of work in its own small but adequate space for such a specialised task.

Figure 3.8: Set of loomweights from a pit in RD18

While enclosure E1 was part of the copper alloy and bone working group, its western entrance stood some distance from the focal area of activity. It would seem more appropriate as, say, a small stock enclosure, unless it served as a storage and further working area for the copper alloy casting and bone working activities. Enclosure E2 to the east, which produced a single crucible fragment, may also have been broadly contemporary with the structures of Group 1. Its entrance lay only 3m from boundary ditch D3, which might be consistent with a stock enclosure, with the restricted access to the entrance aiding stock control when taking animals in or out. Figure 3.9: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 2: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.400-350/300BC)

21

Group 3, to the south of the principal roundhouse group,

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting consisted of a smaller roundhouse, RD10, c.8m in diameter, with portal postholes surviving on the south side of the eastern doorway. Wrapped around the northern half of RD10, there was an interrupted ring of curvilinear gullies, RD18, 14m in diameter. This appears to have formed an annex to RD10, rather than containing a roundhouse. A pit in the northern part of the ring contained a stack of five complete fired-clay loomweights (Fig 3.8), while a smaller pit to the southwest contained part of a further loomweight. The concentration of loomweights from an upright warpweighted loom within this structure, may suggest that this annex was focused on weaving, implying that this structural group was a another craft focus, but perhaps attached to a domestic dwelling, RD10, as the two roles are not, of course, mutually exclusive.

craft workshops, perhaps weaving, and not primarily domestic space, this does not imply any reduction in population within the settlement. Roundhouse Group 4, to the south, did not exhibit the same complexity of development as Groups 2 and 3, and for this reason it is suggested that it was a later addition, an expansion of the settlement that perhaps replaced some of the capacity lost in the expansion of the principal roundhouse, Group 2, and the consequent reducing in size of Group 3 to a single roundhouse. Group 4, comprised a large roundhouse, RD12, 10m in diameter, and a much smaller structure, RD20, only 8.0m in diameter, so an enclosed roundhouse would have been only 6.5-7.0m in diameter. Roundhouse

Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/300-250/200BC) The overall structure of the settlement remained unchanged, but the roundhouse groups show some changes of detail, particularly Groups 2 and 3, and this appears to be driven by the enlargement of the principal roundhouse group (Fig 3.10). The structure and perhaps the status of the principal house to the north, RD5, was enhanced by the provision of a second encircling ring ditch. To accommodate this addition, the adjacent roundhouse RD17 was replaced by a new roundhouse, RD16, set further to the south and also larger than its predecessor, perhaps 1011m in diameter and set within a ring ditch 13.5m in diameter, but without deeply-founded doorposts. A curving gully to the south may have formed an annex, RD15. The southwards expansion of Group 2 had an impact on the neighbouring structures, Group, 3, which lost the larger of its two roundhouses, RD19, and appears to have been reduced to a single roundhouse, RD10, only c.8m in diameter. As it has been suggested that this group of structures may have been

Figure 3.10: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 3: earlier Middle Iron Age (c.350/200-250/200BC)

22

The Iron Age settlement: chronology and development

RD12 had a surviving pair of rectangular portal postpits, with additional plank settings in front of the doorposts, which indicate that it had a monumental timber doorway, facing east, comparable to that of the principal roundhouse, RD5, at the northern end of the line (see Fig 10.5 and associated discussion).

enclosure, E6, was replaced by a larger oval enclosure, E7, which lay largely beyond the excavated area. To the south, Group 3 was completely reformed. There was a new roundhouse, RD11, although this was again small, c.7m diameter. Abutting it to the north there was now a small sub-square enclosure, RD9. It is possible that this new arrangement was related to milling, as saddle querns had been deposited in the southern terminal of roundhouse RD11 and in the ditch at the south-west corner of RD9, where it joined RD11. However, other saddle querns and rubbing stones were recovered elsewhere on the site: two from RD1, the isolated roundhouse to the south; two from RD3 in the copper alloy working area; two from the principal roundhouse RD5 and one from the adjacent house, RD17.

The two largest roundhouses with the most elaborate doorways therefore stood at either end of this row of structures forming the domestic core of the settlement. The possible social structure of the settlement is also discussed in Chapter 10. On the eastern part of the site a series of small roundhouses and enclosures, RD21, RD22, RD29, E10 and E12, all of which produced few finds, may have been broadly contemporary with Phases 2 and 3. Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC) The double ring ditch system surrounding the principal roundhouse, RD5, was reduced to a single ditch by retaining, perhaps recutting or cleaning out, the northern half of the outer ring, while recutting the southern half of the inner ring and linking the two with a new length of ditch to the west to create a single circuit. This may have been in preparation for the final enhancement of the roundhouse, encircling it with a continuous subrectangular enclosure (Fig 3.11). The enclosure ditch was on a grander scale than the typical roundhouse ring ditches. It was V-shaped, 2.0m wide by 0.80m deep, and the recut was even more substantial, at 2.5m wide by 1.0m deep. Lacking any evidence, it must be assumed that access to the enclosed roundhouse was by a timber bridge. To the south the enclosure ditch cut the ring ditch of the adjacent roundhouse, RD16, but the roundhouse itself was probably retained, as curvilinear gullies between the enclosure ditch and RD16 formed a roughly D-shaped annex or enclosure, RD33. To the north of RD5, the possible stock

Figure 3.11: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 4: later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC)

23

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting To the south, Group 4, there was a new roundhouse, RD26, which was actually larger than its predecessor, at 13.5m diameter, with the roundhouse perhaps c.11m in diameter, the second largest on the site, but there were no deeply-founded doorpost settings, although the area around the southern terminal had been disturbed by machine tracking during the wet weather.

The junction of the western arm of enclosure E3 with the boundary ditch was the only intersection excavated. Here it was shown that at its southern end the enclosure ditch turned eastwards as a recut of the largely silted boundary ditch, D1. In the southwest corner of enclosure E13, the subsidence hollow over the boundary ditch fills contained dense gravel, suggesting that in this case there may have been a laid track to provide access across the ditch at this point, perhaps to facilitate movement of stock between the enclosure and pasture.

RD26 was abutted to the north by a small continuous ring ditch, RD13, only 7.0m in diameter. On other sites, such as nearby DIRFT, Northamptonshire, such ring ditches had enclosed four-post structures, suggesting the provision of raised structures for storage of goods, possibly granaries.

Enclosure E3 to the east, 35-40m wide, appears to have been a focus for Late Iron Age settlement, containing two small ring ditches, RD25 and RD32, which could have surrounded roundhouses only c.7m in diameter. A curvilinear ditch in the south-western corner of this enclosure, and further curvilinear ditches in the adjacent south-eastern corner of enclosure E13, may have been animal pens. To the west, the small part of enclosure E14 within the excavated area contained no internal features.

This final phase of settlement may also have seen a further expansion, with two small ring ditches, RD27 and RD28, to the south, and an isolated roundhouse, RD1, perhaps with an adjacent enclosure E9, to the south-east. The pottery assemblage, the radiocarbon dates and the presence of saddle querns but an absence of rotary querns, indicates that the settlement was abandoned quite early in the later Middle Iron Age, perhaps c.200BC, but given the problems with radiocarbon calibrations, as discussed above, we must adopt a slightly later date of c.150BC to encompass the full range of possibilities.

The dating evidence for this final phase of activity came mainly from the excavation of the ditch sequence at the south-west corner of enclosure E3, where the final fills of the boundary ditch and the fills of the enclosure ditch produced an Iron Age beehive rotary quern and a Roman flat rotary quern, along with a small quantity of Roman roof tile. There is also a small amount of Late Iron Age pottery comprising wheel-finished vessel, Belgic-types, of the early 1st century AD. The absence of any amount of Roman pottery suggests that the settlement was abandoned soon after the conquest.

Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (c.0BC-c.75AD) While the settlement had been abandoned by c.150BC, the substantial boundary ditch, D1, at the northern end of the site survived as an earthwork and may still have been recognised as a land/territorial boundary.

In the Late Iron Age, probably approaching 0BC, as there is an absence of pottery forms of the 1st century BC, this boundary ditch became the focus for a new phase of occupation with the creation of a series of enclosures abutting the northern side of the ditch, perhaps a small scale ladder settlement, a characteristic settlement type of this period (Fig 3.12). The enclosures were of varying sizes, E3 was 3540m wide, E13 was 30m wide and E14 was 20m wide. They were up to 28m long within the excavated area, and the geophysical survey recorded the eastern arm of enclosure E3 for a total length of 42m and still continuing beyond this Figure 3.12: The Iron Age settlement, Phase 5: Late Iron Age to early Roman (Fig 1.2). (c.0BC- AD75)

24

Chapter 4

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence Andy Chapman and Pat Chapman Ring ditches and enclosures

within the settlement, and also provides a body of comparative data to add to that obtained from other locally excavated sites. The discussion, Chapter 10, contains an overview of the structure of the Iron Age roundhouse as seen at Coton Park and other sites in the region, including the nearby settlements at DIRFT, Northamptonshire (Masefield et al 2015).

Two main definitions are used to label the structures: circular or near circular ring ditches (RD) mostly, but not always, enclosing roundhouses; and oval to subsquare enclosures (E). This terminology was adopted during excavation and structures were labelled and numbered accordingly. However, further consideration of the evidence has shown a few inconsistences in terms of the likely functional usage of some structures. For instance, ring ditch RD9 was a small sub-square ancillary enclosure attached to roundhouse ring ditch RD11. Ring ditch RD7, attached to the west end of enclosure E4, was curvilinear but seems likely to have been a small sub-enclosure or annex. Also, despite being circular, it is unclear what if any structure may have stood inside ring ditch RD3 which produced the majority of the copper alloy and bone working debris, as there were no surviving post-pits or wall slots to indicate the presence of a roundhouse or other timber structure within it. In the early group, Enclosure E5 may have been a roundhouse ring ditch, but too little was recovered to be certain. Despite these exceptions, it seemed preferable to retain the terminology issued on site rather than to rebuild the entire system. The higher numbered enclosures and ring ditches are additions made during post-excavation.

Given the presence of discrete structural groups, often comprising a large roundhouse, a smaller roundhouse and a ditched enclosure or variations on this theme, it is possible to define several combinations of roundhouses and enclosures, and for some it is possible to define the particular activities that were conducted within them. This too provides a valuable body of data for intra-site comparisons. The descriptions of the structural elements are in spatial groups, not numerical order, and the location of each group within the settlement can be referenced using Figure 3.1. Early ring ditches and pit groups: Enclosure E5, ring ditches RD14, RD34, RD6 and RD23 The earliest domestic focus comprised a smaller roundhouse complex, E5/RD14/RD34 (Fig 4.1), and a large roundhouse, RD6 (see Fig 4.6). Broadly contemporary features comprised a line of pits, perhaps the end of a pit alignment, and a scatter of pits between the alignment and the roundhouses (see Fig 4.6). To the E there was a ring ditch within an enclosure, RD24/E11 (see Fig 3.3), and to the N a linear ditch and a small ring ditch, RD23 (see Fig 4.17).

As is typical of these midland settlements, the locations of the roundhouses are defined by encircling ring ditches, but often with no surviving evidence for the former presence of a roundhouse within them. This inevitably leaves uncertainty about the function of some ring ditches. At Coton Park, only two ring ditches had both partial lengths of surviving wall slot and portal post-pits, RD6, an early structure, and the adjacent RD5, Group 2. Another had a well-preserved pair of portal post-pits, RD12, Group 4, and a few had a single posthole, with the location of the potential opposed post lying on the line of a medieval furrow. It is therefore possible to define the form and diameter of only a few of the largest roundhouses with certainty. In other examples the likely presence of a roundhouse can be assumed and an approximate diameter can be provided by allowing for the presence of a berm between wall and ditch c.1.01.5m wide for a large roundhouse and perhaps as little as 0.75m to 1.0m for a small roundhouse. This data can be used to make comparisons between different groups

Enclosure E5 This enclosure, possibly a ring ditch, comprised a curvilinear ditch, much of which was lost beneath two medieval furrows (Fig 4.1). It was 9-10m in diameter with terminals to the E, 311, and possibly the S, 205. The broad opening to the SE, almost an entire quadrant of the circle, was 6.3m wide. This broad opening and its extreme alignment might suggest that this was an enclosure, and not a roundhouse ring ditch, even though a possible double post-pit, 308, up to 0.57m 25

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Ring ditch RD34

diameter by 0.16m deep, set 1.0m inside the N terminal might have held the door-post of a roundhouse c.7.0m in diameter. It is possible that feature 205 may have been an elongated pit, as interpreted during excavation, set outside and parallel to a continuation of the ring ditch lost under a furrow, with the ditch circuit more circular in plan, and no more than 9.0m in diameter, with a narrow entrance to the E.

Lying N of RD14, ring ditch RD34 comprised a semicircular arc of gully, which to the W cut enclosure E5 (Fig 4.1). Much of any S half to the circuit had been removed by a medieval furrow, leaving its form uncertain, but it may have been a small ring ditch abutting the N side of RD14, perhaps surrounding an ancillary structure. It had an internal diameter of 6.5m, and the ditch, 333, 325 and 339, was up to 0.6m wide and 0.2m deep, with a flat bottom and sloping sides. It was broader than the ditches of RD14, but a step in the base to the NW, 325, might be a result of recutting. An arc of gully, 268, to the W of RD34 might also be part of the early roundhouse group.

The N ditch terminal, 311, was 1.45m wide by 0.15m deep, with an irregular bottom and a shallower recut along its inner edge (Fig 4.1, S214). To the W, the ditch, 313, was 0.60m wide by 0.25m deep, with no indication of recutting, while to the N, 355, it was a little narrower and shallower where it had been truncated by the adjacent furrow. The S ditch terminal or possible pit, 205, was 1.80m long by 0.80-1.0m wide and 0.20m deep, with the fill containing some pottery (Table 4.1) and many burnt cobbles, up to 150mm diameter, were concentrated in the deeper pit at the E end/terminal.

A line of pits There was also a line of small pits in this area (Fig 4.1). To the NW and within RD14, pit 312 was 0.65m in diameter and 0.35m deep. It was very similar to pit 317, 0.5m in diameter by 0.3m deep, outside RD14, and also pit to 307, which intersected the outer ditch of RD14 (but the relationship could not be established). These pits lay in a line, together with a smaller pit to the SE, 321, 0.35m in diameter by 0.10m deep. Further SE, to the S of the furrow, pit 204, 0.90m in diameter and 0.20m deep, may have continued this line to a total length of 14m.

Ring ditch RD14 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 8.0-8.5m, as defined by the inner of the concentric gullies, which may have been a wall trench (Fig 4.1). To the SE there was a slightly broader ditch terminal, 208, defining the S side of an eastern doorway, but the N terminal had been removed by a length of medieval furrow. The inner gully or slot was typically U-shaped, and around 0.25-0.40m wide by 0.10-0.15m deep (Fig 4.1, S214, 309, and S212, 305). The N arc of the inner slot terminated to the W, 305, with a shallow hollow linking both inner and outer gullies at this point, suggesting that originally there were opposed E and W doorways, although the surrounding ring continued across this opening, perhaps suggesting it was a later addition.

Table 4.1: Quantification of finds from E5, RD14 and RD34

The ring ditch of RD14, which encircled two-thirds of the inner ditch, from the NE to the W and SW, was typically 0.35m wide by 0.10m deep with a U-shaped profile, and showed no evidence of recutting. The S terminal, 208, was 0.25m wide and 0.05m deep. The fills comprised grey clayey loams with some charcoal flecks, and finds included a little pottery, animal bone and more than 1kg of fuel ash slag from the ditches in the west, 305 and 306, and fired clay and bone from the outer ditch to the NE, 310 and 311 of E5 (Table 4.1). To the E of the entrance to RD14, an arc of curvilinear gully, 314, 0.35m wide and 0.10m deep with a U-shaped profile, extended 7.0m E from the N terminal. There was also a short length of gully, 209, adjacent to the S terminal. These may have defined an annex set beyond the entrance of RD14 and perhaps bounded to the SE by ring ditch RD6.

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

311, E5 ditch

42

-

-

-

340, E5 ditch

24

-

-

-

205, E5 ditch/pit

221

-

-

-

305, RD14 slot

394

-

1405

9

306, RD14 ditch

-

204

6

-

308, RD14 post-pit

116

-

-

-

310, RD14 ditch

-

-

-

27

312, RD14 pit

12

-

-

-

333, RD34 Ditch

86

48

-

38

339, RD34 ditch

29

-

-

-

924

252

1411

74

Totals

26

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

333

325 268 268 268

E7 E7 E7

333 333

325 325 340

339

RD34

E6

339 340 339 340

E6 E6

RD34 RD34

355

?

318 318 318 317 307 317 306 317307 307 306 306

313 313 313

305

319

310

319 319

310 310 309

S212 S212

312

321

312 312

321 321

furrow furrow

311 311

S214

314

S214 S214

314 314

furrow

RD14

furrow furrow

RD14 RD14

? ? ?

205 205 205 210 210 210 206 206 206

208

209

208 208

209 209

204 204 204

207 207 modern 207 drain modern modern drain drain

enclosure ditch RD5 enclosure ditch enclosure RD5 ditch RD5

200b 200b 200b

200 200 200

RD6 RD6 RD6 furrow

0

5m

0 0

5m 5m

Section 212 RD14 NW Section 212 Section 212 W RD14 NW RD14 NW

126.50m W W 126.50m 126.50m

modern drain modern modern drain drain

311

309 308 309 door post ? 308 308 door post ? door post ?

305 305 S212

furrow

? ?

355

355 Enclosure E5 Enclosure Enclosure E5 E5

furrow furrow

E E E 317 pit 317 317 pit pit

306 outer 306 ring gully 306 outer outer ring gully ring gully

307 pit 307 307 pit pit

0

1m

0 0

1m 1m

307 pit 307 307 pit pit

305 inner 305 ring gully 305 inner inner ring gully ring gully

Section 214 RD14 NE and E5 terminal Section 214 Section 214 W RD14 NE and E5 terminal RD14 NE and E5 terminal 126.50m W W 126.50m 126.50m

Figure 4.1: Later early Iron Age: Roundhouse RD14, ring ditch RD34 and enclosure E5

27

309 inner 309 ring gully 309 inner inner ring gully ring gully

E E E

311 enclosure 311 311 enclosure enclosure

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Principal roundhouse RD6

in from the inner edge of the ring ditch and, while the wall trench did not survive here, to the S it was 1.6m from the edge of the ditch, potentially c.0.8m inside the wall slot, suggesting that they lay c. 0.8m beyond the outer wall of the building. It is uncertain what structural purpose they served, but they may have supported the ends of the principal rafters. If so, with a spacing of 1.51.7m there would have been c.22 rafters. It can be noted that a similar outer ring of posts for Hut 2 at Aldwincle was estimated to have contained 24 rafters at a spacing of 1.5m (see Chapter 10, the Iron Age roundhouse).

This roundhouse may have been either the principal roundhouse of the entire early phase with RD14 as an ancillary structure, or it was added to the RD14 complex as an expansion of this early focus. At 10m in diameter, the roundhouse was comparable in size to its successor RD5, which may have been as much as 12m in diameter (see Fig 4.6, RD5). There may also have been a transition period during which these two roundhouses stood sideby-side, each accompanied by only a single ring ditch and these would have been close to meeting on the SW side of RD6.

The ring ditch

The wall slot and portal postholes

The ditch had an internal diameter of 14.0m. To the E the S ditch terminal lay around 1.0m S of the doorpost, and if this had been repeated at the N terminal, which was obscured by a medieval furrow, the entrance would have been around 4.0m wide. The ditch was 0.40m wide and 0.20-0.28m deep, slightly wider and deeper to the N. It had a U-shaped profile with steep sides showing no evidence of exposure and erosion. It is particularly narrow and shallow compared to the ring ditches encircling the later roundhouses, probably because of a lack of recutting. The fills comprised grey-brown clay loams with few inclusions, and sandy silts in the west. There was very little pottery or bone from any of the features (Table 4.2). To the NW, the ring ditch cut either an earlier pit or a treehole, 200b, and some Early Iron Age pottery came from this intersection (Fig 4.1).

Lengths of wall slot survived between two medieval furrows, comprising short lengths to either side of a pair of portal postholes at the E doorway, 196, and a 4.0m-length to the W, 225. These defined an internal diameter of 10.0m, with the doorway 1.50m wide, and a 1.6m wide berm between the roundhouse wall and the surrounding ring ditch. The wall slot was 0.15m wide and 0.20m deep with a flat bottom and vertical sides, and a fill of brown sandy silt or clay with charcoal flecks. The portal postholes, which joined directly with the wall slot, were elongated but narrow, deep and vertical-sided. The N posthole, 211, was 0.35m wide by 0.40m deep with vertical sides and a flat bottom, and several large stones, probably post-packing, in the fill. The S posthole, 195, was 0.50m wide by 0.55m deep, with an eroded upper edge so that below the posthole narrowed to 0.35m diameter, with vertical sides and a sloping bottom (see Fig 3.4). Both postholes were slightly elongated along the wall line, 0.6m and 0.8m long respectively, which may suggest the posts were oval rather than circular. The fills comprised grey clay loam with some charcoal flecks and pebbles and the southern post-pit contained fragments from a plate of fired clay, 150mm across, and some oak charcoal, potentially from the doorpost itself. The posts may have been c.0.25m thick and c.0.50m wide.

Pit cluster beneath RD5 A cluster of pits and postholes within the Phase 2 roundhouse RD5 (see Fig 4.6), are considered to belong to Phase 1 as pit 50 produced pottery of the Early Table 4.2: Quantification of finds from RD6

In RD6, it is likely that the posts largely filled the postholes, with some stone packing against the sides, which contrasts with the much larger portal post-pits of roundhouses RD5 and RD12, which are described below and are considered in detail in the general discussion (see Fig 10.3). While no wall slot survived to the N, over an arc of 90 there were six shallow oval postholes, 190-194, 0.350.60m wide and up to 0.10m deep. The four to the E, 191-194, were spaced at intervals of 1.5-1.7m centre-tocentre, while to the W, posthole 190, an unnumbered posthole cut by a field drain and posthole 191, were c.2.0m apart centre-to-centre. They were all set 0.80m o

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

62 ditch W

23

-

-

195 door post S

-

-

1123

198 ditch NE

-

31

63

199 ditch N

-

108

376

200 ditch NW

75

107

-

213 pit SW

29

106

-

363 ditch T

50

-

-

Totals

177

352

1562

T=terminal

28

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.3: Quantification of finds from pit cluster Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

50 pit

307

115

7

53 pit

55

187

-

55 pit

5

16

-

57 posthole

4

-

-

371

318

7

Totals

Table 4.4: Quantification of finds from linear pit group/pit alignment

Iron Age (Table 4.3). The pits varied from 0.30-1.50m diameter and all were shallow, 0.05-0.32m deep. Fills were grey-brown silty clays with some pebbles and occasional large stones and charcoal flecking.

Pit

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

219

45

16

9

221

25

27

-

293

57

59

-

295

96

57

14

301

11

23

Totals

234

182

23

boundary ditch D1, there was a length of shallow gully, 158, which pre-dated RD31 and extended for at least 18m.

The linear pit group or pit alignment

It is suggested that these gullies were probably all part of an early linear ditch system that extended at least 34m N-S. This ditch system crossed the line of the major longlived boundary ditch system D1, so it is likely that linear boundary D1 was only introduced at the beginning of Phase 2, the enlarged settlement of the Middle Iron Age.

To the S of the Phase 2 roundhouse RD5, and also predating RD17 and RD16 with individual pits cut by these ring ditches, there was a line of oval pits aligned NE to SW (see Fig 4.6). Eight pits, 218, 219, 221, 293, 301, 295, 296, and an unnumbered pit, all elongated along the alignment, were recorded over a distance of 19m; a further pit was perhaps lost beneath a furrow. At the NE end of pit 219 there was a narrow transverse pit, 220, perhaps marking this end of the alignment.

To the S, pre-dating enclosure E4, a length of linear gully, 135, 3.5m long, aligned E-W, 0.60m wide and 0.30m deep at the W terminal probably also belongs to Phase 1. To the N, a length of gully, 156, with a return at its N end, lies parallel to the linear gully system, and may have formed a small enclosure or pen, at least 5m long and 3m wide, set against the linear boundary.

There is no indication that the line had ever continued to the NE and to the SW the final pit lay at the edge of a furrow near the limit of excavation. The surviving length shows the broad characteristics of a pit alignment, but it is unknown whether or how far the line may have continued to the SW. The pits varied from 1.00-1.40m long and 0.60-0.90m wide and all were around 0.20m deep, with moderately steep sides and rounded breaks onto flat bottoms. All had distinctive fills of pale leached grey clay loams with occasional pebbles.

Ring ditch RD23 Ring ditch RD23 lay to the N of boundary ditch D1, and comprised two curving narrow and shallow curvilinear gullies. These did not align and therefore probably derived from two separate structures (see Fig 4.17). Both have projected diameters of c.7.5-8.0m, suggesting that they may have enclosed small structures, of no more than 6-7m diameter, although rectangular four or six-post structures are sometimes found within small diameter ring ditches.

The small pottery assemblage comprised four sherds of the Early Iron Age, including one with finger-tipped decoration from pit 301, but also eight sherds of the Middle Iron Age including a scored ware sherd from pit 295, although this was recovered at the intersection with a later ring ditch RD16, and undiagnostic Iron Age pottery from three other pits (Table 4.4).

The S gully, 371 and 372, was 0.53m wide and 0.15m deep with a concave base and terminals to both the E and W. Near the E terminal there was a posthole on the inner edge of the gully, and the terminal narrowed to 0.30m wide. A truncated length of slot to the N, 373, was 0.20m wide and 0.18m deep with vertical sides. The N gully, 374 and 375, was 0.38m wide and 0.15m deep with a U-shaped profile and a terminal to the E.

The northern linear gully Towards the N, three gullies pre-dated Phase 2 structures E4 and RD8 (see Fig 4.17). Two linear gullies, 117 and 121/122, were parallel to the N, at 1.0m apart, but curved to the E and diverged to the S, where they were cut by RD8. Gully 121/122 was 0.80m wide and 0.40m deep. On the same alignment and to the N of

The finds comprised 107g pottery from the W terminal, 372, of the southern gully, dated to the Early Iron Age.

29

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Ring ditch RD24 and enclosure E11

sparse pebbles. To the SW there was a secondary fill of light grey-brown clayey loams. No finds were recovered.

RD4 and E11 lay to the east of the early domestic focus, and may have been a precursor of the later structures related to copper alloy casting, which lay immediately to the S (Fig 4.2).

Middle Iron Age, Group 1: The copper alloy and bone working area

Ring ditch RD24 was unusually large, with an internal diameter of 13.0-13.5m, but there was no surviving evidence that it ever contained a roundhouse. There had been an entrance to the E, with the N terminal, 533, disturbed by a later drain. The opening was at least 3.5m wide, but the S terminal was lost. The ring ditch was about 0.80m wide, although narrower to the south, and 0.15-0.25m deep with a concave base and sloping sides at c.45° degrees. The fills comprised red-brown clayey loams, with occasional charcoal flecks and sparse pebbles. Only small quantities of pottery and animal bone were recovered (Table 4.5).

A substantial assemblage of crucibles and fragments of fired-clay moulds from copper alloy casting, and bone antler and horn working debris, was recovered from this detached complex of structures comprising an enclosure with a western entrance, E1, the ring ditch of a roundhouse, RD2, an adjacent smaller structure, RD4, and a ring ditch open to the N, RD3 (Fig 4.3 -4.5). Ring ditch, RD3, was the focus for finds deposition, with a majority of the copper alloy and bone working debris recovered from the fills of the E arm of this ditch and the SE corner of enclosure E1. The ditches of all four structures show a mutual respect, indicating contemporaneity, while the recutting of the ditches shows that the structures were maintained in use for some time. Ring ditch RD3 was an enclosed but perhaps largely open working area, with any shelter so lightweight that it had left no below ground remains.

Enclosure E11 was 27.0m long by 17.0m wide, enclosing the S half of RD24. To the N, where the ditch was approaching the W and NE sides of RD24, it was truncated by furrows, leaving the relationships uncertain. The ditch, 48, 49, 540, 541, 546 and 554, was 0.75m wide to the W widening to 1.10m to the NE, and was 0.15-0.30m deep, with a concave base and shallow sloping edges. To the NE, two V-shaped cuts, 0.20m deep to the E and 0.14m deep to the W, provide the only evidence of a recut. The fills comprised mid brown to red-brown clayey loams with

A single piece of crucible was recovered from the terminal of Enclosure E2 to the east, suggesting that this too may have been in contemporary use (Fig 3.1).

533 533533

furrow furrow furrow

554 554554

544 544544

RD24 RD24 RD24

furrow furrow furrow

545 545545

543 543543

540 540540

542 542542

546 546546

modern modern modern drain drain drain

furrow furrow furrow

E11 E11 E11 541 541541

4949 49

enclosure enclosure enclosure E1E1E1

4848 48

00 0 Figure 4.2: Later early Iron Age, ring ditch RD24 and enclosure E11

30

10m 10m 10m

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Ring ditch RD2

Ring ditch RD3

Ring ditch RD2 comprised two arcs of curvilinear ditch enclosing an area 10.5m in diameter with an E entrance 3.75m wide. The E arm of enclosure E1 delimited the W extent of the roundhouse, which may have been c.9m in diameter (Fig 4.3).

This ring ditch was the focus for the deposition of debris from both copper alloy and bone-working. It had an internal diameter of 10.2m with a broad opening to the N, 9.0m wide. The original ditch had been recut at least twice and the final cut appeared to have been cleaned out at least once (Figs 4.3 and 4.4).

The N ditch, 9/268/7, was 0.60m wide by 0.40m deep with a steep-sided U-shaped profile. The W terminal was rounded and more shallowly sloping, and contained small amounts of bone and fuel ash slag (Table 4.6). The fills were grey-brown to very dark grey clay loams with a few burnt cobbles in the W terminal and more in the E terminal, with occasional charcoal flecks. Pottery, including part of a Middle Iron Age scored ware vessel came from gully 268, near a crucible (SF107), as well as over 0.5kg of fuel ash slag and some fired clay (Table 4.6). Adjacent to the inner edge of the N gully was a curvilinear slot, 22, with a tighter curvature, possibly a wall slot. To the W it was 0.20m wide by 0.13m deep, with a very steep-sided U-shaped profile, and to the E it was 0.15m wide by 0.08m deep.

A remnant of the earliest ditch, 31.3, survived to the SE (Figs 4.4, S25 and 4.5, c), but beyond this c.4m-long arc, between ditches 34 and 31/165, it had been removed by the later cuts. It was 0.6m deep, and the fills comprised orange-grey clays with occasional charcoal flecks and small pebbles, similar to the fills of the first recut, 34. One crucible base (SF26) and a small unidentifiable iron object (SF27) were recovered within the fill of this short remnant, along with fuel ash slag, a few mould fragments and animal bone, indicating that copper alloy casting was being carried out contemporary with this earliest phase of ditch. The second ditch, 34/29, lay along the inner edge of the primary ditch. To the east this cut was quite distinct, and included a break in the circuit to the SE, 0.6m long. At the E terminal it was quite shallow, at only 0.25m deep (Fig 4.4, S20, 27.3), but further S it was 0.60m deep, steep-sided and V-shaped (Fig 4.4, S25, 34). To the SW the slot survived mainly as a ledge on inner slope the later ditch, still 0.60m deep (Fig 4.4, S33, 34), and at the W terminal it was again shallower, 0.38m deep, shallow and flat-bottomed (Fig 4.4, S21, 29) similar to the eastern terminal. The fills were similar to those of the primary ditch, quite pale compared to the fills of the final recut, and they contained some pottery, animal bone, casting mould fragments and fuel ash slag.

The S ditch, 3/8, was 0.85m wide by 0.50m deep at the E terminal, which had a steep-sided V-shaped profile. A recut, 0.40m deep, had virtually removed the original ditch. The fill at the terminal included burnt cobbles with charcoal flecks. The W terminal was only 0.45m wide and 0.15m deep, but was truncated by a furrow. There was pottery from both terminals, and the rim and body of a crucible (SF5) and fuel ash slag from the W terminal, 8. Near the centre of RD2 was a broad shallow square pit, 26, 1.40m wide by 0.15m deep with steep sides rounding into an undulating base (Figs 4.3 and 4.4, S27). The fill comprised yellowish-grey clay with large quantities of pebbles, up to 150mm, a quarter of them burnt, and a small amount of bone. This may have been a shallow pit containing hearth debris or possibly the truncated substructure below a central hearth.

The third ditch was cut around the outer edge of its predecessor, apparently largely along the line of the original ditch. It was a steep-sided V-shaped cut, 1.101.60m wide, narrower and more slot-like at the two terminals, and up 0.90m deep (Fig 4.4, S20, 27; S25, 31, S33, 38 and S21, 40). Finds were concentrated around the E half of the circuit (Table 4.7 and see Fig 6.1). These comprised a range of debris from copper alloy casting, crucibles and fragments of broken-up firedclay moulds, including a bar mould and sprue cups (see Chapter 6). Within these deposits there was also debris from bone, antler and horn working (see Chapter 7).

Table 4.5: Quantification of finds from RD24 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

-

84

-

543 SW

105

60

-

544 W

63

53

-

545 E

68

217

-

553 NE T

43

229

17

279

643

17

542 S

Totals

The lower fill was a grey-brown clayey-loam around the W half of the circuit, 29.2 and 38.2, and a little darker and greyer to the E, 27.2 and 31.2. This may have accumulated quite rapidly to the point where it was necessary to recut the circuit again, but this time the recut was around 0.45-0.60m deep, and entirely within the existing ditch, although the steepness of the edges

T=terminal

31

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting indicates that this was a recut and not merely a stratified fill sequence. The fills of the recut (Fig 4.4, S20, 27.1; S25, 31.1; S33, 38.1 and S21, 29.1) were darker again, dark grey to dark grey-brown sandy and gritty friable silty clay, containing occasional small to medium burnt cobbles, measuring 50-100mm, and much comminuted charcoal. These fills contained the bulk of the material debris recovered.

Just inside the eastern terminal was an oval pit, 28, 1.10m long N-S and 0.60m wide, narrowing to the south, with moderately steep sides and a slightly uneven bottom. The fills comprised two grey-black charcoalrich loam lenses within grey-brown clayey loams. There was some fuel ash slag with a very small quantity of pot and fired clay. Ring ditch RD4

There were postholes at each ditch terminal. At the E terminal a bowl-shaped posthole, 39, 0.60m in diameter and 0.10m deep, had three large cobbles in the yellowgrey clay fill. At the W terminal a steep-sided, rounded bottom posthole, 0.50 in diameter and 0.25m deep, had been partly removed by the final ditch cut, 40.

This small ring ditch lay in the angle between RD2 and RD3, comprising a semi-circle of ditch open to the SW, with an internal diameter of 5.0m. At the SE terminal, 43, the ditch was steep-sided with a U-shaped profile, 0.50-0.60m wide and 0.20m deep,

E11 E11 E11

48 4848

49 4949

furrow furrow furrow

19 1919 268268 268

9 99

4 44

22 2222 20 2020 6 66

22 2222 S27S27 S27

E1E1 E1

26 2626

7 77

furrow furrow furrow

RD2 RD2 RD2

23 2323 3 33

25 2525

1 11

2 22 S11S11 S11 123123 123

5 55

45 4545

21 2121

S8 S8S8 35124 124 124 39 3939 24 2424 35 35

S21S21 S21

47 4747 41 4141 33 3333 42 4242

27 2727

40 4040 29 2929

RD3 RD3 RD3

28 2828

34 3434

46 4646 S20S20 S20 125125 125 36 3636

34 3434 38 3838 S33S33 S33

34 3434 34 3434

furrow furrow furrow

8 88

RD4 RD4 RD4 43 4343

furrow furrow furrow

126126 126 S25S25 S25 31 3131

165165 165 37 3737

32 3232

0 00

Key: Key: Key: modern modern field drains modern field field drains drains

10m 10m 10m

Figure 4.3: Group 1, structures RD2, RD3 and RD4 and enclosures E1-E2, copper alloy casting and bone working area

32

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

125.50m 125.50m 125.50m

Section Section Section 27 2727 RD2 RD2 RD2 central central central pit pitpit

SS S

NN N 26.1 26.1 26.1

26 2626

Section Section Section 21 2121 RD3 RD3 RD3 WWW terminal terminal terminal WWW

Section Section Section 20 2020 RD3 RD3 RD3 EEterminal Eterminal terminal

EE E

WWW

EE E

125.5m 125.5m 125.5m 29.1 29.1 29.1

29.3 29.3 29.3

27.3 27.3 27.3

27.1 27.1 27.1

29 2929 34 3434 29.2 29.2 29.2

40 4040

27.2 27.2 27.2

27 2727

Section Section Section 33 3333 RD3 RD3 RD3 SW SW SW SW SW SW

Section Section Section 25 2525 RD3 RD3 RD3 SE SE SE

NE NE NE

SE SE SE

NW NW NW 125.5m 125.5m 125.5m

38.1 38.1 38.1

31.1 31.1 31.1 34.1 34.1 34.1

38.2 38.2 38.2

34 3434

31.3 31.3 31.3 31.2 31.2 31.2

34 3434

38 3838 00 0

31 3131

1m 1m 1m

Section Section Section 88 8 E1 E1 E1 SSarm Sarm arm SS S

NN N furrow furrow furrow

Section Section Section 11 1111 E1 E1 E1 EEarm Earm arm

125.5m 125.5m 125.5m

EE E

WWW

5.1 5.1 5.1 2.1 2.1 2.1

5.2 5.2 5.2

2.3 2.3 2.3

2.2 2.2 2.2

55 5 2.4 2.4 2.4

Figure 4.4: Group 1: ditch sections for RD2, RD3 and E1

33

22 2

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 4.6: Quantification of finds from RD2 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds

3 S ditch T

161

274

-

157

-

7 N ditch T

110

43

26

-

-

8 S ditch

69

158

8

31

SF5 crucible

9 N ditch

-

79

75

-

-

26 Pit/hearth

-

92

-

-

-

268 N ditch

380

-

647

165

SF107 crucible

Totals

720

646

756

353

T=terminal

Figure 4.5: The western (a: S21, 40 and 29) and eastern (b: S20, 27 and 34) ditch terminals of ring ditch RD3, and a section to the south-east (c: S25, 31 and 34)

34

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.7: Quantification of finds from ring ditch RD3 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds SF - description

27 NE T

87

378

232

98

22 - copper alloy rod 16, 17, 110, 127 - casting mould 13, 126 - crucible 128 - casting mould 4, 80 - saddle quern

28 pit

9

-

361

27

129 - possible casting mould

29 NW T

34

305

340

207

12 - crucible, 18 - casting mould, 20 - copper alloy

31 SE

331

795

1128

881

21 - copper alloy strip, 23 - 26 crucible 27 - Iron object 77, 78, 99, 109 - casting mould 90, 94 - horn core 95 - worked bone

32 S

204

1018

-

34 SE

35

79

-

24

14 - grey casting mould

36 E

72

229

-

601

33 - crucible, 36, 125 - casting mould 96, 97 - worked bone

37 S

-

407

-

386

29 - crucible, 30 - casting mould

38 SW

72

440

143

37

34, 92 crucible, 82 - saddle quern

125 E

142

107

-

-

39 - 40 - crucible, 47, 121 - casting mould 49 - casting mould (sprue cup) 51 - 52 sawn bone

126 E

917

1043

1021

1932

41 - 45, 103, 113 - 118, 122, 124 crucible 50, 79, 123 - casting mould 102 - bar mould 53 - 57 sawn bone 93 - sawn horn core

165 SE

1709

2202

644

1144

46, 48 - crucible 120 - casting mould 58, 59 - sawn bone 62 - worked bone

Totals

3612

7003

3869

5337

28 - sprue cup/crucible

N=north; S=south, E=east, W=west and T=terminal

A linear gully, 46, within RD4 was 5.0m long and steepsided with a V-shaped profile in the S, 0.70m wide and 0.45m deep, narrowing to a vertical-sided slot at the N terminal, 42, 0.35m wide and 0.38m deep; a crucible base (SF31) came from here. It is unclear how this linear ditch related to activity within RD4, and it of a different date.

but to the N there was a series of interconnecting, shallow bowl-shaped hollows in the base of the ditch, 41 and 47., while to the W it comprised a narrow vertical-sided slot, 0.33m wide and 0.45m deep, 45, and the W terminal, 33, was 0,25m wide and 0.33m deep, and contained the base and rim of a crucible (SF15) (Table 4.8). Adjacent to the inner edge on the E side of the ditch there was a 2.5m length of gully or wall slot, 0.15m wide.

The fill of the ring ditch and the linear gully typically comprised grey clay to dark grey clay loams.

35

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting The finds from the enclosure comprised over 11kg of bone, 2.3kg of fuel ash slag and 2.8kg of pottery (Table 4.9). Small finds in the SE corner from copper alloy and bone working included six crucible fragments, three mould fragments, one copper alloy fragment (SF19) and part of a shale bracelet (SF98). There was a further piece of crucible in the ditch, 5, to the E of the S terminal. A rubbing stone came from the NE corner and an Iron Age Potin coin (SF32, Fig 7.1) was recovered by metal detector survey from a medieval furrow overlying the N arm of the enclosure ditch.

Table 4.8: Quantification of finds from RD4 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds SF – description

33 RD4

-

-

-

15 - crucible

41 RD4

21

109

-

119 - mould

42 linear

-

-

-

31 - crucible

46 linear

90

42

17

35 - worked bone

Totals

111

151

17

A cluster of bowl-shaped depressions inside the S terminal, up to 0.08m deep with fills of grey clay with moderate charcoal flecking, may have been truncated postholes. To the E of these was an oval pit, 25, 1.10m long.

Enclosure E1 This enclosure was 17.0m long by 12.0m wide, with a squared E end and ditches converging to the W, with an entrance only 1.3m wide between very broad terminals. There was a concentration of copper alloy casting and bone working debris in the fills around the SE corner.

Enclosure E2 This enclosure is included in Group 1 as the fills produced a sherd of crucible from copper alloy working, suggesting contemporaneity. The enclosure was subrectangular with rounded ends, 26.0m long, 12.0m wide to the W and broadening to 20.0m wide to the E (Fig 3.1), and the entrance on the E side was 3.0m wide, with boundary ditch D3 just 3m away (Figs 3.1 and 3.5). The entrance terminals were excavated, 550 and 552, along

The ditch terminals were partially excavated to a depth of 0.50m, enough to demonstrate the presence of at least one recut. The N terminal, 6, was 3.66m wide and the S terminal, 1, was up to 5.0m wide, and it appeared that broad pits had cut the ditches at both terminals. Around the rest of the circuit, the ditch was 1.60-1.80m wide Table 4.9: Quantification of finds from E1 and 0.80-0.90m deep with a V-shaped profile, although Fuel ash Fired clay Other finds Context Pot (g) Bone (g) narrower and shallower to the slag (g) (g) SF - description SE at 1.30m wide by 0.75m deep 1WT 604 8 (Fig 4.4: S8, 5 and S11, 2). The NE corner, 19, was only partially 2 SE 312 605 108 - casting mould excavated, but showed a broad 4 NW 1040 32 27 U-shaped recut, 0.40m deep. The 5 SW 693 710 6 - crucible SE corner adjacent to RD3 was 6WT 373 probably also recut or cleaned out, with the original fills 19 NE 211 1537 48 83 - rubbing stone surviving only against the inner 20 E 519 4 edge, 2.3 and 2.4 (Fig 4.4, S11, 2). 7, 8 - crucible This was probably a result of the 21 SE 142 529 268 34 9 - sawn antler deposition of soils containing copper alloy casting debris only 23 E 181 346 43 10 - crucible in this length of the enclosure 11 - crucible 24 SE 565 1466 354 12 ditch. 19 -copper frag The ditch fills typically comprised light grey clayey silts with orange-yellow to blue clays in the NW, while around the SE corner they comprised dark grey, almost black, charcoalrich loamy clays with some to moderate burnt cobbles.

35 SE

255

418

1009

36

123 SE

95

1942

409

24

37, 104 - crucible 111 - casting mould

124 SE

422

950

161

73

38 - crucible 98 - hale bracelet

Totals

2876

11039

2324

218

N=north; S=south, E=east, W=west and T=terminal

36

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Principal roundhouse RD5

Table 4.10: Quantification of finds from E2

This complex roundhouse was defined by remnants of a wall slot and portal post-pits, defining a roundhouse c.12m in diameter with a doorway opening 1.5m wide. The house was encircled by a succession of three ring ditches, and there was a final broad ditch that fully enclosed the building complex (Figs 4.6 and 4.7).

Other finds

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

77 S arm W

15

102

550 NT

71

12

552 ST

84

208

The wall slot and portal post-pits

Totals

170

322

Part of a narrow wall slot survived to the S, 185, and to the E extending N, 315, and S from two large portal post-pits, 60 and 189. The slot was 0.15m wide and 0.15m deep, with a vertical-sided U-shaped profile. The reconstructed circuit of the full wall slot suggests that the doorway lay slightly offset towards the N end of the structure (see Fig 10.4).

SF91 – crucible

T=terminal

with sections at the W and E ends of the N arm, 75 and 76, and the S arm, 77 and 78. The ditch was 0.60-1.40m wide and 0.25-0.45m deep, with a flat bottom and gently sloping sides indicative of erosion. A later shallower recut, 0.60-0.90m wide and 0.20-0.30m deep, followed the centre of the ditch in the N and slightly truncated the inner edge of the original ditch in the S. The early S terminal survived as a ledge, 0.25m deep, on the outer edge. The recut was V-shaped with sloping sides. The fills comprised light brown sandy clay with sparse to some small pebbles. Charcoal flecks were in the fills to the NE and some burnt cobbles in the SE. The terminal fills were greyer and stonier, with pottery and bone from both, and also from the ditch to the SW, 77 (Table 4.10). The N terminal, 550, also produced a fragment of crucible (SF91).

For the eastern doorway, the N post-pit, 60, was 1.10m long by 1.10m wide and 0.48m deep. The S post-pit, 189, was very similar, 0.70m long by 0.90m wide and 0.45m deep, but slightly more truncated as it lay close to the edge of a medieval furrow. Within both post-pits there was a steep-sided sub-rectangular post-setting that had probably held a large rectangular post, at least 0.30m long by 0.25m wide at its base. In both post-pits there was a shallow inclined shelf on the E side, which may have aided the insertion or the removal of the post. The fills of the slot and the post pits comprised dark grey clay loam with few inclusions. Little stratigraphy could be seen within the post-pit fills, apart from a possible distinction between the fill of the post-setting, 1, and the packing of the broader slot, 2, in the S post-pit, 189. See Chapter 10, Fig 10.5 for plans and sections of the portal-posts within a broader discussion of roundhouse structures.

Middle Iron Age, Group 2: The principal roundhouse RD5 and associated ring ditches This roundhouse group, the most complex on the site, was centred on a large and long-lived roundhouse, RD5 (Figs 4.6-4.10), defined by portal post-pits and a partial wall slot, and surrounded by a succession of three shallow ring ditches and a final broad and deep enclosure ditch, which had been recut at least once (Table 4.11).

The northern slot To the N, alongside the inner edge of the inner ring ditch there was a curvilinear slot 6.5m long, 0.55m wide by 0.55m deep with steep sides, a flat bottom and rounded

Table 4.11: The development of Group 2, the principal roundhouse RD5 Principal roundhouse

Secondary roundhouses

Annex

Group 3

Site Phase 4

Roundhouse RD5 Enclosure ditch New encircling ring ditch

Roundhouse RD16

Annex RD33

Enclosure RD9 Roundhouse RD11

Site Phase 3

Roundhouse RD5 addition of outer concentric ring ditch

Roundhouse RD16

Annex RD15

Site Phase 2

Roundhouse RD5 with inner ring ditch

Roundhouse RD17

Group 3 Roundhouse RD19 Annex RD18

Development

37

Roundhouse RD10

Roundhouse RD10

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting terminals. There was a steep-sided posthole, 0.35 in diameter by 0.30m deep, adjacent to the E terminal. The fill was a dark grey clay loam with few inclusions and occasional charcoal flecks. The only finds comprised some pottery and bone from the western end, 173. To the W the slot was separate from the adjacent ring ditch, but to the E they intersected, with the fills indistinguishable. The slot was consistently deeper than the adjacent ditch. While no wall slot survived, its likely projected line would place it in-line with the wall slot, suggesting that it formed part of the wall structure itself.

As discussed and illustrated in Chapter 10 (Fig 10.6), a large roundhouse at DIRFT, The Lodge, Northamptonshire, had a similar feature in the same location, indicating a common use of this structural feature in at least two roundhouses, whatever purpose it may have served. If the slot had held posts, it might be suggested that it had provided a second and broader doorway, as deeply founded as the door posts to the east. Was this perhaps for occasional usage for anything too large for the E doorway, animals perhaps? 199 199

RD14 RD14 EIA EIA

198 198

204 204

191 191 192 192 193 193 194 194

200 200 190 190 S103S103 69 69 164 164

172 172 171 171

162 162

70

70

61

170 170

enclosure enclosure ditch ditch

163 163

6162

211 211

enclosure enclosure ditch ditch

62

RD6RD6 door door 195 195 363 363 196 196

225 225

174 174

178 178

slot slot

173 173

161 161 213 213

212 212

186 186

138 138

166 166 167 167 54 54 57 57 60 60 53 53 55 EIA 50 EIA 50 doordoor pits 51 pits 51 189 189 63 175 175

55

furrow furrow

179 179

S102S102

RD5RD5 169 169 67 67 73 68 73 68 innerinner ring ring

6372

72

furrow furrow

176 176

middle middle ring ring outerouter ring ring

66

183 183

177 177

300 300

enclosure enclosure ditch ditch

3

299 299

1

30

1

30

29

enclosure enclosure ditch ditch

65 64

181 181 182 182

dog

66 65

185 185 168 168

184 184

570 570

64

S104S104

304 304

RD33 RD33

RD17 RD17

dog

8 8 21 A 21 A E/I EI / 0 0 22 22 1 191 19 22 222 2 224 224

360 360

223 223 289 289

furrow furrow

RD16 RD16 290 290

5 5 29 29

286 286 316 316

297 297

furrow furrow

0

0

field field drains drains

Figure 4.6: Group 2, roundhouses RD5, RD6, RD16, RD17 and RD33

38

furrow furrow

214 214 215 215

3 2 292 29 29291 291

294 294

A A EI 6 EI 6 29 29

furrow furrow

RD19 RD19

10m10m

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

The inner ring ditch

but lost to a furrow, this inner ring would have met the ring ditch surrounding the early roundhouse RD6.

The circular inner ring ditch was 17.0-18.0m in diameter, slightly elongated N-S, with an eastern entrance 4.0m wide, although the S terminal, 175, was truncated. The ditch was 1.0m wide by 0.30m deep, flat-bottomed with vertical sides, and no indication of recutting (Figs 4.7 S102, 166; 4.8, 166 and 4.7, S104, 66, inner ditch). The fills comprised grey clay loams with a few charcoal flecks and few small pebbles. The finds from the inner ditch comprised some pottery and bone in the N terminal and smaller amounts from the rest of the ditch.

The outer ring ditch The outer ring ditch, which is assumed to be a slightly later addition, ran closely parallel to the inner ring ditch to the E, where there was a berm less than 1.0m wide, but to the N, S and W it diverged from the inner ring, so that to the W the berm broadened to 2.5m wide. The ditches were therefore symmetrical about an axis through the doorway, but not truly concentric. The ring ditch was nearly 20m in diameter N-S and 18m in diameter E-W, like the inner ditch it was elongated N-S. The E entrance was 5.0m wide. To the S the ditch was 0.90m wide and up to 0.60m deep with a V-shaped

The ditch circuit was not exactly concentric to the house, as to the N it abutted the northern slot, 173/186, while to the S there was a berm 1.8m wide. To the NE, Section 103 RD5 N 103 Section RD5 N S Section 103 S RD5 N ﬁeld drain ﬁeld drain ﬁeld drain

S 1 1 2 1 2

furrow

1

Section 104 RD5 S 104 Section RD5 S S Section 104 S RD5 Sﬁeld S

furrow

2

164

N

1 2

69

2

enclosure ditches 164 69

2

126.50m

enclosure ditches

126.50m E E 126.50m

1

1

2

1 166 inner 166 ring ditch inner ring ditch 166 inner ring ditch

126.50m

1

enclosure ditches 164 69

1

N

1

1

RD5 N terminal Section 102 RD5 N terminal W Section 102 W RD5 N terminal W

N

126.50m

furrow

2 1 2

70 outer 702 ring ditch outer ring70 ditch outer Section 102 ring ditch

126.50m

E

1

2

167 outer 167 ring ditch outer ring ditch 167 outer ring ditch

2

12 2 2 N

126.50m

drain ﬁeld drain ﬁeld drain

1

1

2 1 2

1

3 3

12 2

65 2 outer 65 ring ditch outer ring65 ditch outer 0 ring ditch

2

64 enclosure ditches 3 64 enclosure ditches

spacing 126.50m 0.7m spacing 0.7m spacing 0.7m

0

64 enclosure ditches

0

Figure 4.7: Group 2, sections for roundhouse RD5

39

N

126.50m

1

3

1

3

1 2 1 2 66

3

middle 66 ring 2ditch middle ring66 ditch middle 1m ring ditch

1m 1m

66 inner 66 ring ditch inner ring66 ditch inner ring ditch

N

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 4.8: The northern ring ditch terminals of roundhouse RD5, the inner ditch, 166 (left) and outer ditch, 167 (right)

profile (Fig 4.7, S104, 65), but U-shaped to the W and N (Fig 4.7, S103, 70), and a steep-sided V-shaped profile at the N terminal (Fig 4.7, S102, 167 and Fig 4.8). The N terminal, 167, contained part of a pottery vessel and nearly 1.5kg of animal bone, together with a whetstone (SF67) and a fragment of saddle quern (SF84). The fills at the terminal also contained quantities of burnt and blackened cobbles (Fig 4.9). The only bone comb came from the SW arm, 177 (SF60, Fig 7.6), and a rubbing stone (SF85) from the W, 68 (Table 4.12). The middle or realigned ring ditch The N half of the inner ring ditch and most of the circuit of the outer concentric ring ditch show no obvious indications of recutting, suggesting that at most they may have been periodically cleaned out. However, a final phase of ring ditch comprised the retention of the N half of the outer ditch and to the S a new ditch cutting the outer edge of the inner ditch, with these linked to the W by a new length of ditch, 67 to 184. It seems likely that at this time the N and W sides of the inner ditch became redundant along with the S and W sides of the outer concentric ditch, leaving a single ring ditch that was actually nearer to being concentric to the roundhouse than the previous ditch systems. The new ditch was comparable in depth to the outer ditch, with a U-shaped profile up to 0.45m deep (Fig 4.7, S104, 66, middle ditch). It measured 18m diameter by 17.5m N-S, more nearly circular than the previous ring ditches. The S terminal contained nearly 2kg of animal bone (Table 4.12),

Figure 4.9: The outer northern ring ditch terminal of RD5, 167, looking north, showing the dark fills containing burnt cobbles

of the ring ditch system, but it seems most likely that the enclosure was a later addition that respected the existing roundhouse and its final ring ditch. The enclosure ditch was from 2.2m to 4.0m wide, with the width varying depending on the degree of overlap between the original ditch and the recut ditch, which in some lengths had been almost entirely removed, to the E and S, while elsewhere there was only a minimal intercutting, particularly along the N arm. The original ditch was V-shaped with a broad flat base, up to 2.0m wide by 0.80m deep (Fig 4.7, S103, 164). The recut was V-shaped, with a narrow base, up to 2.5m wide by1.0m deep (Fig 4.7, S103, 69 and S104, 64).

The enclosure ditch The final stage of development was the provision of an outer enclosure, sub-square in plan, measuring 23m E-W by 17m N-S in the E and 20m N-S in the W, with a further length of ditch to the SW extending beyond the excavated area. The enclosure fully encompassed the final version 40

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.12: Quantification of finds from roundhouse RD5 Context

Fuel ash slag Fired clay (g) (g)

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

50 ph

307

115

-

7

53 ph

55

187

-

-

55 ph

5

16

-

-

57 ph

4

-

-

-

60 slot T

30

22

-

-

61 MD

13

372

-

-

63 ED

279

390

-

-

64 ED

-

180

-

-

65 OD

68

197

-

-

-

517

-

-

67 MD

45

60

-

-

68 OD

222

44

-

-

69 ED

78

144

-

-

70 MD

10

-

-

-

72 ED

-

205

-

-

161 ED

36

474

-

-

162 ED

111

836

-

-

164 ED

242

343

-

-

166 ID T

258

450

-

-

167 MD T

607

1401

-

-

168 I/MD

58

733

-

-

169 ID

108

77

-

6

170 MD

280

28

-

171 ED

257

255

342

65

172 ED

304

196

-

9

173 gully

188

400

-

9

174 ID

12

30

-

-

175 I/MD T

620

1849

-

11

176 OD T

613

141

-

-

177 OD

35

273

-

-

178 ID

38

248

-

-

179 ED

33

1436

-

-

182 ED

107

1320

-

-

183 ID

85

249

-

-

184 MD

-

-

-

-

189 pp

9

45

-

-

212 MD

14

39

-

-

300 ED

-

336

-

-

Totals

5131

13608

342

107

66 I/MD

Other finds SF - description

105 - crucible;

85 - rubbing stone

67 - whetstone 84 - saddle quern

60 - bone comb

dog skeleton (C14 date)

T=terminal; ID=inner ditch; OD=outer ditch; MD=middle ditch; ED=enclosure ditch; ph=posthole; pp=post-pit

41

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting wide. The S terminal, 215, was 0.35m wide by 0.15m deep with a rounded profile, while the N terminal, 304, was 0.70m wide and 0.30m deep with a more V-shaped profile. The fills comprised grey-brown clay loam with few inclusions, similar to the rest of the ditch, with some charcoal flecks at the S terminal together with a rubbing stone (Table 4.13). All parts of the ditch had eroded upper edges. Immediately to the E of the S terminal, there was a circular pit, 214, 0.75m in diameter by 0.20m deep with a concave profile, and a fill of pale grey clay with occasional pebbles and charcoal flecks.

Figure 4.10: Disturbed dog burial within the enclosure ditch, 182 on the south side of roundhouse RD5 (Scale 150mm)

The most complex area lay to the NE, where the recut ditch, 162, was V-shaped and 1.10m deep with a terminal to the E, while successive shallower cuts to the E of the terminal, 163, were U-shaped and 0.60m deep and 0.35m deep. This suggests the recutting sequence was perhaps more complicated than just two successive cuts.

A short length of curvilinear gully, 224, to the S, 0.40m wide by 0.10m deep with a concave profile, may have been an internal partition.

Ring ditch RD16 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 13.5m with an eastern entrance 3.80m wide (Fig 4.6). The roundhouse may have been quite large, at c.10-11m diameter, although no portal posts had survived to confirm this. The ring ditch was 0.70m wide and 0.200.30m deep with a U-shaped profile and a concave base. There was a slight indication of a recut along the inner edge to the W, 294, and slight kink in the outer edge at the N terminal, 289. However, these may have derived from cleaning rather than a full recutting. At the S terminal, 286, which cut the W side of RD19, the ditch was 0.70m wide and 0.27m deep with a rounded bottom. The apparent complications around this terminal may be later pits. All the ring ditch fills comprised grey clay loams with occasional charcoal flecks and a scatter of pottery and bone throughout.

There was no entrance on the E side, as might be expected if the roundhouse was still functioning, so either recutting had removed a causeway or there was a timber bridge crossing the ditch, although no evidence was recovered of such a structure. The ditch fills were generally grey-brown silty clays with few inclusions. The recut ditch on the S side, 182, contained the articulated skeleton of a small dog, the only one found in the settlement, within the secondary fills (Fig 4.10). Bone submitted for radiocarbon dating has given a date of 360-180 Cal BC at 95% confidence (Table 3.1, Beta-482664, 2190 +/- 30 BP), for an event that occurred towards the end of the long lifetime of RD5. Further E, ditch 64 contained a fragment of residual crucible (Table 4.12).

Table 4.13: Quantification of finds from RD17

Ring ditch RD17 This ring ditch was broadly contemporary with the formation of roundhouse RD5, but fell out of use when the outer of the two inner ring ditches was created (Fig 4.6). It was probably directly replaced by RD16, which was set a little further S. It may have enclosed a roundhouse c.8m in diameter. The ring ditch was closely circular, with an internal diameter of 10.5m and an eastern entrance 2.50m

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

215 ST

121

24

304 NT

310

-

224 Internal gully

38

6

Total

469

30

T=terminal

42

Other finds SF - description 86 - rubbing stone

-

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.15: Quantification of finds from RD15

Table 4.14: Quantification of finds from RD16 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

216 E

127

615

11

217 N

76

306

219 pit

45

220 pit

Other finds SF description

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds

246

498

179

22

SF65 – Cu ring

9

250

122

68

74

16

9

253

40

83

5

467

-

-

Totals

660

330

101

221 pit

25

27

-

286 S T

154

191

9

289 N T

34

234

-

290 pit

35

75

-

293 pit

57

59

-

294 W

21

124

-

295 pit

96

57

14

297 posthole

219

18

-

301 pit

11

23

-

Totals

1367

1745

52

Ring ditch RD15 This ring ditch may have formed an annex attached to the S side of RD16, similar to RD33 to the N, and the southernmost element of the principal roundhouse group (Fig 4.11). The provision of RD16 and RD15 following the addition of the outer ring ditch to the principal house, RD5, extended onto what had been part of a separate roundhouse group, Group 3, leading to the removal of roundhouse RD19 (Fig 3.2, Phase 2 to Phase 3).

100 - mould

All that survived of RD15 was an arc of gully to the W, 246/253, and a remnant of a S arm, 250, indicating that it comprised a semicircle open to the E and probably abutting the S side of roundhouse RD16, with an internal diameter of 8.0m.

T=terminal

The early pit alignment ran beneath the NW side of the roundhouse, but two pits; 292 to the W and 290 to the SE, may have been contemporary. These were 1.0m long, steep-sided and 0.30m deep, with fills of mid-grey clay loam. In pit 290 the fill also contained dense burnt cobbles together with a fragment of a fired clay mould (SF100), pottery and animal bone (Table 4.14). Most of the pottery potentially associated with this roundhouse came from pit 220 and posthole 297, to the S.

The ditch in the west, 246, was 0.80m wide by 0.40m deep, with a fill of medium grey sandy clay, which contained nearly 0.5kg of pottery, some animal bone and fired clay and a copper alloy finger ring (Table 4.15). The S ditch, 250, was 0.50m wide by 0.20m deep, but had been truncated by a medieval furrow. Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 3 Originally this group comprised a roundhouse, RD10, with an incomplete ring of gullies and pits, perhaps an open annex, abutting it to the N, RD18, the only structure that produced fired clay loomweights (Fig 4.11). RD18 was soon replaced by roundhouse, RD19. With the S extension of the principal roundhouse group, Phase 3, RD19 was removed, perhaps leaving RD10 as a solitary roundhouse. Subsequently, Phase 4, this group was reinstated as a small roundhouse, RD11, with an abutting sub-square enclosure to the N, RD9. A further roundhouse and an enclosure directly to the west, recorded by geophysical survey, may have formed a separate roundhouse group (Fig 3.1).

Ring ditch RD33 This ring ditch was defined by two arcs of curvilinear gully, 570 to the N and 223/360 to the S, probably forming a small enclosed annex in the angle between the enclosure ditch around RD5 and roundhouse RD16 (Fig 4.6). The enclosed area was D-shaped, 10m wide and 8m long, with a broad opening to the E. The gullies were 0.50m wide by 0.10m deep with U-shaped profiles and fills of light grey-brown silty clays with sparse pebbles and charcoal flecks, to the S, and brown clay loams with frequent small pebbles in the N.

Ring ditch RD10

A cluster of three pits beyond the S terminal were from 0.55-0.80m in diameter by 0.15m deep, with fills of grey clay loam with frequent burnt stones and charcoal, and a little pottery, 70g in total.

The circular ring ditch had an internal diameter of 10.5m with an E entrance 4.75m wide (Fig 4.11). The ditch and the terminals were between 0.60m wide and

43

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 4.16: Quantification of finds from RD10 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

238 N

-

434

240 T

63

31

241 T

63

-

251 SW

26

-

252 pit

66

-

Totals

218

465

Table 4.17: Quantification of finds from RD18

Other finds

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

236 pit SW

11

293

7

239 ditch NE

85

96

-

255 ditch NW

16

142

-

284 pit N

77

725

6

302 ditch NE

39

69

25

Totals

228

1325

38

Context

SF106 mould

T=terminal

0.20m deep, generally with a U-shaped profile, except in the W and the recut of the N terminal which were V-shaped. The fill at the N terminal, 240, was greybrown sandy loam with sparse pebbles and charcoal flecks, similar to the rest of the ditch, while the fills at the S terminal, 241, comprised dense charcoal flecks in a dark grey clay loam. Both terminals contained small amounts of pottery (Table 4.16).

Other finds loomweight SF74

Loomweights SF68-72

top of the primary fill, and within a fill of brown clay loam (Fig 4.12, S189).

A group of postholes inside the S terminal, 244 and 245 with a smaller posthole between them (unexcavated), probably defined the S side of a doorway. The N side would have been lost to a furrow. Posthole 244 was 0.50m in diameter by 0,20m deep, with a possible postpipe defined by light grey-brown sandy loam with some charcoal, within a general fill of medium brown sandy loam. Posthole 245 was 0.40m diameter and less than 0.10m deep. Set 1.2m inside the ring ditch, they suggest that the roundhouse was c.8m in diameter.

To the SW there was a narrow gully, 0.03-0.50m wide, cut by a circular pit, 236, 0.70m in diameter by 0.15m deep, which contained part of a loomweight in a fill of grey-brown sandy loam (Table 4.17). Pits 284 and 236 both contained concentrations of animal bone, together with the small quantities of pottery.

A pit, 252, 0.90m in diameter and 0.35m deep, cut into the ditch in the SW, contained pottery and a mould fragment (Table 4.16).

Table 4.18: Quantification of finds from RD19

Ring ditch RD18 This early ring ditch or annex abutted the N side of RD10 (Fig 4.11). It had an internal diameter of 14m and a 5m-wide opening to the E between the ditch terminal, 239, and the NE side of RD10. The circuit was incomplete, comprising separate lengths of curvilinear gully and a large pit which contained five intact loomweights. If it was contemporary with RD10, as interpreted, it could not have enclosed a roundhouse. To the NE, a complete ditch segment, 239/302, was 5.5m long by 1.0m and 0.30m deep, with a flat-bottomed, U-shaped profile. A remnant segment to the NW, 255, was 0.60m wide by 0.20m deep. Between each of these ditch segments there was a gap, 2m wide, between the terminals and the ends of an oval pit, 284, 2.0m long by 1.0m wide and 0.5m deep at the deeper E end, a steep-sided, flat-bottomed pit, with a stack of five loomweights (SF68-72, Fig 3.8 and Figs 7.2 and 7.3) on

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

231 ditch SW

-

193

-

283 ditch SW

50

-

-

287 ditch NW

30

15

-

288 ditch N

151

14

-

355 ditch S T

11

50

-

-

90

-

357 ditch N T

109

348

43

359 ditch NE

148

177

82

Totals

499

887

125

356 pit

T = terminal

44

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Ring ditch RD19

Table 4.19: Quantification of finds from enclosure RD9

This ring ditch had an internal diameter of c.11.5m N-S by 10.5m E-W, with an eastern entrance 3.6m wide (Fig 4.11). No doorposts had survived, probably as this area lay largely beneath a medieval furrow, but it is considered likely that this ring ditch enclosed a roundhouse of c. 8.5-9.0m diameter. The ring ditch was typically narrow, 0.40m wide to the N, 288, and SE, 355, although broader to the SW, 231/283, at 0.8m wide, and from 0.12-0.35m deep. There was no evidence for general recutting, and it is most likely that the N terminal, 357, had cut a shallow earlier pit, 358 (Fig 4.12, S275). The ditch fills comprised greybrown clay loam, silty clays or yellow-brown sandy clays with few inclusions as in the rest of the ditch, but with frequent charcoal flecks, pottery and animal bone (Table 4.18). A shallow posthole, 356, 0.40m in diameter by 0.18m deep, lay adjacent to the inner edge of the ring ditch near the S terminal, and contained a small quantity of bone. A smaller posthole, 285, 0.30m in diameter and 0.12m deep, lay to the NW.

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

230 ditch N

131

373

9300

314

232 ditch W

60

468

141

5

233 ditch N T

67

257

-

26

234 ditch S T

425

994

-

-

242.1 ditch S

4819

1165

36

604

254 ditch N

73

536

8258

11

406 ditch SW

-

-

-

-

5575

3793

17735

960

Totals

Fired Other clay finds (g)

SF63 worked bone Frag human skull

SF87 – saddle quern

T = terminal

Enclosure RD9 the ditch, 230 and 254, contained about 17kg of fuel ash slag, the largest assemblage from the site, evidently a single act of dumping in the top of the primary ditch, prior to recutting (Fig 4.12, S161). The W ditch, 232, produced a partially worked bone handle (SF63) and

Enclosure RD9 and roundhouse RD11 were broadly contemporary (Fig 4.11). It seems likely that RD11 was constructed first, but with the addition of RD9 the new ditch circuit, 242, effectively replaced the silted ditch of RD11, 243 (Fig 4.12, S157). This was a sub-square enclosure measuring 11.0m N-S by 10.5m E-W, with an entrance to the SE, 2.5m wide. The SE corner was flattened, rather than rounded, probably to avoid hindering access to the entrance into roundhouse RD11. The ditch was over 1.0m wide and 0.50-0.70m deep, narrowing to 1.0m wide at the S terminal, 234. It had a flat-bottomed U-shaped profile, widened by erosion at the top. There was at least one recut around the outer edge with the same profile (Fig 4.12, S161). Both ditch terminals, 233 and 234, had steep-sided V-shaped profiles with a recut contained within the limits of the original ditch (Fig 4.12, S141). The fills at both terminals were dark grey-brown clay loams with sparse small pebbles and a few large burnt cobbles. On the inner edge of the N terminal there was a small posthole, 276, 0.30m in diameter by 0.20m deep, which might suggest the provision of a gated entrance.

Table 4.20: Quantification of finds from RD11

Unusually, finds were concentrated in the corners of the enclosure. There was 5kg of Middle Iron Age pottery at the S corner, 242, although this did coincide with the N terminal of RD11, 243. This compares to less than a kilogram from both terminals. The N corner of

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

235 ditch S T

197

450

439

94

SF89 – saddle quern

243 ditch N T

690

262

-

-

(joining RD9, 242)

247 ditch SW

-

780

-

-

248 ditch NW

13

107

-

-

249 ditch SE

28

420

-

-

256 gully S

-

43

-

-

405 ditch N

670

579

-

16

Totals

1598

2641

439

110

T = terminal

45

Other finds

(joining RD9, 406)

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Ring ditch RD11

a fragment of human skull, while the SW corner, 406, produced a fragment of saddle quern (SF87) (Table 4.19).

This was a broad circular ring ditch with an internal diameter of 8.5m and an E entrance, 3.0m wide (Fig 4.11). To the NE the ditch and its terminal, 243, merged with the S side of enclosure RD9. There were no surviving door posts, but this area lay largely beneath a medieval furrow, and it is likely that it would have surrounded a small roundhouse c.7m in diameter.

Running E from the S terminal, there was a curvilinear gully, 407, extending 6.5m. It was narrow, shallow and flat-bottomed, 0.40m wide by 0.05m deep. The W terminal was cut by a pit, 275, 0.60m in diameter by 0.05m deep. The gully fills comprised brown silty loam in the E and brown sandy clay with dense small chips of burnt sandstone in the W. The presence of this feature flanking one side of the approach to the entrance may suggest that at one stage the enclosure was in use as an animal pen.

The ditch was typically 1.0-1.50m wide and 0.60m deep with a steep-sided V-shaped profile. A probable recut had followed the centre of the ditch, with only one or two narrow ledges in the side to indicate its presence.

288 288 290 290

RD16 RD16

287 287

359 359

RD16 RD16

S275S275 358 358 357 357

285 285 ?

furrow furrow

loomloom weights weights

?

RD15 RD15 278 278

246 246

231 231

254 254

356 356 355 355

RD18 RD18 239 239

230 230

S161S161

253 253

RD19 RD19

S189S189 284 255 255 283 283284302 302

furrow furrow 238 238

250 250

RD18 RD18

233 233 S141S141

236 236

232 232

furrow furrow

RD9 RD9

406 406 S157S157 405 405 242 242

248 248

240 240

276 276

loomloom weights weights

RD10 RD10 doordoor

234 234

244 244 248 248

251 251

243 243252 252

furrow furrow

RD11 RD11 235 235 S148S148 247 247

0 0

249 249

10m10m 256

256

RD12 RD12

Figure 4.11: Group 3, ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9, RD10 and RD11

46

407 407 241 241

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

The ditch was at its narrowest at the slot-like S terminal, 235 (Fig 4.12, S148).

7.4, 1). There was a small concentration of pottery in the N terminal, 243 (Table 4.20), and particularly at the base of the final fill here, 242.1, the recut of the RD9 ditch, which produced nearly 5kg of pottery (Table 4.19).

The fills at both terminals comprised dark grey sandy loams, and there was a concentration of burnt cobbles, measuring 100-300mm, in the secondary fill of the S terminal, 235.1, together with a saddle quern (SF89, Fig

A spur of gully, 256/282, 0.35m wide by 0.20m deep, with a U-shaped profile, extended SE from the S side

Section Section Section 189 189 189 RD18 RD18 RD18 pitpitpit WWW 126.00m 126.00m 126.00m

EE E

ashy ashy ashy

Section Section Section 275 275 275

RD19 RD19 NNterminal Nterminal terminal WWWRD19

284 284 284

loomweights loomweights loomweights

11 1

358 358 358

EE E 126.00m 126.00m 126.00m 11 1

22 2 33 3

Section Section Section 161 161 161 RD9 RD9 RD9 NNcorner Ncorner corner

359 359 359

SS S

NN N

126.00m 126.00m 126.00m 11 1

33 3 22 2

fuel fuel fuel ash ash ash slag slag slag 254 254 254

Section Section Section 141 141 141 RD9 RD9 RD9 NNterminal Nterminal terminal

Section Section Section 157 157 157 RD11 RD11 RD11 NN–N–RD9 –RD9 RD9 SS S SS S

WWW

NN N 11 1 pot potpot scatter scatter scatter 11 1

RD11 RD11 RD11 243 243 243

00 0

EE E

126.00m 126.00m 126.00m 11 1

22 2

RD9 RD9 RD9 242 242 242

22 2

22 2

233 233 233

Section Section Section 148 148 148 RD11 RD11 RD11 SSterminal Sterminal terminal

1m 1m 1m

126.00m 126.00m 126.00m

EE E

WWW 11 1

22 2

235 235 235

Figure 4.12: Group 3, sections for ring ditches RD18, RD19, RD9 and RD11

47

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Figure 4.13: Section of the main southern doorway post-pit, 260 (right), of RD12, and the shallow external plank settings, 261(left)

of the ring ditch for 3m and curved slightly to the east for another 4m before turning sharply NE, where it was obscured by a furrow. It may have served to block the opening to the S between RD11 and ring ditch RD13 of Group 4.

Table 4.21: Quantification of finds from RD12

Middle Iron Age, Roundhouse Group 4 The southernmost group comprised successive pairs of large and small roundhouses, RD12 with RD20 followed by RD26 with RD13. Ring ditch RD12 possessed a pair of large post-pits that had held squared door posts (Fig 4.14). This group shows a shorter sequence of development than Groups 2 and 3, and may have been a later extension to the settlement core, perhaps in Phase 3 (see Fig 3.2). Ring ditch RD12 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 12.0-13.0m with an eastern entrance 5.5m wide (Fig 4.14). The wellpreserved door posts indicate that the roundhouse was 10m in diameter The ring ditch was typically 0.60-0.85m wide but shallow, averaging 0.25m deep, with a flat bottom and steep sides, which had been fully recut. To the W and N

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

257 ditch NW

16

355

-

-

258 ditch NE

-

163

-

-

260 S post-pit

15

21

-

30

262 N post-pit

-

-

16

-

263 ditch S T

237

272

-

1211

264 ditch N T

15

130

-

-

266 ditch W

-

21

-

-

267 ditch S

129

100

-

-

269 ditch S

9

119

-

4

Totals

421

1181

16

1245

T=terminal

48

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

the recut lay within the original ditch. To the S it ran around the outer edge of the ditch increasing the total width to 1.40m, 267. In both terminals, 264 and 263, the secondary fills comprised grey-brown sandy clays with charcoal flecking and burnt cobbles, measuring 100-250mm, with a particular concentration in the S terminal, which also contained over 1kg of fired clay, as well as the most pottery, although overall little pottery was recovered (Table 4.21).

The mixed fill was of light grey charcoal flecked sandy clay and yellow-brown sandy/sticky clay, with the sticky clay contamination from the overlying furrow fills. The surviving pit would have held the main door post, and the shallow elements associated with the S post-pit had been entirely lost. The main S post-pit, 260, was sub-square, measuring 0.70-0.75m, and comprised three elements (Fig 4.13). The main pit had vertical sides and a flat bottom, 0.50m deep and 0.42m wide at its base, and there was a shallow ledge, 0.20m wide by 0.15m deep, to the E. At the N end of the deeper pit, a circular post-pipe extended another 0.20m below the base of the pit, giving an overall depth of 0.70m, with a fill of brown sandy loam with small burnt cobbles against one side as probable

Substantial portal post-pits survived inside the E entrance, and these are illustrated in the discussion of roundhouses (Chapter 10, Fig 10.5). The N post-pit, 262, had been heavily truncated by the overlying furrow, reducing it to a poorly-defined oval, 0.65m in diameter and 0.40m deep with near vertical sides and flat base. furrow furrow furrow RD11 RD11 RD11

258 258 258

257 257 257

trial trial trial trench trench trench

264 264 264

262 262 262

furrow furrow furrow linear linear linear ditch ditch ditch

265 265 265

282 282 282 266 266 266 259 259 259

door door RD12 RD12 RD12door 260/261 260/261 260/261 263 263 263

271 271 271

RD13 RD13 RD13

furrow furrow furrow 270 270 270

267 267 267

272/3 272/3 272/3

RD20 RD20 RD20 396 396 396

269 269 269

385 385 385 387 387 387

390 390 389 389 389390

395 395 395

furrow furrow furrow

391 391 391

RD26 RD26 RD26

393 393 393

furrow furrow furrow

disturbed disturbed disturbed area area area

furrow furrow furrow

00 0

392 392 392

10m 10m 10m

Figure 4.14: Group 4, ring ditches RD12, RD13, RD20 and RD26

49

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting post-packing. Above this the post-pit had a fill of grey sandy loams, containing charcoal and small amounts of pottery and bone. It is possible that an original more deeply set circular door post, c.250mm diameter, had been replaced by a rectangular post, measuring c.350mm by 250mm. In addition, to the E there was a complex arrangement of shallow intercutting slots, 261, with three 0.60m long by 0.25-0.30m wide and up to 0.16m deep, and one only 0.30m long and 0.16m wide (Fig 4.13). It is suggested that these are settings for planks forming a non-structural, perhaps decorative, door surround, set in front of the deeply-founded structural door posts.

Table 4.22: Quantification of finds from the linear ditch and RD13 Context

Linear ditch A linear ditch, 265, 273 and 386, lay to the immediate W of RD12 and was cut by RD13 and RD26 (Fig 4.14). It was 15m long by 0.75m wide and 0.25m deep, flat-bottomed with sloping sides in the N, and 0.65m deep to the S, with a U-shaped profile and very steep sides. Fills comprised medium grey silty loams with sparse pebbles overlying yellow-brown sandy clay in the S, containing some pottery, bone and fired clay (Table 4.22). It appears to relate to roundhouse RD12 but would have blocked the entrance to RD26, which is believed to be broadly contemporary with RD12.

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

265 linear ditch

-

45

-

386 linear ditch

226

63

108

259 ditch N

15

-

-

272 ditch W

51

44

-

388 ditch SE

156

-

22

Totals

448

152

130

silted.. The ditch fills comprised dark grey clay loam in the S, to grey-brown clay loam to the N and grey-yellow silty sandy clay in the W with some charcoal flecks. Small quantities of pottery and bone were scattered around the ditch circuit (Table 4.22) Ring ditch RD26 This was a large ring ditch with an internal diameter of 13.5m and an eastern entrance 4.0m wide. No doorposts had survived, but it could have accommodated a roundhouse c.11m in diameter (Fig 4.14).

Ring ditch RD20 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 8.0m, and could have contained only a very small roundhouse, c.6.5-7.0m diameter (Fig 4.14). The E entrance was possibly 3.0m wide, but only the S terminal, 396, survived. The ditch was 0.50m wide and 0.30m deep with a rounded U-shaped profile. The ditch fills comprised mid grey clay loams with few charcoal flecks and few pebbles. There was a very small quantity of pottery, 43g, in ditch 271 to the N.

The ditch terminals had been excavated during the evaluation, and the SE arm had been disturbed by machine tracking. The ditch was typically 1.1-1.5m wide and 0.50m deep, with a V-shaped profile, although to NE, 390 and 391, it was 0.90m wide and 0.35m deep with a U-shaped profile and sloping sides. The fills comprised Table 4.23: Quantification of finds from RD26

Ring ditch RD13 This very small ring ditch had an internal diameter of 7.0m (Fig 4.14). There were no visible terminals or an entrance, and this may have been a small continuous ring ditch. At nearby DIRFT, Long Dole, Northamptonshire, similarly-sized continuous ring ditches had enclosed either four or six-post timber structures, perhaps granaries, with a rectangular ground plan (Chapman 2015a, 60, fig 2.35), although no postholes were present in this example. The ditch was 0.60m wide to the S, 385, and 1.0m wide to the N, 259, and up to 0.30m deep, flat-bottomed with a U-shaped profile. To the N there was a deeper recut along the inner edge. To the S the ditch, 385, cut ditch 387/389 of RD26, indicating that RD13 was a late addition to RD26, after its ditch was already partly 50

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

387 ditch N

108

179

27

11

389 ditch N

151

198

103

27

390 ditch NE

109

65

-

50

391 ditch NE

207

143

-

-

392 ditch S

66

73

-

-

393 ditch W

20

-

195

-

Totals

661

658

325

88

Other finds SF76 loomweight

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

dark grey loams with few inclusions. Moderate charcoal flecks and frequent burnt pebbles were in ditch 391, N of the N terminal.

and 0.40m deep with a flat bottom and reasonably steep sides. The fill comprised light brown to light grey clayey-loams with sparse pebbles and cobbles, producing pottery, bone and a sawn antler (SF64) (Table 4.25).

Finds comprised pottery and bone, with fuel ash slag and fired clay in the N half of the ditch, including a loomweight (SF76) in the NW, 387, and pottery and bone with fuel ash slag in the S, 392 (Table 4.23).

The eastern ring ditches and enclosures Four ring ditches and three small enclosures formed the SE extent of the settlement (Fig 3.1). Roundhouse RD1, had been identified on the geophysical survey (Fig 1.2), and RD1 along with ring ditches RD21, RD22 and enclosure E10, were all clearly visible following machine stripping, as these ditches had dark brown or grey-brown fills. Ring ditch RD29 and Enclosures E9 and E12 were barely discernible on the surface as these ditch fills were of light brown or yellow-brown clays, similar in colour and consistency to the natural clay.

The southern roundhouses Ring ditches RD27 and RD28 lay to the S, as outliers detached from the main domestic focus comprising roundhouse Groups 2 to 4 (Fig 3.1). Ring ditch RD27 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 8.0m with an E entrance 3.5m wide. The N and S sides were lost under a medieval furrow. The N terminal was a steepsided V-shaped ditch 0.30m deep, with a recut on the outer edge also V-shaped and steep-sided, 0.35m deep. The S terminal was 0.90m wide with sloping sides, but the original profile was lost to a recut 0.50m wide and 0.40m deep, flat-bottomed with almost vertical sides. The fill of the recut contained moderate charcoal flecking and dense burnt cobbles in the lower part, with a matrix of grey-brown clayey loams, as in the rest of the ditch. There was pottery and bone in both terminals (Table 4.24)

Ring ditches RD1 and RD21 both produced pottery and had burnt stones in their ditch terminals, but the other ring ditches and enclosures produced virtually no finds or other evidence of domestic activity. Ring ditch RD1 This roundhouse comprised a circular ditch with an internal diameter of 8.8m and an eastern entrance 3.0m wide (Fig 4.15). A possible doorway posthole, on the inner edge of a ditch recut, indicates that the roundhouse was c.8m in diameter. While the roundhouse was small, the ring ditch had been recut at least twice, and the fills produced a larger finds assemblage than most small roundhouses. In size, complexity of use and the quantity of deposited finds, it is comparable to ring ditch RD11 in Group 3, despite its isolated position with respect to all other major structural groups that produced significant quantities of domestic material.

A posthole, 404, just inside the S terminal was 0.40m in diameter by 0.15m deep, with an almost vertical NW edge and a sloping side to the SE. It may have been a S portal posthole, indicating that the ring ditch had enclosed a small roundhouse, c.7m in diameter. Ring ditch RD28 All that survived was the E side, adjacent to RD27, of what may have been a small subsidiary enclosure to the E of RD27. The ditch, 400, was 0.90m wide

The N terminal, 11, was originally c.2.0m wide, with a narrow slot-like recut on its inner edge, 0.50m deep, with the terminal extending beyond the original ditch. A second recut, around the outer edge, terminated W of the original terminal. The S terminal showed a similar sequence with a narrow recut on the inner edge, 12, projecting beyond the original ditch, with a broader later terminal, 10, around the outer edge of the original ditch. Both the original ditch and the narrow recut were typically 0.90m wide, with the recut slightly deeper at 0.55m, having a U-shaped profile that became V-shaped and slot-like towards the terminal. There was limited erosion of the upper edges of the ditch at the terminals but more severe erosion of the upper edges to the W, indicating that away from the entrance the silting was slow, while nearer the ditch terminals it was more rapid, no doubt due to the deposition of quantities of domestic debris.

Table 4.24: Quantification of finds from RD26 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

397 ditch S T

115

54

30

398 ditch N T

35

134

-

150

188

30

Totals

Table 4.25: Quantification of finds from RD28 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Other finds

400 ditch E

87

396

SF64 sawn antler

51

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 4.27: Quantification of finds from RD21

Table 4.26: Quantification of finds from RD1 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

fired clay (g)

10 ditch S T

726

70

-

11 ditch N

166

252

99

12 ditch S T

902

80

13 ditch W

67

15 ditch NW

33

16 ditch S

48

-

-

17 ditch SE

-

147

-

18 ditch SW

-

-

-

1942

549

99

Totals

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

502 ditch N T

15

33

-

-

504 ditch N

-

33

-

-

-

506 ditch NW

-

22

-

130

-

-

507 ditch W

-

69

-

-

-

-

509 ditch S

-

-

58

-

Totals

15

157

58

130

Other finds

SF2 - 3 saddle quern

The ditch was 1.00 wide by 0.50m deep with an eroded V-shape profile, although the terminals, 502 and 511, were narrower and shallower, 0.50m wide by 0.15m deep, with U-shaped profiles. To the NE there was a narrower break in the circuit 2.8m from the N terminal. The fill throughout was light grey-brown clayey-loam, with charcoal and some pebbles and cobbles, with moderate burnt cobbles in the N terminal, 502. There was a very small amount of pottery from the N terminal, 502, with similarly small quantities of bone from the N half of the ditch, and some fired clay and fuel ash slag (Table 4.27).

SF73 loomweight

T=terminal

The ditch fills comprised grey or grey-brown clayey loams, typically darker at the terminals with some charcoal flecking. Cobbles, some burnt, measuring up to 200mm, were present around the full circuit but with distinct concentrations at the terminals, where they were largely burnt and often larger, at 100-350mm. To the W there was a rare charcoal-rich layer with reddened sand, 13.2, probably hearth debris, up to 50mm thick, below the final fill of the original ditch.

To the NW the ring ditch cut the SE corner of enclosure E10, partly through an entrance, ditch terminals 515 and 513. Ring ditch RD22 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 11.5m with an entrance to the E, although the N terminal was lost under a medieval furrow (Fig 4.15). Despite the insubstantial nature of the ring ditch, it could have enclosed a large, but perhaps short-lived, roundhouse, c.9m in diameter.

A probable doorway post-pit, 14, 0.55m in diameter and 0.40m deep with vertical sides, lay on the inner edge of the S terminal. The lower fill was a dense deposit of small cobbles, while the upper 0.25m contained frequent smaller cobbles, measuring 50-100mm, many burnt. Despite excavating the furrow, a partnering posthole was not located.

The ditch was 0.90m wide to the S, 534, but was generally narrower, and was only 0.30m wide to the NE, 525. It was 0.15-0.20m deep with a V-shaped profile and a narrow flat bottom. There was also a break in the circuit to the S, 2.8m wide, and the separate length of ditch to the SE, 521/535, was also 0.90m wide by 0.15-0.20m deep, with a flat bottom and was sharply angled at its SW end. The fills comprised mid grey-brown sandy loams with some charcoal flecking. There were no finds from the ring ditch fills, but there was a little pot and bone from two postholes (Table 4.28)

Finds comprised pottery from around the circuit but concentrated at the terminals, along with fragments of two saddle querns (SF2 and SF3 Fig 7.4, 2) from the early N terminal, and a fragment of loomweight (SF73) from ditch 17, to the SE (Table 4.26). Ring ditch RD21 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 9.0m and a broad eastern entrance 5.3m wide (Fig 4.15).

Inside the SE terminal, 521, there was a pair of subrectangular post-pits, 523 and 522, defining the S side of the doorway to a roundhouse c.9m diameter. They were both 0.80m long by 0.4m wide and around 0.15m deep, which might suggest that they held upright planks.

To the N, closely parallel to the ring ditch, there was a possible length of wall slot, 512, 1.4m long, typically 0.20m but up to 0.30m wide, by 0.10m deep. It indicates the presence of a roundhouse c.8m diameter. 52

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

the W, with an outer arc 0.50m wide and 0.10m deep. The fills comprised light greyish-brown loamy clay with sparse pebbles, some burnt stone and sparse charcoal flecking. There were no finds.

Table 4.28: Quantification of finds from RD22 Context

Pot (g)

Fired clay (g)

523 posthole

53

3

531 posthole

132

63

Totals

185

66

Enclosure E10 This irregular enclosure measured 14.5m N-S by a maximum of 11.0m E-W (Figs 3.1 and 4.15). The E arm and the W to S arm were both 1.0m wide and 0.28m deep with V-shaped profiles and upper edges showing signs of erosion. There was a recut at the SE terminal, 513, which was narrower and slightly shallower than the original ditch. There had been an entrance, 3.3m wide at the SE corner, which was later blocked by ring ditch RD21 (Fig 4.15). The E arm of the enclosure also continued to the N as a linear ditch for at least a further 10m, running parallel to the main E boundary D3. The fills were typically mid brown clayey loams with

Ring ditch RD29 This ring ditch comprised surviving arcs of ditch only to the N and W, and had an internal diameter of 8.50m, with no visible terminals (Fig 3.1, not illustrated in detail). It could have enclosed a roundhouse of c.7m diameter. The ditch was 0.80m wide and 0.25m deep with a U-shaped profile. In the N the ditch diverged towards

E10E10

515 515 504 504

513 513

506 506

512 512

E10E10

RD21 RD21

507 507

514 514

502 502

furrow furrow 511 511 525 525

509 509

RD22 RD22

furrow furrow 531 531

523 523 522 522 521 521

534 534

0 0

535 535

15 15

10m 10m

11

11

RD1 RD1

furrow furrow 14 14 12 12

13 13

17 17

18 18 16 16

Figure 4.15: The eastern ring ditches, RD1, RD21 and RD22

53

10 10

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Enclosures north of the principal roundhouse group

Table 4.29: Quantification of finds from E10 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

513 ditch S T

631

74

6

517 Ditch N T

72

-

-

Totals

703

74

6

Enclosure E6 This sub-square enclosure measured 13m N-S by 12m E-W with an entrance towards the SE, 3.0m wide, which may have been closed by a timber gate with an opening 1.75m wide (Fig 4.16). To the NE the original ditch, 329, was 0.45m wide by 0.20m deep with a V-shaped profile. It was recut, 334, on its inner edge by a deeper ditch, 0.80m wide by 0.45m deep, with a steep-sided U-shaped profile. The N terminal, 326, showed a similar but more complex pattern. Once the terminal of the original ditch, on the outer edge, had silted, it was recut to a new terminal, 0.80m N of the original terminal. The recut, on the inner edge, was also complex. At the terminal there was a pit, 1.1m long by 0.45m wide, and 0.30m deep from the base of the ditch, which was 0.20m deep. Extending N from the pit there was a shallow slot, 0.20m wide by 0.04m deep, in the base of the ditch. This may suggest the presence of a timber post set in the terminal, and perhaps a length of timber palisade extending from it.

T=terminal

sparse charcoal flecking and some burnt cobbles. The S terminal, 513, produced pottery, some bone and fired clay. A small amount of pottery also came from the E arm, 517, N of the terminal 515 (Table 4.29). Enclosure E9 This sub-square enclosure was 12.0m long but slightly narrower to the west, with a ditch extending from the SW corner for at least 6.50m (Fig 3.1, not illustrated in detail). There was no recorded entrance, and the ditch to the N and W was not clearly defined. The original ditch was 0.85m deep, but with both edges lost to recuts. The first recut was 0.65m deep and a second recut was 1.20m wide by 0.60m deep, both had V-shaped, profiles, with severe erosion of the upper edge on the final cut. The fills comprised grey-brown loam with charcoal flecks and occasional stones, overlain by brownish-grey silty clay with charcoal flecks. The fills of the second recut comprised reddish-brown sandy clays with frequent small to moderate stones. Finds comprised small quantities of pottery, 21g, bone, 98g, and 11g of fired clay, all from a single excavated section, 520.

Around the S arm of the enclosure there was a similar but more complex pattern. The earliest ditch had probably been largely removed by a later recut, and survived only from the SE to the S terminal, 323 and 338, as a narrow slot, 0.20m deep. A recut on the inner side, 364, 341 and 324, was 0.15m deep, and this was recut on its outer edge by the most substantial ditch, 365, 344 and 337, 0.35m deep and U-shaped, showing no erosion of the steep sides. There were a number of features within the entrance area. To the west of the N terminal there was an oval pit, 336, 1.10m long and 0.40m deep with a U-shaped profile, and an adjacent small posthole, 328, was 0.30m diameter by 0.10m deep. There was also a small posthole, 327, 0.40m diameter by 0.10m deep, to the E of the terminal, which also produced a fragment of loomweight (SF75). To the S there was a further oval pit, 332, 0.90m long by 0.30m deep, which lay partly beneath a furrow, where smaller postholes may have been lost, and the ditches at the S terminal may also have been truncated, artificially separating the pit from the ditch terminal. If these features were contemporary with the enclosure, pits 336 and 332 may have held the posts of a timber gateway, with an opening c.1.75m wide, perhaps with associated lighter timber flanking or even set within at least the N terminal.

Enclosure E12 This sub-circular enclosure measured c.18m N-S by 20m E-W, with the SE quadrant heavily disturbed by machine tracking (Fig 3.1, not illustrated in detail). The ditch was 1.30m wide and 0.44m deep with a U-shaped profile and the upper edges were heavily eroded. There may have been a recut. The fills comprised mid to light greyishbrown loamy-clays with some red flecking from burnt stone, and sparse pebbles. A pit to the NW was 1.50m in diameter, with an exposed fill of light brown with moderate pebbles. There were no finds. Ditch system D7 To the SE of the ring ditches and enclosures, a pair of ditches, 500 and 501, were truncated by furrows to the N and S, with surviving lengths of 5.0m (Fig 3.1, not illustrated in detail). The W ditch to the N crossed the E ditch, but apart from the crossover they continued to run parallel to each other. Both ditches were 0.40m wide by 0.18m deep, with flat bottoms. Finds comprised a small quantity of pot, 81g, from ditch 500.

The small quantity of finds, including an iron object (SF130) in the ditch to the NE, 334, typically lay away from the terminals, except for some animal bone in the final recut of the S terminal (Table 4.30). Enclosure E6 may have been a small stock enclosure with a substantial wooden gate to control access. 54

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.31: Quantification of finds from E7

Table 4.30: Quantification of finds from E6

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

324 ditch SE

368

92

326 ditch NT

46

71

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

-

Context

Pot (g)

330 ditch E

61

8

-

77

331 ditch E

66

50

-

-

342 ditch NE

26

31

-

343 ditch NE

25

68

-

345 ditch NE

-

14

-

346A ditch NE

15

237

-

349 ditch SE

60

12

22

350 ditch SE

-

56

335

253

476

357

327 posthole

-

-

-

-

329 ditch NE

64

112

-

-

334 ditch NE

276

106

-

64

336 post-pit

-

-

-

295

337 ditch S T

25

650

-

7

341 ditch S

15

-

140

-

344 ditch S

100

-

28

-

364 ditch SW

47

403

-

-

Totals

941

1434

168

443

Other finds

SF75 loomweight

SF130 Fe object

Totals

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

The light grey silty clays to clayey-loam fills contained only sparsely scattered pottery and animal bone, again suggesting a non-domestic use, such as a stock enclosure (Table 4.31). The north-western enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1 At the N end of the site sub-square and sub-circular enclosures abutted the S side of the linear boundary ditch D1 (Fig 3.1). They may represent successive pairs of enclosures, with enclosure E8 and ring ditch RD7 added to or replaced, a little further to the E, by enclosure E4 and ring ditch RD8.

T=terminal

Enclosure E7 This enclosure overlay enclosure E6, perhaps as a larger replacement (Fig 4.16). Only the E side lay within the excavated area, but the geophysical survey (Fig 1.2) shows it to have been oval, 26m N-S by 20m wide. There was no apparent entrance to the E, unless it lay directly beneath a medieval furrow, and none was evident on the geophysical survey. The ditch was 3.0-4.0m wide, and comprised successive double-ditch systems (Fig 4.16).

Enclosure E8 A sub-rectangular enclosure abutted the S side of boundary ditch D1. Only the E end lay within the excavated area, but the remainder was recorded on the geophysical survey (Figs 1.2 and 3.1). The enclosure was up to 20m long by 8-10m wide, with an entrance near the centre of the S arm that was turned inwards, perhaps suggesting use as a livestock enclosure (Fig 4.16). The ditch, 352/353/354, was 1.20-1.65m wide and 0.65m deep, with a V-shaped profile and concave base. Ledges 0.30m deep on the inner and outer slopes of the ditch may have been the truncated remains of an original ditch, later recut. To the NE, the enclosure ditch, 382, cut the fills of an early phase of the boundary ditch D1.

The first system comprised a deep ditch on the W, inner, side, 350/331/346A, which was V-shaped with a flat bottom, 1.00m wide and 0.50m deep. To the E there was a berm 0.50m wide to a shallower outer ditch, 349.2/330.2/345/347, also V-shaped with a flat bottom, c.0.70m wide by 0.30m deep. The system was recut along its E side. The new inner ditch, 350/330.1/343, was 0.90m wide by 0.30m deep with a V-shaped profile, There was a narrow berm between this and a new, now deeper, outer ditch, 348/383/342/346b, 1.10m wide by 0.45m deep, with a U-shaped profile with a broad flat base and eroded upper edges.

A shallow ledge, 0.25m deep, adjacent to the E arm, 354, extended to the SE, 399, linking with the SW side of ring ditch RD7, 86.2. This gully was cut by a short spur, 55

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

D6

Enclosure E14 D5

403

366

367

furrow 85

boundary ditch D1

114.2

S60 104

pot scatter

104.5 108

114

382

107.1

113

105?

107.2 120

S60

furrow

138

378 376

E8 352

106 109

105

354

399

133 132

furrow

136

86.1

353

E4

RD7

86.2

87

128

351

99 98

346b

91 134 127

furrow

347 345/42 346a/43

E6

E7

329 334

384 331/30

furrow 326

336 328

383

327 332

365

350/49/48

324

364

341 E6

0

338

323

E5

344

furrow

337

RD34

furrow

10m

Figure 4.16: The northern enclosures, E6 and E7, and enclosures abutting boundary ditch D1, E8 and RD7

56

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Table 4.33: Quantification of finds from RD7

Table 4.32: Quantification of finds from E8 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds

Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

352 ditch S

-

262

-

-

86 ditch SW

63

407

285

353 ditch SE

42

152

-

-

87 ditch SE

-

147

-

354 ditch E

155

318

-

-

98 ditch SE

315

563

-

378 E spur

-

34

-

-

105 ditch NW

93

101

-

382 ditch N

133

1410

18

ox skull

113 gully NE

154

87

-

Totals

330

2176

18

-

128 ditch S

128

287

25

Totals

753

1592

310

378, 2.30m long, 0.45m wide and 0.25m deep, projecting from the E edge of the enclosure ditch with a posthole beside it, 376, 0.65m in diameter by 0.35m deep.

Once E4 had cut across the E end of RD7, there was a recut on the inner edge to the SE, 87, 0.60m wide by 0.30m deep, which turned sharply to the N, parallel to the extended ditch of enclosure E4. This indicates that RD7 was still retained even after the impingement of E4 on its E side.

Fills comprised light to mid grey silty clays, overlain by secondary fills of mid grey-brown silty loams or clays. Finds from this area included an ox skull and scored ware pottery (Table 4.32). There was also a little Late Iron Age pottery, ‘Belgic’-type, from the SE corner, 353. However, there were similarly small quantities of late pottery, and other finds, within various features associated with boundary ditch D1, which are believed to derive from an episode of late reuse focussed along the ditch D1 and the enclosures to the N.

Within RD7 there was a short length of broad shallow gully or an elongated pit, 138, 0.60m wide by 0.06m deep. To the NE, a curving gully, 113, 0.45m wide by 0.20m deep, respected the NE corner of E4, but may have been related to the retention of RD7, perhaps partly defining a new E side, in addition to ditch 87 to the SE.

An arc of curvilinear gully, 351, 0.50m wide and 0.18m deep, between E8 and E7, may have been part of a ring ditch contemporary with enclosures E8 and E6, which fell out of use with the construction of enclosure E7

Enclosure E4 This square enclosure had an internal diameter of 12.5m, and a ditch with a complicated sequence of recutting (Fig 4.17). There was no apparent entrance, although in its original form there were ditch terminals to the SW that respected the SE terminal of RD7. The function of this enclosure, with its relatively deep ditches and complex sequence of development is unknown, but the quantity of pottery and animal bone from the ditches suggests a domestic or craft usage,

Ring ditch (enclosure) RD7 This was a C-shaped enclosure, originally fully open to the N and E, with a maximum internal diameter of 12.5m (Fig 4.16). While designated as a ring ditch, although it might initially have contained a roundhouse, it certainly did not after enclosure E4 cut across its E side. Around the S and W sides, the ditch, 128/86.1/105, was 0.30-0.50m deep, with a U-shaped profile, with a recut on the inner edge towards the N terminal. A remnant of a probable N terminal, 105, survived on the N margin of a medieval furrow.

The original ditch was 0.40-0.50m deep with an eroded U-shaped profile, 109 to the W, 107.2 to the N (Fig 4.18, S60) and 97 to the S. To the SW there was a deeper terminal, 127, 1.0m deep, which respected the SE arm of RD7, with an opposed terminal, 132, to the N.

To the SE, 98, the ditch was 0.40m deep with a U-shaped profile, with a small concentration of pottery in the fills (Table 4.33). The fills typically comprised medium grey to dark grey clayey-loams with few inclusions or charcoal flecks. While much disturbed by the multiple cuts of E4, the original SE terminal, 136, lay within E4, and the original ditch of E4, 127, terminated short of RD7, indicating that E4 initially fully respected RD7.

The recut was typically deeper, 0.60-0.75m, but with a similar profile, 107.1 to the N (Fig 4.18, S60). It can also be noted that recut 107.1 cut the secondary fills of the final recut of the boundary ditch system, D1, ditch 108, but the upper fills of both D1 and E4 were indistinguishable, 57

furrow

58

138

86

105

85

120

D6

furrow

87 98

99

133 132

106 109

113

114

pot scatter

127

furrow

RD7

105

114.2

furrow

furrow

furrow

107.2

107.1

91 134 127

136

E4

RD23

104 104.5 108

S60

S60

372

EIA?

RD23

375

97

88

371

373

374

135

118119

115.3

115.2

89 96

93

90

92

furrow

116

94 129

380

95

117

158

122

548

547

RD8

EIA linear ditch

121

boundary ditch D1

381 pit

RD31

156 EIA

549

furrow

83

81.3

81 140

D4

81

80

83

furrow

10m

trial trench

furrow

RD30

furrow

RD32

Figure 4.17: The northern enclosures, RD7, E4 and RD8, abutting boundary ditch D1

0

S59

142

82

141

S58

159

EIA linear ditch

84

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Section Section Section 60 6060 Boundary Boundary Boundary ditch ditch ditch D1 D1D1 \ Enclosure \ Enclosure \ Enclosure E4 E4E4 SS S

NN N 108.4 108.4 108.4 104.1 104.1 104.1 104.2 104.2 104.2

104b 104b 104b

104.3 104.3 104.3

108.2 108.2 108.2

104.5 104.5 104.5

108 108 108

104a 104a 104a

126.0m 126.0m 126.0m

108.1 108.1 108.1

108.3 108.3 108.3 104.4 104.4 104.4

107.1 107.1 107.1

107.2 107.2 107.2

D1 D1D1 \ \E4 \E4E4

00 0

2m 2m 2m

modern modern modern drain drain drain

clay clay clay charcoal charcoal charcoal

Figure 4.18: Section across the enclosure E4 and boundary ditch D1

indicating that they were accumulating at the same time. Ditch 93 at the NE corner of E4 also cut the fills of D1. While to the W, 133/106, and the N, 107.1, the recut was on the outer edge, to the S it was on the inner edge, 88, crossing over at the SW corner, 134/99/133, where there was also an additional linear cut across the inside angle of the corner, 91/131, 0,90m wide by 0.50m deep. The E arm of the ditch, 93, 118, 89 and 115.2, showed little sign of recutting, and the recut of the S arm, 97, may have terminated at the SE corner, 115.3.

Table 4.34: Quantification of finds from E4 Context

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

88 ditch S

134

539

-

-

89 ditch E

136

645

-

-

91 ditch SW

30

154

-

-

93 ditch NE

111

742

447

-

97 ditch S

190

152

-

-

99 ditch SW

251

690

-

-

The fills typically comprised light to dark grey-brown sandy to clayey-loams with silty clays, with pottery scattered in relatively small quantities around the circuit (Table 4.34)

106 ditch W

20

62

-

-

Ring ditch RD8

101

1101

15

36

109 ditch W

27

421

-

-

115 ditch SE

44

679

-

-

118 ditch NE

43

154

-

-

120 ditch NW

117

624

89

-

127 ditch SW T

-

542

-

-

129 ditch NE

-

117

-

-

130 NT

-

578

-

-

131 ditch SW

139

990

43

-

132 ditch SW

62

126

-

-

1405

8316

594

36

107 ditch NW

Totals

This ring ditch comprised three concentric circular arcs of ditch, all open to the N and E, with an internal diameter of 9.0m (Fig 4.17). The innermost of the pair of closely concentric shallow curvilinear gullies, 547/95, was 0.35-0.50m wide by 0.25m deep with a U-shaped profile. It was recut on its outer edge by a shorter gully, 548/90, 0.45m wide and 0.15m deep. It is possible that these were wall slots, but perhaps holding an arc of windbreak or a semi-circular shelter open to the NE, rather than a house wall. They were encircled by another concentric ditch, 549/116/96/119/92, 1m to the W, with a terminal to the SE, cut by the early E arm of Enclosure E4 to the W, and continuing N to meet boundary ditch D1. At the SE terminal, 549, it was 0.30m wide by 0.10m deep, but was broader and deep to the W and N. The gully and ditch fills comprised mixed brown to dark grey silty clays and clay loams. Finds include 1.5kg of pottery from ditch 116, to the SW, comprising sherds from a single vessel deposited in the base of the gully and overlain by two large water-worn cobbles, up to 300mm diameter (Table 4.35).

T = terminal

59

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting the N and the second to the S. At the junction with ditch D4, it was shown that at its S end the enclosure boundary, D4/81, turned E, to reinstate the line of D1, indicating that ditch D4, and the enclosure it defined was a late addition (Fig 4.19). At the junction with ditch D4 there were shallower, steep-sided, slot-like cuts on the N edge of the ditch, 141 and 83, and to the E on the S edge, 79d. There was no evidence that these had held timber revetments, although this is a possibility, but it is perhaps more likely that they ran parallel to one of the earlier phases of deeper ditch, rather than forming a separate phase on their own. They may have served to keep livestock away from the edge of the deeper ditch.

Table 4.35: Quantification of finds from RD8 Context

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

-

46

-

111

644

-

77

-

-

1586

58

-

547 gully SE

70

112

44

549 ditch SE

61

-

-

860

44

90 gully W 92 ditch NW 95 gully S 116 ditch SW

Totals

Pot (g)

1905

The main sections are described in more detail below. To the west, 85, the original ditch, only seen as a shallowly sloping ditch edge to the N, may have been c.0.70m deep, recut to the S by a V-shaped ditch with a steep S side and in excess of 1.1m deep (not bottomed) (Fig 4.17). Further E, the upper fills were removed along the S edge of the ditch, and over 6kg of pottery was recovered from the secondary fill, 114.2, of the final recut (Fig 4.17 and Table 4.36). A further 2kg of pottery came from a comparable grey and charcoal-rich deposit, 108.2, at the junction with enclosure E4 (Fig 4.18, S60). This assemblage was very mixed, even containing residual pottery of the Early Iron Age, with incised zigzags, and the earlier Middle Iron Age, with fingertip decoration, all relating to the first and second phases of settlement. Its presence in a lower secondary fill of the final recut suggests that the deposit was of mixed dates, probably part of a surface clearance.

The main boundary system, D1 and D3 A major linear boundary ditch, D1, ran across the N end of the site (Fig 3.1). It was introduced in the earlier Middle Iron Age, when the settlement expanded from its original single domestic focus, and was still a recognised boundary in the Late Iron Age/early Roman period, when material of that date was deposited in late phases of the ditch and associated ditches defining the enclosures to the N. It also appears to have been an extant earthwork in the late Saxon period, when the field system was probably established, with the ridge and furrow aligned with respect for its presence (see Fig 1.4). Given the longevity of this ditch, it had been recut a number of times and had been up to 1.5m deep. How far this ditch may have continued into the broader landscape is unknown.

Given the problems with flooding and a high water table, it was only possible to obtain two full sections across ditch system D1: to the W adjacent to enclosure E4 (Figs 4.17 and 4.18, S60) and 55m to the E (Figs 4.19 and 4.20, S42). A partial section was cut to the W (Fig 4.17, 85); the upper ditch fills were partially excavated to the W of section S60, and the E junction of enclosure E4 with D1 was also examined. The intersection of ditches D1 and D4 was taken down in plan to a level where the primary relationships could be established (Figs 4.17 and 4.19).

At the junction with enclosure E4, the earliest ditch, 104a, was up to 0.75m deep, V-shaped with a rounded base (Fig 4.18, S60 and Fig 4.19). The first recut was to the N, 104b, 2.0m wide with a shallow V-shaped profile, 0.60m deep. The second recut, 108, was broad with a steep N side, 1.5m wide by 0.55m deep, and a broad but shallowly V-shaped base. The S edge had been removed by a recut of E4, 107.1 which cut the lower secondary fill, 108.2, of D1/108 that contained the pottery deposit discussed above. In the final phase, an upper fill, 108.1, accumulated within both the boundary ditch and the adjoining enclosure E4. Within the subsidence hollow above this there was a concentration of dense gravel in medium grey loam, 108.4. There had also been a less dense concentration of gravel in the subsidence hollow over ditch 85, to the W. This might indicate that once the boundary system had been reduced to a shallow earthwork, this length of ditch was deliberately consolidated with gravel. This would have provided dry access across would have been a wet hollow during the winter months.

To the W, 85, there appeared to be only a single recut, while the two complete sections both showed a sequence of three main cuts, with the first recut to

At the junction between ditches D1 and D4 (Fig 4.19), the sequence of ditch cuts was exposed in plan. To the S, a broad ditch, 142, was in excess of 0.60m deep (not

A ditch on a slightly smaller scale, D3, also recut more than once, partly bounded the E side of the settlement area (Fig 3.1). It would have joined D1 to the NE, on the S margin of the sunken, pond-like area in and beyond the NE corner of the excavated area. Ditch D1, the east-west boundary

60

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

bottomed), and had continued E across the junction. To the N, a narrow, slot-like ditch, 141, was 0.60m deep and had a concave base and moderately steep sides. It did not appear to continue across the junction with D4, but a broad adjacent terminal may have been the W end of a similarly narrow and steep-sided ditch, 83, that had continued to the E of the junction. The final recut, down the centre of the ditch, 82/80, was broad and in excess of 0.60m deep, and had also continued across the junction. This was replaced by ditch 81/D4, which defined the W side of enclosure E3 while to the S, it turned to the E as a reinstatement of D1. There was also a shallower narrow slot, 140, on the E edge of ditch 81.

which included part of the rotary quern (SF81), have been included with the quantification for enclosure E3 (Table 4.37), as it is likely that they derived from the late phase of activity centred on that enclosure.

To the S of RD25 in enclosure E3 (Fig 4.19) the original ditch, 79a, was V-shaped and 1.25m deep (Fig 4.20, S42). It was recut to the S by a ditch with a similar profile, but slightly shallower, and perhaps of two phases itself, 79b and 79c. It may be this phase of recutting that formed a double-ditch system with a truncated slot, 79d, to the N, which would have been 0.5m deep, from the surviving ground level, with a steep-sided U-shaped profile. The final recut, 79e, was a further V-shaped ditch, 2.5m wide by 1.2m deep, with the upper edge to the S eroded during the slow accumulation of the upper fill, 79.4, with a deep subsidence hollow above. This final ditch may have been part of the reinstatement of ditch D1 when enclosure E3 was created.

From the sunken area to the NE, where it is assumed to have had a junction with ditch D1, ditch D3 extended S for c.60m, terminating adjacent to ring ditch RD21, although the terminal was obscured by a medieval furrow (Fig 3.1).

The concentration of pottery within one section of the boundary ditch, 114.2/108.2, has been discussed above, otherwise pottery was rarely present. Just under 9kg of animal bone was recovered, with a broader distribution, along with 2.5kg of fuel ash slag, a loomweight fragment (SF101) and an iron object (SF66). Ditch D3, the eastern boundary

A single section, 551, was excavated to the immediate N of the terminal. The ditch had an overall width of 4.60m, with a sequence of four cuts. The original ditch was 0.90m deep with a U-shaped profile and steep sides. It was truncated by a deeper recut on its E side, which was at least 1.60m wide by 1.10m deep, with a narrow flat bottom, steep sides and eroded upper edges. The only finds, comprising 153g of Middle Iron Age pottery, including scored ware, came from the fills of the first recut, 551.1-3. There was also a shallow ditch to the W, 1.40m wide by 0.40m deep, but the relationship to the other early ditches had been removed by the final recut. The fills of the earlier ditches typically comprised yellow-brown sandy or clayey silts with calcareous and flint inclusions and charcoal flecks. The final recut was V-shaped, 1.30m wide by 0.60m deep with moderately steep sides, and a fill of mottled mid to dark grey sandy silt.

The primary and secondary fills: 79.5 of the original ditch; 79a, 79.7 of ditch 79b; 79.3 of ditch 79c, and the primary fill of the final recut 79.4; all comprised clean orange-yellow clays, devoid of finds or other occupation debris. The upper secondary fills, 79.1 of ditch 79c and 79.2 of ditch 79e comprised light grey silty clays or dark grey clay loams with charcoal flecks and moderate pebbles and cobbles. Fill 79.1 of ditch 79c contained a particular concentration of large cobbles, often up to 200mm in diameter, while much of the lower density of cobbles in the fill 79.3 appeared to have eroded from 79.1, when it was exposed in the side of the recut ditch, 79e. The finds from the upper secondary fill, 79.1,

Context 85 94 104 108 110 114.2 Totals

The northern enclosures

To the N of boundary ditch D1, a series of ditches, D2, D4, D6 and D5, defined three probable enclosures extending N from the main boundary, D1. These were all late additions to the settlement, probably all part of the Late Iron Age to Table 4.36: Quantification of finds from ditch D1 early Roman reuse of the site Fuel ash Fired clay (Phase 5, c.0BC to c.75AD), which Other finds Pot (g) Bone (g) slag (g) (g) was largely evidenced by dated finds from the ditch systems SF66 331 1408 Iron D4/D1. Enclosure E3 was the focus for this phase of domestic 190 1653 574 25 activity, containing two small 201 948 1891 roundhouses, while enclosures 1935 1161 48 17 E13 and E14 were probably paddocks and/or horticultural. 266 On the geophysical survey (Fig SF101 6437 3336 508 1.2) the ditches bounding E3, Loom weight D2 and D4, show clearly, while 9094 8772 2513 550 ditch D6 to the west, was barely 61

158

155

0

154

62

142

82

141

159

84

81.3

81

D4

140

81

80

83

furrow 151

boundary ditch D1

Enclosure E3

149

150

555

S42

S42

79b/c 79a 79c 79d

temporary limit of excavation

556

559

RD25

558 557

furrow

561

561

110

Figure 4.19: The north-eastern area, showing boundary ditch D1 and structures within enclosure E3

10m

trial trench

furrow

RD30

furrow

RD32

564

?

furrow 561

furrow

furrow

furrow

boundary ditch D1

112

111

D2

563

180

561

561

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

Section 42 Boundary ditch D1

N

S

furrow 79.4

quern

124.5m

79.1

79.6

79.7

79d

79.2

79e

79b

79.3

79.5

clay

79c

79a

0

2m

Figure 4.20: Section across boundary ditch D1

visible despite being 1.68m wide by 0.36m deep, partly reflecting its lesser size but also a lack of deposition of domestic debris into the ditch.

Table 4.37: Quantification of finds from D2 Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds

111 pit

211

168

508

SF61 worked bone

112 pit

6

5

-

32

926

-

249

1099

508

Context

Enclosure E3 Ditch D2 to the E and ditch D4 to the W defined an enclosure, E3, 35-40m wide and in excess of 28m long. The geophysical survey (Fig 1.4) recorded ditch D2 for a total length of 42m and still continuing to the N beyond this. The enclosure contained two small ring ditches, RD25 and RD32, probably roundhouses, a partition ditch and a possible stock pen, RD30 (Fig 4.19).

180 Ditch D2 Totals

to expose ditch D2, but none of the sections could be bottomed due to incoming water. To the N, beyond partition ditch 110, ditch D2 curved to the E, broadening the enclosure beyond the domestic focus. Here the ditch, 180, was 3.4m wide and in excess of 0.75m deep, with a V-shaped profile, recut on the E side. Further south, the ditch, 563/564, was 4.4m wide and in excess of 0.45m

Ditch D2 This ditch lay on the W side of a deep pond-like hollow, filled with a sandy-clay loam, 561, which post-dated and sealed the Iron Age features but was cut by the medieval furrows (Fig 4.19). It was partially removed by machine 63

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting deep, again V-shaped and recut. To the immediate N of the junction with ditch D1, there was probably a group of pits along the W edge of ditch D2, 111 and 112. Pit 111 was 4.0 long by 0.70m deep, but water levels precluded further investigation. Finds comprised pot and bone, with fired clay and worked bone (SF61) from pit 111 and elsewhere small quantities of pot, but a quantity of animal bone from ditch D2, 180 (Table 4.37).

The ring ditch was also cut by a later linear ditch, 555, 0.60m wide and 0.20m deep with a V-shaped profile. To the N, 557 and 558, there was a pair of concentric ditches, each 0.50-0.60m wide and 0.15-0.20m deep, and a remnant of a possible further ditch on the N edge. It is unclear how the ditches to the N match with the ditches to the S. Fills comprised mid grey-brown clayey loams with some burnt pebbles and cobbles. Finds comprised small quantities of pottery, 86g, and bone, 286g.

Ditch D4

Ring ditch RD32

This linear ditch, 84, was 2.7m wide by 0.75m deep, with a steep-sided, V-shaped profile, recut on its E side at least twice (Fig 4.19). To the S the ditch, 81, turned E as a final reinstatement of the linear boundary, D1; described above as part of D1.

This ring ditch comprised a curvilinear ditch to the S, 151, and a further arc to the NW, with an internal diameter of c.10.0m (Fig 4.19). It may have enclosed a roundhouse 7-8m in diameter. The ditch was 0.35m wide by 0.18m deep with a U-shaped profile and a fill of medium brown sandy-clay with some inclusions. Finds comprised a few pottery sherds, 54g.

Finds from the ditches D4/D1 comprised pottery, fuel ash slag and bone, including a complete antler in ditch D4, 84 (the only one from the site) and half of a rotary quern (SF81, Fig 7.5, 6) in the S boundary, D4/D1 (Table 4.38). There was also fuel ash slag, fired clay and part of another rotary quern (SF88, Fig 7.5, 8) from the SW corner at the junction of ditches D4 and D1.

Ring ditch RD30 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 8.5m W-E, but what may have been a continuous ditch forms a spiral, with a terminal to the SE turning inwards and an offset terminal to the SW, forming an entrance c.2.5m wide (Fig 4.19). It seems unlikely that this ring ditch enclosed a roundhouse, and more likely that it formed a small enclosure. Its location in the SW corner of enclosure E3 might suggest use for stock management, as a corral or pen. The ditch was 0.60-0.80m wide and 0.25m deep with a flat bottom and sloping sides. To the SW the ring gully was joined by another gully from the W. Fills comprised medium brown to greyish-brown clayey loams with some burnt pebbles in the terminal. Finds comprised bone, 136g, and fuel ash slag, 128g, from the pair of gullies 144 in the SW.

Within the enclosure, a curvilinear ditch, 110/149/150, branched from the W side of ditch D2 to form an internal division that swung around the N side of ring ditch RD25. To the E, 110, it was 1.60m wide by 0.60m deep, steepsided and flat bottomed, whole the W terminal, 149/150, was 0.35m wide by 0.18m deep with a U-shaped profile. Ring ditch RD25 This ring ditch had an internal diameter of 7.0m, perhaps with an entrance to the E concealed by layer 561, which was up to 0.50m deep in this area (Fig 4.19). The roundhouse could have been no more than 7m in diameter. To the S, the ring ditch was 0.60m wide by 0.20m deep with a flat-bottomed U-shaped profile, 559, with a recut that truncated most of the original ditch (Fig 4.19). To SW, the ring ditch, 559/556, cut an outer semi-circular arc enclosing the W side of the ring ditch.

Enclosure E13 Ditch D4 and ditch D6 to the W, defined an enclosure, E13, which was 30m wide and at least 27m long, continuing beyond the N limit of excavation (Fig 4.17).

Table 4.38: Quantification of finds from D1/D4 Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fuel ash slag (g)

Fired clay (g)

Other finds

79.1 ditch D4/D1

218

3477

301

-

SF81 rotary quern

80 ditch D1

786

706

65

-

81 ditch D4

-

-

120

440

84 ditch D4

72

851

364

-

1076

5034

850

440

Context

Totals

SF88 rotary quern complete antler

64

Ditch D6, 368, was broad and shallow, 1.68m wide by 0.36m deep, with a flat-bottomed recut 0.18m deep on the W side. Two conjoined curvilinear gullies, 159 and 380, in the SE corner of the enclosure may have formed a stock pen, in a similar manner to RD30 to the E in enclosure E3. Curvilinear gully 159, which branched from ditch D4, was 0.55m wide by 0.25m deep with a V-shaped profile. To the SW it was

The Iron Age settlement: structural evidence

lost to a medieval furrow. Gully 380, 0.30m wide by 0.18m deep, branched from the N edge of gully 159 forming a semicircle, 9.0m in diameter. Gully 159 produced 25g of pottery and 64g of bone. Within this semi-circular area there was also a large but shallow oval pit, 5.5m long by 3.0m wide of uncertain date, and a linear gully 381 that appears to be unrelated to RD31. (RD31 also overlay an earlier rectilinear linear ditch system, 158 and 156.)

in excess of 24m long (Fig 4.16). There were no features within the small part of the interior that lay within the excavated area. Ditch 367 was 0.65m wide by 0.30m deep with steep sides. Ditch 366 was 0.50m wide and 0.15m deep. Both had fills of grey to grey-brown clayey-loam containing small quantities of pottery and bone (Table 4.39). Table 4.39: Quantification of finds from D5

Enclosure E14

Context

Two ditches, 366 and 367, 4.0m apart but on differing alignments, D5, together with ditch D6 to the E, defined a further enclosure, probably a paddock, abutting the N side of boundary ditch D1. It was at least 20m wide and

65

Pot (g)

Bone (g)

Fired clay (g)

366

9

211

9

367

33

91

-

Totals

42

302

9

Chapter 5

The Iron Age pottery Paul Blinkhorn, Dennis Jackson and Andy Chapman Introduction

The main phase of domestic activity probably came to an end at around 200-150BC, and there is a total absence of Late Iron Age hand-built pottery of the 1st century BC in association with the roundhouses or the boundary ditches, as would have been characterised by quantities of better quality wares such as burnished globular bowls, sometimes with curvilinear decoration and often in fine fabrics uniformly grey-black throughout.

The pottery report was compiled in 2001 by Paul Blinkhorn, who was responsible for the quantitative analysis, and Dennis Jackson, who was responsible for the overview and the chronology. The chronology and the consequent interpretation of the site development has been revised by Andy Chapman in the 2010s, in the light of more recent work on other pottery assemblages and the results of radiocarbon dating. The other sites studied include material from the Long Dole and Lodge Iron Age settlements within the larger group of settlements at DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal), Northamptonshire, some 7-8km to the south-east of Coton Park (Blinkhorn, Jackson and Chapman 2015a and 2015b).

A large bowl with finely-combed decoration from boundary ditch D1 and a wheel-turned ‘Belgic’ sherd from enclosure E8, together with two rotary querns and some Roman ceramic tile, indicated that there was a reuse of the site, but only across the northern part, during the Late Iron Age/early Roman period (c.0BC to c.75AD), but the small structures and enclosures in the northern area produced minimal pottery.

The Iron Age pottery assemblage comprises 2,482 sherds with a total weight of 33.3kg. The minimum number of vessels, by measurement of rim sherd length, is 13.95 (Tables 5.1 and 5.2). It is one of the larger Iron Age pottery assemblages from Warwickshire to have been analysed and now published.

There is a broader discussion of the Iron Age pottery typology and chronology for the east Midlands in Chapter 10. Fabrics

Summary of Chronology

The pottery is generally hard-fired, although much of it is weathered, and in some cases, the shell inclusions have partially or completely leached out. The fabric groups are as follows:

The assemblage includes some Early Iron Age pottery, most notably characterised by incised body decoration and vessels with carinations, and this material is equated with an early domestic focus and associated pit groups. However, the bulk of the assemblage spans the earlier Middle Iron Age (400-250/200BC) and continues into the later Middle Iron Age (250/200-100BC). The earlier Middle Iron Age groups are characterised by the survival of some Early Iron Age characteristics, such as elongated necks, but gradually shortening through this phase, and fingertip impressed rims and bodies, again becoming less common than in the Early Iron Age. Other Early Iron Age characteristics, such as incised decoration on the body and carinated vessels, do not continue into the earlier Middle Iron Age. In addition, this period also sees the appearance of scored ware jars, but typically smaller vessels less densely scored than the large storage jars of the later Middle Iron Age.

Fabric 1: Coarse shell. Moderate to dense temper of angular coarse shell fragments up to 10mm, with rare quartzite, grog, flint, organic material or ironstone. 860 sherds, 9,646g, MNV = 2.06 Fabric 2: Fine shell. Sparse to moderate angular shell fragments up to 5mm, although most are usually below 2mm. Other inclusions as F1. 350 sherds, 3,941g, MNV = 1.79 Fabric 6: Shell and ironstone. Sparse to moderate rounded red ironstone up to 5mm, sparse to moderate shell up to 5mm. 13 sherds, 598g, MNV = 0.02 Fabric 3: Sandy, fine shell. As F2, but with moderate sub-rounded quartz up to 0.5mm, giving sherds a noticeably sandy texture. 1,105 sherds, 16,754g, MNV = 8.52 Fabric 4: Pounded shell. Fine fabric with smooth, self-slipped surfaces, sparse to moderate fine shell up to 1mm, sparse to moderate

The earlier Middle Iron Age forms typically derived from the earlier structures (Phase 2-3) when there was a sequence of overlapping structures and sufficient pottery to test this. 66

The Iron Age pottery

subangular quartz up to 0.5mm. Inclusions are usually only visible in section. 69 sherds, 449g, MNV = 0.95 Fabric 5: Flint and granite. Sparse to moderate angular grano-diorite up to 2mm, sparse to moderate white flint up to 10mm. 78 sherds, 1,831g, MNV = 0.69

Coton Park did not produce any sherds of the Charnwood Forest grano-diorite pottery, which is often found in Leicestershire (Elsdon 1992 40), and also occurred at the nearby DIRFT sites, the Long Dole and Lodge (Blinkhorn et al 2015a & b), although it was not noted at sites in the Welland Valley such as Ashley (Taylor and Dix 1985) and Wakerley (Jackson and Ambrose 1978). The thickness of the granitic sherds at DIRFT suggested that they originated from large storage jars, which may imply that the pots arrived at the site as containers for trade goods, and it appeared to be restricted to the later Middle to Late Iron Age. The absence of this ware at Coton Park might provide another indication that the site had fallen out of use in the later Middle Iron Age, prior to the appearance of these vessels. The absence would therefore be chronological and not economic or social.

The fabrics are typical of those in the south and east Midlands. The shelly wares (F1, F2 and F6) are dominant on sites to the south and east, across most of Northamptonshire, particularly the Nene valley. They also form, perhaps as a mixture of imports as well as local production, a significant element of assemblages from sites around Milton Keynes, in north Buckinghamshire, and into north Bedfordshire, to the west of Bedford, and in Leicestershire along the Welland valley.

From the fabric analysis, it would seem that Coton Park had several different sources of pottery. The sandy fabric would appear to be of local manufacture, although it is possible that some of it may be from more distant sources, as such wares are known throughout the east Midlands, beyond Northamptonshire. The shelly fabrics may also be a mixture of local products and imports from further east within the Nene valley catchment.

The DIRFT sites, like Coton Park, also produced fairly large quantities of sandy shelly wares (F3): 13.4% by weight for the Long Dole, 20.3% for the Lodge site (Blinkhorn, Jackson and Chapman 2015a and b). This compares with 50.4% by weight for Coton Park. Sandy wares typically occur in small numbers in the Nene valley of Northamptonshire, probably as imported vessels, with only 1.9% of the assemblage from Wilby Way, Wellingborough (Blinkhorn and Jackson 2003) comprising such material. In contrast, sandy fabrics dominate the assemblages on sites around Milton Keynes, and are common on sites in Leicestershire, such as Grove Farm, Enderby (Elsdon 1992b, 40). Some sandy wares were also noted at Wakerley, Northamptonshire, but the lack of detailed petrological analysis makes it impossible to provide systematic and reliable comparisons.

Vessel Fragmentation The level of fragmentation of this pottery assemblage is fairly typical of other sites in the region (Table 5.2). The hardness of the fabric is a factor, with the sand tempered and the flint/granite tempered fabrics, generally harder and exhibiting greater resistance to breakage, giving them a higher mean sherd weight than the shelly fabrics. The shelly fabrics are particularly prone to weakness through leaching of the shell inclusions, although at Coton Park leaching was not a major factor, so the difference is less marked than usual; as some Northamptonshire sites dominated by shelly ware have mean sherd weights of less than 10g.

At Coton Park, Fabric 5, with its large flint inclusions may be a local fabric as such pottery occurs in small quantities at Iron Age sites in the Welland and Nene basins, such as Gretton (Jackson and Knight 1985).

Table 5.1: Quantification of the pottery by fabric type Fabric

No

No %

Weight (g)

Weight %

1: Coarse shell

860

34.75

9656

29.06

2: Fine shell

350

14.14

3941

11.86

13

0.53

598

1.80

All shelly fabrics

1223

49.41

14195

42.7

3: Sandy & fine shell

1105

44.65

16754

50.42

69

2.79

449

1.35

1174

47.43

17203

51.8

78

3.15

1831

6: Shell and ironstone

4: Pounded shell All sandy fabrics 5: Flint and granite Totals

2475

33229

67

5.51

The data for Fabric 6 are highly unrepresentative due to the very small assemblage size, and the same is also true for Fabrics 4 and 5. Overall, 79.9% of the rim sherds represented 10% or less of the complete circumference of the original vessel. This again is not unusual. Vessel forms The majority of the rims were relatively crudely finished, with the result that it was often difficult to

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Decoration

Table 5.2: Quantification of vessel fragmentation Mean sherd weight (g)

Mean rim fragmentation (% complete)

1: Coarse shell

11.2

8.2

2: Fine shell

11.3

6.6

6: Shell and ironstone

46.0

One rim 2.0

3: Sandy & fine shell

15.2

9.6

4: Pounded shell

6.5

6.3

5: Flint and granite

23.5

9.9

Fabric

Six different methods of decoration were noted, and the distribution of decorated pottery by structural groups is shown in Tables 5.3 and 5.4. 1. Double or multiple lines of zig-zag or chevron decoration, separated by horizontal lines (Figs 5.1 & 5.3, 1 and Fig 5.1, 3). 2. Single zig-zag decoration (Figs 5.1 & 5.3, 2). A thinwalled vessel was noted with such decoration, but the position on the body of the other sherds is uncertain.

accurately assess the profile of any particular sherd. This was compounded by the fact that of the 145 rim sherds in the assemblage, 85 did not have sufficient of the body attached to enable identification of the vessel form. It appears that the rim/body join was a point of weakness in the manufacture of the vessels, as the rims were probably often fashioned from an additional strip of added clay, which created a weak join at the base of the rim.

1

2

Those that did allow analysis of form have been grouped as follows: Jars

3

1. Round-shouldered jars with a concave upper wall and short sometimes poorly defined necks. Fingertip decoration mainly occurred on this form. The presence of distinct shoulders and necks, even if sometimes weakly defined, together with fingertip decoration on the shoulders and also the rims is a diagnostic trait of the earlier Middle Iron Age (400-250/200 BC). 2. Tripartite-, ovoid- or round-shouldered jars with medium length upright or everted rims. The vessel walls are often scored. This type was common in the later Middle Iron Age (250/200-100 BC). 3. Tripartite jars with long flaring upright or everted rims. Very few profiles of this type were noted, possible due to high vessel fragmentation for this category. 4. Neckless, bipartite jars or bowls with a perfunctory or expanded rim. This type is characteristic of the later Middle Iron Age (250/200-100BC) 5. Thick-walled rims derived from large, bipartite or tripartite jars. No rim to shoulder profiles survived.

4

5

6

The proportion of vessels with flattened rims appears very high, and may represent a local potting tradition. Thickened and expanded rims appear much less common than in the majority of published Iron Age pottery assemblages. Bases are invariably flat and often pinched out at the base. There are no omphalos or footring types.

0

200mm

Figure 5.1: Early (1-3) and Middle Iron Age pottery (4-6)

68

The Iron Age pottery

These finely incised, but often quite casually executed, single zig-zags and multiple zig-zags forming chevrons, are specifically diagnostic of the Early Iron Age, typically occurring on quite thin-walled vessels, often with smoothed or burnished surfaces, and also often on carinated vessels. The technique does not appear within earlier Middle Iron Age assemblages, except as the occasional residual sherd.

accompanied by other diagnostic wares to enable more precise dates to be postulated. 4. Fingertip and fingernail impressed rims, with diagonal incisions across the full width of the rim top, are few in number. Fingertip and fingernail incised rim decoration was prevalent in the Early Iron Age, still quite common in the earlier Middle Iron Age, and still occurs occasionally on Middle Iron Age vessels (Fig 5.2, 9-10 and Fig 5.5, 16 and 5.6, 18). 5. Diagonal combing/hatching. Finely combed decoration occurs on a single vessel, an exceptionally large diameter bowl with a distinctive rim from, which matches a group of specialist vessels possibly used for dairy processing, dating to the later Middle to Late Iron Age (Figs 5.2 & 5.3, 11). See below for further discussion. 6. Scored ware. Much of the scoring is coarse and randomly applied. The material from the earlier Middle Iron Age typically has shallower and sparser scoring (Fig 5.5, 16), while in the later Middle Iron Age the scoring is generally more boldly and profusely applied (Figs 5.5 & 5.6 17 & Fig 5.6, 18). A small jar has scoring deeply incised with a sharp blade (Figs 5.5 & 5.6, 19). Regular combed scoring, which is diagnostic of the Late Iron Age, does not appear in this assemblage.

3. Fingertip impressions on the body. Fingertip impressions occur most commonly on the shoulders of jars with a concave upper profile, distinct although sometimes weak shoulders and short upright necks (Figs 5.1 & 5.3 4-4 and 5.1, 6). Unusually, two vessels have double rows of fingertip impressions (Fig 5.2, 7-8). Fingertip decoration on the shoulders of vessels occurs from the Late Bronze Age and continues through the Early Iron Age and also into assemblages of the earlier Middle Iron Age, where it occurs on vessels with distinct, if sometimes weak, shoulders and short but distinct necks, which can be distinguished from the typically ovoid and neckless vessels of the later Middle Iron Age. Fingertip impressions on the body of vessels are therefore only broadly diagnostic, and need to be

8

7

10

0

9

200mm

11 Figure 5.2: Middle Iron Age pottery (7-11)

Fig 4.3: Iron Age pottery, 7-11 69

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting A possible dairy bowl

The scored ware

A vessel unique within this assemblage is a large open vessel (Figs 5.2 & 5.3, 11). Its deposition in boundary ditch D1, in the fill of the final recut, along with the finely-combed scoring on both the inner and outer surfaces, suggests a later Middle Iron Age date. This bowl is c.540mm in diameter, with the body below the flaring rim c.480mm diameter. Below this the wall is near vertical or even turning slightly outwards again.. The rim is squared, with a shallow groove around the outer edge. Unfortunately, the lack of a base leaves it uncertain whether this was a large storage jar or perhaps a shallower bowl form.

The large amount of scored ware at Coton Park is worthy of comment. It comprised around 41% (by weight) of the assemblage (Tables 5.3 and 5.4), compared with a little over 1% at Wilby Way, Wellingborough (Blinkhorn and Jackson 2003) and around 10% of the pottery from the Long Dole and Lodge at DIRFT (Blinkhorn et al 2015a and b). The large amount of such material from Coton Park might suggest that scored ware jars played a more significant role at this settlement, for either functional or cultural reasons. However, an alternative or additional explanation is that

Examples of similar flared rims, also squared and grooved, have been seen in later Middle to Late Iron Age assemblages from sites across the east Midlands, although most of those known to the author are from Northamptonshire: Great Houghton, Northampton (Chapman 2001, 23, fig 13:15); Kings Sutton, Hampton Drive (Chapman 2012); the Long Dole, DIRFT (Chapman 2015a); Rothwell, Harrington Road (Chapman 2015c) and Swinawe Barn, Northamptonshire (Chapman 2017a, fig 4.20:2); Tattenhoe, Milton Keynes (Chapman 2019, 21, fig 12, 5) and Milton Ernest, Bedfordshire (Wells 2010, fig 4:P3). At Swinawe Barn there were three squared rims with a shallow groove along the upper surface, and in one instance there were grooves along both the upper surface and the outer edge of an exceptionally thick rim from a vessel 310mm in diameter (Chapman 2017, fig 4.20, 2). At the base of the surviving sherd the sides were steep, indicating that the flaring rim stood above steep to near vertical sides. This vessel also had horizontal scoring on both the external and internal surfaces. There are two examples from the Long Dole, DIRFT, one had near vertical sides and a rim diameter of 340mm (F); the other was an open bowl, with a rim diameter of 400mm (Chapman 2015a, figs 2.30,3 & 32.31, c). Unfortunately, only the rims survive, so the depth of these vessels is unknown, but it is suggested that they are most likely to have been steep-sided, flatbottomed bowls, with either an upright or a flaring squared rim. The other known examples are from 310-400mm, making the Coton Park example by far the largest recorded. They occur in only small quantities, often a single vessel per assemblage. It may be tentatively suggested that this vessel form is associated with dairying, perhaps similar to the open and even larger diameter bowls, pancheons, of the medieval and post-medieval periods. The squared rim and the groove around the outer edge may be a functional feature, perhaps to aid tying a cloth over the top of the bowl while milk was allowed to settle for the cream to rise.

Figure 5.3: Early Iron Age, 1-2, and Middle Iron Age pottery, 4-5 and 11 (Scale 10mm)

70

The Iron Age pottery

12 13

14

15

200mm

0

Figure Middle Iron Age pottery (12-15) Fig 4.4:5.4:Iron Age pottery, 12-15

occupation at Coton Park was at a peak from c.300-150BC, when scored ware probably also reached its high point in dominating assemblages. The subsequent abandonment of the settlement means that material of the later Middle to Late Iron Age, that would contain a lower percentage of scored ware jars as other finer vessels became much more common and therefore formed a higher percentage of the overall assemblage. The Coton Park assemblage is therefore representative of a point in time where Iron Age pottery assemblages in the region had become dominated by storage jars, with a high percentage at Coton decorated by scoring, and when the presence of more finely-potted bowls and smaller jars had sunk to a low point, mid-way between the fine carinated and burnished bowl forms of the Early Iron Age and the globular burnished bowls, sometimes decorated, that characterise the Late Iron Age.

and 5.6, 17). Note also that the three illustrated storage jars, vessels 16-18, all have largely oxidised orange to buff surfaces. In Northamptonshire, oxidised fabrics dominate assemblages of the earlier Middle Iron Age while the scored ware and plain jars of the later Middle Iron Age have predominantly darker surfaces, dark grey with only patches or brown or red/orang. Attention may also be drawn to a distinctive rounded bowl or jar, with two rows of bold fingertip decoration (Fig 5.2, 8). Despite the coarse shelly fabric, this vessel is hard-fired, and has a bold rounded shoulder, a deeply concave neck and an internal groove on the rim. While the body and the neck are technically scored, this scoring is unlike the scoring on the large storage jars. It is even more densely applied and at a sharply oblique angle. This vessel can be classed as a rare example of high-class table ware of the Middle Iron Age. It was deposited in the southern ditch terminal, 175.1, of the principal roundhouse, RD5, which places it late in the life of the roundhouse, going into the later Middle Iron Age (c.250/200-150BC), although the same deposit also contained a jar with fingertip decoration on the shoulder (Fig 5.1, 6), of the earlier Middle Iron Age.

Note how a scored ware jar of the earlier Middle Iron Age (Fig 5.5, 16), also has a decorated rim and a plain band below the rim, as it respecting the neck even though there is no defined shoulder and only a shallow concave neck. In contrast, a similarly large jar of the later Middle Iron Age has a simple upright rim with the scoring running right to the base of the rim (Fig 5.5

71

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

16

19

0

200mm

17

Figure 5.5: Middle Iron Age scored ware pottery (16 -17 & 19)

Catalogue of illustrated pottery

4. Jar with fingertip decoration on shoulder and lightly scored body. Dark grey fabric and surfaces. Fabric 4. Ditch 114.2, D1. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age 5. Small jar with row of fingertip decoration on shoulder. Uniform black fabric. Fabric 3. Ditch 108.2, D1. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age. 6. Base of small jar with row of fingertip decoration on shoulder. Dark grey fabric with variegated light grey-brown and black surfaces. Fabric 1. Ditch 175.1, RD5. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age 7. Jar with double row of finger-tipped decoration on shoulder. Dark grey fabric with light brown

1. Carinated bowl, with multiple zig-zag incised above the carination, smoothed surface. Dark grey fabric with dark brown surfaces. Fabric 4. Ditch 215, RD14. Date: Early Iron Age 2. Single incised zig-zag on neck above shoulder. Dark grey fabric with dark brown surfaces. Fabric 4. Ditch 114.2, D1. Date: Early Iron Age 3. Body sherd with multiple incised zig-zags separated by cordons. Uniform orange fabric. Fabric 2. Ditch 284.1, RD18. Date: Early Iron Age 72

The Iron Age pottery

Figure 5.6: Scored ware pottery, 17-19

73

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Table 5.3: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), ring ditches

Structure

Plain (g)

Scored (g)

Finger (g)

Geo-metric (g)

Total (g)

Structure

Plain (g)

Scored (g)

Finger (g)

Geometric (g)

Total (g)

Table 5.4: Decorated wares; occurrence by structure by weight (g), other ditch systems

RD1

966

656

0

0

1622

D1

4139

1274

125

25

5563

RD2

249

277

0

0

526

D2

128

0

0

0

128

RD3

1379

589

0

0

1968

D3

10

105

0

0

115

RD4

58

11

0

0

69

D4

59

0

0

0

59

RD5

2021

1367

546

0

3934

D5

4

0

0

0

4

RD6

97

0

0

0

97

E1

1176

1737

0

0

2913

RD7

159

0

2

0

161

E2

72

38

0

0

110

RD8

208

1903

0

0

2111

E3

735

305

0

0

1040

867

164

35

0

1066

RD9

575

3750

4

0

4329

E4

RD10

104

0

17

0

121

E5

70

0

0

0

70

RD11

521

630

0

0

1151

E6

763

0

44

0

807

RD12

320

40

32

0

392

E7

215

0

0

0

215

RD13

257

0

0

0

257

E8

140

126

0

0

266

RD14

602

0

0

0

602

E9

0

8

0

0

8

RD15

117

343

0

0

460

E10

45

0

0

0

45

RD16

804

103

3

0

910

RD17

411

0

0

29

440

8423

3757

204

25

12409

RD18

160

8

0

0

168

Subtotal: ditches

RD19

259

0

12

0

271

%

67.88

30.28

1.64

0.20

RD20

42

39

0

0

81

18800

13714

820

54

RD21

11

0

0

0

11

Total: All features

RD22

267

0

0

0

267

%

56.44

41.17

2.46

0.16

RD23

0

96

0

0

96

RD24

201

0

0

0

201

RD25

60

0

0

0

60

RD26

362

64

0

0

426

RD27

74

27

0

0

101

RD28

85

0

0

0

85

RD30

2

0

0

0

2

RD31

6

16

0

0

22

RD32

0

38

0

0

38

Subtotal RDs

10377

9957

616

29

20979

%

49.46

47.46

2.94

0.14

33308

surfaces. Fabric 3. Ditch 50.1, RD5. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age 8. Bowl or jar with internal groove on rim, a deeply concave neck with diagonal scoring, a double row of fingertip decoration on shoulder and a densely scored body and neck. Red-brown fabric with blackened exterior. Fabric 1. Ditch 175.1, RD5. Date: earlier/later Middle Iron Age 9. Large jar or bowl with thumb impressed flattened rim. Grey-brown fabric with orange-brown surfaces. Fabric 1. Ditch 99.1, E4. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age 10. Small jar with diagonal fingernail impressions on the flattened rim, and scored walls. Dark grey fabric with reddish brown surfaces. Fabric 5. Ditch 31.1, RD3. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age?

74

The Iron Age pottery

11. Open bowl with flaring neck with squared and grooved rim, decorated on both surfaces with finely-combed scoring. Dark grey fabric with variegated dark brown and orange surfaces. Fabric 1. Ditch 108.2, D1. Date: later Middle Iron Age 12. Small shouldered jar, with thin rim. Dark grey fabric with variegated dark brown and orange surfaces. Fabric 3. Ditch 324.1, E6. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age 13. Small jar with rounded rim with internal groove. Uniform black fabric. Fabric 4. Ditch 95.1, RD8. Date: Middle Iron Age 14. Small shouldered/carinated bowl with thin neck and rim Dark grey fabric with reddish brown surfaces. Fabric 4. Ditch 215, RD14. Date: Early Iron Age 15. Small rounded bowl, smoothed surfaces. Uniform black fabric. Fabric 4. Ditch 5.1, E1. Date: Middle Iron Age 16. Large storage jar with diagonal fingernail impressions on the rim and a scored body. Dark grey fabric with variegated black and dark red surfaces. Fabric 2. Ditch 12, RD1. Date: earlier Middle Iron Age. 17. Large storage jar, 350mm high, base 130mm diameter, with flattened rim and irregular horizontal and vertical scoring. Dark grey fabric with buff surfaces. Fabric 3. Ditch 116.2, D1. Date: later Middle Iron Age. 18. Storage jar with bold irregular scoring, short concave neck, flat-topped rim with incised fingernail impressions. Dark grey fabric with grey to buff surfaces. Fabric 1, some voids from leaching. Ditch 242.2, RD9. Date: later Middle Iron Age 19. Small jar, c.120mm high, base diameter 90mm, smoothed surface, mottled brown to grey with fire clouding from open firing, Finely-incised scoring near vertical, some oblique. Fabric 1. Ditches 2.3 and 23.1, Enclosure E1 east. Date: Middle Iron Age.

In the Coton Park material, two sizes are also favoured, although the preferred rim diameters of the small vessels is slightly smaller, at 101-140mm, although the group could be broadened to span rim diameters of 81-160mm. The large vessels at Coton Park show an identical range to the broader data, at 261-280mm (Fig 5.7). The data also shows that the size range of the vessels varies according to fabric type (Table 5.5). Coarse shell was mainly used for large vessels and fine shell for small vessels (Table 5.3 and Fig 5.8 ), but there were also some quite small vessels containing coarse shell and a few large vessels containing fine shell. The data for fine shell does hint at a slightly more complex picture, as there is a double peak in the smaller size range, comprising particularly small jars at 81120mm diameter, and small jars centred on 161-180mm diameter. It may be this presence of a significant number of particularly small jars (see Figs 5.5 and 5.6, 19), which has brought the mean size of the small jar category at Coton Park below the broader mean. The presence of such small and typically well-made jars is another trait of an assemblage with a substantially earlier Middle Iron Age component, perhaps continuing the presence of such vessel types from assemblages at the end of the Early Iron Age (6th -5th centuries BC). In contrast to the shelly ware, the sandy fabric was used for vessels virtually across the entire size range (Fig 5.8). Pounded shell was used for small vessels, whereas flint and granite vessels were generally larger, indicating that the flint and granite inclusions were a direct alternative to coarse shell. It must also be noted that while there are two distinct peaks in the rim diameter distributions, there are also many examples that fall between these two peaks, and pots with diameters between 201-220mm are absent from the sandy wares but present in small numbers for both coarse and fine shell inclusions.

Vessel size analysis Paul Blinkhorn Work in the 1990s (Woodward and Blinkhorn 1997) had indicated that rim diameters of Iron Age jars usually closely correlated with the capacity of the complete vessel: the larger the vessel, the larger the rim diameter. The data from Coton Park indicates that this assemblage shows the same general trends as other sites in both the south-east Midlands and the west country, which defined two favoured sizes of vessel, which can simply be referred to as ‘small’, c.1.5-2.0 litres, with rim diameters in the range 140-159mm, and ‘large’, c.8.010.0 litres, rim diameter 260-279mm (Woodward and Blinkhorn 1997, tables 1 and 3).

Quantification of the Iron Age pottery by structure The distribution of the pottery has been grouped by ring ditch (Table 5.6) and by enclosure and boundary ditch (Table 5.7) The degree to which pottery distribution is informative about the nature of the activity or the duration of use for any one structure or group of structures, or as a means of comparison between structures is open to

75

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting or deposited domestic debris. As a result, RD6 produced a very small assemblage while RD5 one of the largest, which reinforces the conclusion from the structural evidence that while RD6 was a large, and in its time an important structure, it was short-lived in comparison to RD5, which survived through the lifetime of the main settlement.

Table 5.5: Quantification of rim diameters by fabric type Mean rim Diameter (mm)

Standard Deviation (mm)

1: Coarse shell

251.2

69.5

2: Fine shell

175.6

63.6

(1 rim) 160.0

-

3: Sandy & fine shell

154.6

152.8

4: Pounded shell

142.0

32.6

5: Flint and granite

227.1

68.5

Fabric

6: Shell and ironstone

At the southern end of the row of roundhouses, Group 4, there were another two large roundhouses, RD12 and RD26, of comparable size to RD5 and RD6, but these produced surprisingly small finds assemblages. This is especially so in comparison to the adjacent structures of Group 3, where a much small roundhouse, RD11, was surrounded by a more substantial ditch with a recut and, along with the adjacent enclosure RD9, together they produced a substantial pottery assemblage. In fact, enclosure RD9 produced the largest pottery assemblage from the site, larger than all the roundhouses, including RD5 in second place. With Group 4, there is an issue of poor preservation, as RD26 in particular had been damaged by machine and plant tracking, so the ditch leading to the southern terminal had not been available for excavation, while both terminals had been excavated

question, although clearly it is an approach that needs examination, quantification and consideration along with all the other strands of evidence. Some conclusions merely reflect the available structural evidence. For instance, the large early roundhouse, RD6, was surrounded by a narrow and shallow ditch, which had not been recut, while its successor, RD5, with its sequence of three ring ditches and an enclosing ditch was clearly long-lived and provided a long sequence of open ditches that could collect discarded

Figure 5.7: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, all fabrics

76

The Iron Age pottery

Figure 5.8: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, sandy

Figure 5.9: Rim diameter occurrence by MNV, fine shell (red) and coarse shell (blue)

77

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

Date

91

1622

4.87

0.79

MIA

D1

470

5563

16.70

2.16

MIA

RD3

132

1883

5.65

1.06

LMIA?

255

2913

8.75

1.26

RD5

250

3934

11.81

0.89

EMLMIA

E1

EMLMIA

E3

36

1040

3.12

0.23

MIA

RD6

10

97

0.29

0.04

EMIA?

114

1066

3.20

0.56

RD8

55

2111

6.34

0.64

EMLMIA

E4

EMLMIA?

RD9

237

4329

13.00

1.36

MIA?

E6

110

807

2.42

0.62

EMLMIA?

RD11

57

1151

3.46

0.2

MIA

RD16

99

910

2.73

0.69

EMIALMIA

Date

RD1

MNV

MNV

Weight (%)

Weight (g)

Sherds

Table 5.7: Pottery occurrence by structural group, boundary ditches and enclosures

Structure

Weight (%)

Weight (g)

Sherds

Structure

Table 5.6: Pottery occurrence by structural group, ring ditches

Major ditch systems

Principal ring ditches

Minor ditch systems

Other ring ditches

D2

20

128

0.38

0.09

IA

D3

14

115

0.35

0.1

MIA?

D4

20

59

0.18

0

IA

D5

1

4

0.01

0.04

IA?

E2

15

110

0.33

0

MIA?

E5

6

70

0.21

0.1

IA

RD2

42

526

1.58

0.46

EMLMIA

RD4

10

69

0.21

0

MIA?

RD7

33

161

0.48

0.13

EMLMIA?

E7

24

215

0.65

0

IA

RD10

22

121

0.36

0.08

EMIA?

E8

29

266

0.80

0.32

LIA?

RD12

32

392

1.18

0,08

EMIALMIA?

E9

3

8

0.02

0

MIA?

RD13

43

257

0.77

0.29

IA

E10

6

45

0.14

0

IA

RD14

15

602

1.81

0.13

IA

Sub totals

1123

12409

37.26

5.48

RD15

13

460

1.38

0.27

IA

RD17

32

440

1.32

0.17

EMIA

Site totals

2482

33303

100.0

13.95

RD18

19

168

0.50

0.22

MIA

RD19

40

271

0.81

0.11

IA

RD20

11

81

0.24

0.02

MIA

RD21

2

11

0.03

0

IA

RD22

8

267

0.80

0.07

IA

RD23

1

96

0.29

0.2

MIA?

RD24

11

201

0.60

0

IA

RD25

1

60

0.18

0

IA

RD26

72

426

1.28

0.19

MIA

RD27

7

101

0.30

0.15

MIA?

RD28

10

85

0.26

0.31

IA

RD30

1

2

0.01

0

IA

RD31

2

22

0.07

0

MIA?

RD32

1

38

0.11

0

MIA?

Sub totals

1359

20894

62.74

8.47

Site totals

2482

33303

100.00

13.95

during the trial trench evaluation. Even allowing for these factors, finds deposition appears to be at a low level, and this together with the less complex sequence of development suggested a shorter lifetime for Group 4 as a later southward extension to an existing core comprising Groups 2 and 3 (see Fig 3.2). The quantification also raises another question of significance. The western row of roundhouses is evidently the domestic heart of the settlement, but roundhouse RD1 was medium-sized, isolated in the southern part of the site but produced one of the most substantial pottery assemblages. Quite how this structure fits within the physical and social arrangement of the settlement remains a mystery. The distribution of pottery and animal bone is considered further in the discussion, Chapter 10.

78

Chapter 6

The copper alloy working debris Andy Chapman and Matthew Ponting Introduction

The crucibles

An assemblage of triangular casting crucibles, fragments from investment moulds and a single bar mould was recovered from a group of related structures at the centre of the excavated area. The main concentration was from the eastern half of ring ditch RD3 and the south-eastern corner of Enclosure E1, with smaller quantities from the adjacent ring ditches, RD2 and RD4 (Fig 6.1).

The forty numbered finds of triangular copper alloy casting crucibles comprises 153 fragments, weighing 1.01kg. They came primarily from the eastern half of ring ditch RD3 and the south-eastern corner of enclosure E1, with smaller quantities from the adjacent ring ditches, RD2 and RD4 (Fig 6.1). There are a few pieces from other structures; one to the east in the ditch terminal of enclosure E2, and one to the west from the outer ditch enclosing the principal roundhouse, RD5.

Most crucibles were only partly represented and this, together with the high degree of fragmentation, suggests that they had been broken and deposited at least temporarily elsewhere prior to deposition in the ditches of ring ditch RD3 and enclosure E1. The fragmentation of the moulds to recover the cast objects is, of course, an inevitable result of the lost wax manufacturing process. A small amount of copper alloy dross was also recovered. The material is broadly comparable to the large assemblage recovered from Gussage All Saints, Dorset (Wainwright 1979) and also the assemblages from Weelsby Avenue, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (Foster 1995) and from the Isle of Man (Bersu 1977, 77-80). A broad overview of non-ferrous metallurgy through the Bronze Age and the Iron Age is also available, and includes an overview of the material from Coton Park (Adams et al 2020).

Fabric and condition The crucibles are manufactured in a sandy fabric containing fine quartz grains. It is typically light to medium grey in colour and quite soft, with a smooth surface but containing frequent voids, presumably derived from gases given off during heating. However, in most instances the external surface has been partly or fully vitrified to a dull or glassy dark grey to black, pitted with numerous voids. This vitrification usually extends inside the rim to a depth of 10-15mm. The remainder of the inside is typically light grey, but in some instances is purple in colour. In some examples, either the inner surface or the outer surface around the rim is encrusted with blobs of near white residue, riddled with numerous small voids, presumably derived from impurities within the molten alloy. In other cases there are darker encrustations, sometimes containing specks of light green, indicating the presence of small quantities of metallic copper.

The distribution of the copper alloy casting debris also coincided with that of a collection of bone, antler and horn working debris comprising sawn long bones, antler burrs and horn cores (Fig 6.1 and see Chapter 7: Other Iron Age finds). The significance of the juxtaposition of the copper alloy casting debris and the bone working debris at Coton Park is uncertain, but the main assemblage of copper alloy casting materials from Gussage All Saints (Wainwright 1979) was also associated with similar bone working debris. The exclusive deposition of the debris from these two crafts in association with a single group of structures set apart from the domestic roundhouses appears to indicate the presence of a specific and shared working area for crafts that were not practised within the domestic houses.

The crucibles were subject to metallurgical analysis by Matthew Ponting in 2002, see below. Forms All of the recovered fragments are consistent with the crucibles being triangular in plan with quite pointed conical bases. While the plan form is comparable to the assemblage from Gussage All Saints (Spratling 1979, fig 99), the bases are quite distinct in being conical rather than rounded, as at Gussage.

79

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

sf32 sf32 sf32 coin coin coin

furrow furrow furrow

sf83 sf83 sf83 268 268268

ceramic ceramic ceramic field field field drains drains drains

E1 E1E1 2323 23

RD2 RD2 RD2 22 2 123 123123

55 5

88 8 2424 243535 35

2929 29

2121 21

4141 41 3333 33 42 42 42 124 124124 sf98 sf98 sf98 RD4 RD4 RD4 sf80 sf80 sf80 sf4 sf4sf4 2727 27 125 1251254646 46 sf49 sf49 sf49 3636 36

RD3 RD3 RD3

sf102 sf102 sf102 126 126126

crucible crucible crucible mould mould mould copper copper copper alloy alloy alloy fragment fragment fragment worked worked worked bone/antler bone/antler bone/antler shale shale shale braclet braclet braclet saddle saddle saddle quern quern quern

3131 31

sf82 sf82 sf82 3838 38 3737 37

165165 sf28 sf28 sf28 165 3232 32

00 0

10m 10m 10m

RD3 RD3 RD3 structure structure structure number number number sf102 sf102 sf102 small small small find findnumber find number number 126 126126 ditch ditch ditch segment segment segment number number number

Figure 6.1: The distribution of finds in the bronze and bone working complex

There is one near complete crucible, with an estimated full weight of c.90g (Fig 6.2, 1 and 6.3, a, SF7). The recovered pieces could amount to about 10 crucibles by weight. However, the minimum number represented is more accurately defined by the total of 14 conical bases.

described below. The smaller Type A predominates; represented by eight bases (60%), as opposed to six bases for Type B. Based on the total weight of the fragments collected: Type A forms 70% of the total. Type A

As only a single near complete example was recovered, it is difficult to fully characterise the group. However, based on body width and base depth, and examples where a minimum depth can be calculated, there is clearly a range of sizes and, most probably, two distinct groups of crucible: Type A, small and thin-walled and Type B, deeper and thicker-walled, as more fully

Typified by the near complete example (Fig 6.2, 1 and 6.3, a, SF7). The sides measure 57mm long internally, and the crucible is 45mm deep. The body is typically 7-8mm thick, tapering gradually to 4-6mm at the plain rim. The conical bases are around 12-15mm thick. A complete example would weigh c.90g. 80

The copper alloy working debris

Type B

condition is widely variable depending on the degree of firing. Parts of the body and most of the external surfaces are bright orange to red, and quite soft and friable, while the sprue-cups, the runners linking the sprue cup to the mould impressions, and the mould impressions (the matrix) themselves have been fired hard and are grey or grey-black in colour. The bases and lower bodies are typically red-brown to brown, indicating an intermediate level of firing. The bases and areas around the plain runner-bushes or vents are also often encrusted with blobs of vesicular waste products varying from off-white to dark grey in colour. These are similar to the encrustations on the outer surfaces of the crucibles, but they have not reached the same state of vitrification.

No near complete examples were recovered, but they are identified by thicker walls and deeper bases. The walls are typically 10-12mm thick, and only narrow in immediately below the plain rims, which are 6-8mm thick, while the conical bases are 15-20mm thick. The most complete examples indicate that they were in excess of 65mm deep, and probably c.70mm deep (Fig 6.3 b, SF). They would probably have weighed slightly over 100g. Investment moulds A total of c.460 fragments, weighing 6.71kg, of fired clay from broken up investment moulds for lost-wax casting, was recovered from the copper alloy working area. The pieces vary in size from c.10mm up to c.80mm. Investment moulds were made by modelling an object in wax and then coating it thickly in clay, together with the provision of at least one external opening for subsequently filling the mould. The clay/wax assembly was heated sufficiently to melt the wax and to at least fire the clay surfaces that would later be in direct contact with the molten bronze, as otherwise water within the clay would be liable to cause an explosive shattering of the mould from the rapid heating caused by the molten metal. The mould would also need to be heated immediately prior to use to ensure the minimum presence of water within the body of the mould. Molten metal was then poured in through the conical sprue cup and allowed to cool and solidify. The mould was then broken open to remove the casting (Historic England 2015, 43-47).

Form Pieces with convex outer surfaces indicate that the body of the typical mould was cylindrical, although some pieces have distinct rounded corners, indicating that some moulds were of a more squared section. Given the fragmentation and the roughly-shaped and roughlysmoothed surfaces it is difficult to determine accurate dimensions, but two better preserved base pieces have measurable diameters of 100mm and 120mm diameter (Fig 6.4). A few pieces also retain part of a flat base, in one instance with a distinct lip. The additional heating of the bases and lower body suggests that the moulds had been stood upright in a fire to harden them and to melt the wax models. It is also likely that they had been stood upright in a fire or hot ashes, immediately prior to casting. A total of only 18 pieces retain well-formed diagnostic features, as described below.

The distribution pattern of the mould fragments is the same as that for the crucibles (Fig 6.1), with the main concentration coming from the eastern side of ring ditch RD3 and the south-eastern corner of enclosure E1. Some fragments of fired clay from other areas of the site had superficial similarities, but the absence of diagnostic features suggests that these did not come from moulds.

Sprue-cups There are four examples of well-formed sprue-cups, with a conical surface to funnel the molten copper alloy into the runner and the mould matrix. The most complete example has a rim diameter of 40mm with the body expanding to 53mm diameter at 39mm below the top, indicating that the upper part of the mould was cylindrical, similar perhaps to a modern thermos flask (Figs 6.2, 2, & 6.5, a). The central aperture is 14mm in diameter. It is quite roughly shaped and appears to have been formed in one piece with the rest of the mould. A further two partial examples of similar form come from larger moulds, and are 70-80mm in diameter, although the central holes do not survive (Fig 6.5, b left). The fourth example is much smaller, at 30mm in diameter with a slight waist and more carefully fashioned (Figs 6.2, 3 and 6.5, b right). The central aperture is 12mm in diameter. The conical upper surface is matched by a slightly rougher conical under surface, suggesting that it was made separately from the main body of the mould and then attached before firing.

In addition to the recovered material, there were two instances where masses of soft but heat-reddened clay had been deposited in the ditch of RD3. These may have come from the heated but unfired bodies of larger moulds or perhaps unused material that had been deliberately or accidentally scorched before it was dumped in the ditch. Fabric The fabric is typically fine slightly sandy clay. There are sparse small inclusions of flint, pebble and fossil shell measuring 1-4mm, and while larger pieces of 5-6mm do occur they are uncommon, and even more rarely there are pieces as large as 10-15mm. The colour and surface 81

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting

3 3 2 2

3

2 1 11 11 1

6 6

5 5 0

6

5

100mm

0

100mm

0

100mm

Figure 6.2: Copper alloy casting debris, 1: crucible, 2-3: sprue cups, 4: pouring gate and 5-6: mould fragments with impressions of cast objects

82

The copper alloy working debris

Figure 6.3: Crucibles: a) SF7 three views and b) SF28 profile (Scale 10mm)

or grey-white, vesicular waste products. These may be merely a different form of runner-bush or pouring gate, perhaps from larger moulds for the casting of larger objects. However, the differences in surface colouration and encrustation might suggest that they served a different function, perhaps vents to allow the escape of gases during casting, in order to avoid trapped gases forming voids within the casting. No vents were recovered from the Gussage All Saints assemblage, where it was suggested that they were an unnecessary addition (Spratling 1979, 133). Unfortunately, the recovered examples are too incomplete to indicate exactly where they would have been situated on the mould and whether they came from the typical flaskshaped mould or a different form of mould.

Both forms of sprue-cup were present in the large assemblage from Gusssage all Saints, where the onepiece moulds had been used for casting bridle-bit links, and the separately fashioned sprue-cups were on moulds for terret rings (Spratling 1979, 133). All of the examples of sprue-cups have been blackened on the conical surface and the central aperture. In contrast to the conical sprue-cups, there are four examples of simple circular apertures with slightly raised lips (Fig 6.2, 4). At 20-30mm diameter, these apertures are larger than the sprue-cup openings. The surfaces of the apertures are also quite different, as all are oxidised to a bright orange, and around the top of the openings the mould surface is encrusted with grey

83

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting Runners Three fragments from mould bodies have short lengths of linear, circular-sectioned runners. The longest survives to 25mm. They show the same pattern as seen in the sprue-cups and raised lip apertures. One example is only 12mm in diameter and is blackened, as with the similarly sized sprue-cup apertures. The other two are larger, at 18mm and 26mm diameter and, like the similarly-sized raised lip apertures, the surfaces are oxidised to a bright orange. The mould matrix There are several pieces that retain very small parts of the central matrix, but in only two examples is it possible to obtain any clear indication of the size and form of the objects being cast. The best-preserved fragment represents much of a small side link from a three-link bridle-bit (Figs 6.2, 5 and 6.6, a left). The ring end is c.20mm in diameter, with a tear-shaped central opening measuring 8mm by 4mm, making the ring c.8mm in diameter. There is a circular central collar c.15mm in diameter by 8mm wide and the surviving fragment at the opposing end represents the outer edge of a second circular terminal set perpendicularly.

Figure 6.4: Body of circular mould, plan and section, SF110

Figure 6.5: Sprue-cups, a) complete, plan and profile, SF49 and b) incomplete, plan, SF50 and SF16 (Scale 10mm)

(Scale 10mm)

84

The copper alloy working debris

The smaller fragment contains the matrix from an object with a circular or ring-shaped end, 17-18mm in diameter, and with a circular section of 7mm diameter (Figs 6.2, 6 & 6.6, a right). It probably represents the end of a further bridle-bit piece, and may even be part of the same mould as the side link, as the two were found in the same section of ring ditch RD3, ditch 31.1. Conclusions The single surviving mould matrix indicates that the copper alloy casting at Coton Park was certainly related to the casting of horse harness fittings. It was, therefore, probably broadly comparable to the range of equipment being produced at Gussage All Saints, Dorset (Fig 6.6, b; Spratling 1979, 133-141, figs 104-108). There is also a similar mould matrix for a side link at Weelsby

Figure 6.7: Reconstructed lost wax casting mould for a bridle bit side link, showing variations in the firing of the clay mould

Avenue, Grimsby (Foster 1995, fig 26). Unfortunately, there is no evidence from Coton Park to indicate whether items such as lynch pins and terret rings, which would indicate the production of furnishings for chariots at the site, as they were at both Gussage All Saints and Grimsby. From the surviving debris it is possible to reconstruct the overall form of a complete mould, which may have stood around 170mm high and 80mm in diameter for a small object, and taller and broader for larger pieces, with parts of the mould being fired during the various stages of casting, while parts of the exterior and much of the body of the mould was probably not fully fired, and had therefore not survived in the ground (Fig 6.7). The bar mould Two parts from a block of fired clay containing two parallel channels in its surface is interpreted as an open bar-mould, SF102, ditch 126.2, RD3 (Figs 6.8 & 6.9). The fabric is sandy clay, with a grey to reddish-grey core. The sides of the channels and some of the upper surface is dark grey, while the remainder of the upper surface is brown and the surviving parts of the outer

Figure 6.6: The mould matrix: a) SF109, left and SF78 right and b) sprue-cup and mould matrix from Gussage All Saints, as displayed in the British Museum (Scale 10mm)

85

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting edges are red. Only part of the upper surface and the sides survived, and the total loss of the remainder may suggest that only the upper surfaces had been heated sufficiently to be properly fired. The larger piece comes from one end of the mould. There is a remnant of a rounded corner, and while the end of the surviving channel is lost, it ran to within 4mm of the end, suggesting that the channel was open at this end. The channel has a trapezoidal section, measuring 8-16mm wide by 14mm deep, but it narrows slightly and shallows to 9mm deep at the end. Figure 6.8: Open bar mould, plan and section, SF102 The greater surviving depth of 17mm indicates that the second, smaller fragment represents part of a second channel. This too has a remnant of a surviving rounded corner, and it must come from the opposite end of the mould. The end of this channel was certainly open, but it was again shallower, at 11mm deep. The reddened, rather than blackened, surface of the channel at the end might suggest that it had been closed by some temporary filling or plug during use. The larger fragment has a surviving length of 99mm. The original length of the entire mould cannot be determined but it may have been of the order of 200mm. While incomplete, the general form of the mould was evidently a rectangular block containing two parallel channels of trapezoidal section and maximum depths of 14mm and 17mm respectively. These channels were apparently open at either end, but during use they may have been blocked by temporary plugs, which may have made it easier to remove the cast billets of copper alloy, perhaps enabling the mould to be used for more than one casting.

Figure 6.9: Open bar mould, SF102 (Scale 10mm)

A circular-sectioned channel, 14mm wide by 3.5mm deep, is cut into the surface, which is slightly convex but uneven, suggesting that it is damaged. This small fragment could be from either a further open mould fashioned in a block of sandstone or from a two-piece mould. Unfortunately, too little survives to be certain.

This mould is closely comparable to a chalk bar-mould recovered from Winnall Down, Winchester (Fasham 1985, 81 and fig 12). This possessed two parallel channels of trapezoidal section, which splayed out at one end. The channels measured 18mm and 24mm wide, tapering to 10mm and 14mm wide, by 10mm and 12mm deep. The mould was formed in a rectangular block of chalk in excess of 170mm long. Billets of copper alloy of Iron Age date have rarely been found, but a bar of tin-bronze, 112mm long, was found at Gussage All Saints (Spratling 1979, 130 & fig 98).

Copper alloy working dross While substantial quantities of copper alloy casting crucibles and mould fragments were recovered there is sparse evidence of the copper alloy itself. There are occasional very small globules of green, metallic copper visible on the inner surfaces of some of the crucibles. In addition, there are three instances in which small green globules or irregular pieces of copper alloy dross were recovered from the eastern ditch of RD3 (SF19, SF20 and SF131, from ditches 24.1, 29.1 and 27.1): these six fragments have a total weight of 6.0g.

In addition, a small irregular fragment of heat reddened, fine-grained sandstone, 42mm long by 22mm thick, was recovered from the ditch of RD3 (SF30, ditch 37.1).

86

The copper alloy working debris

Metallurgical analysis of crucible fragments by Matthew Ponting An impressive collection of over 140 fragments of crucibles was retrieved from a single group of associated structures. In order to gain an understanding of the technological processes being conducted at the site, a programme of scientific analysis was initiated. Six fragments of crucible were selected for analysis together with the one metal droplet that retained unmineralised material. Samples were cut from the selected fragments with a diamond saw and mounted in epoxy-resin. The mounted samples were then ground and polished with successively fine grades of alumina and diamond suspensions until a flat and scratch-free surface was achieved. Prior to analysis, the sample blocks were carbon coated to ensure surface conductivity.

Figure 6.10: Micrograph of slag/crucible interface with silica grains alongside metal prills

The analyses were conducted using a scanning electron microscope with attached energy dispersive analyser (SEM-EDS). The instrument used was a JEOL IC-845 microscope with Oxford Instruments ISIS 200 analyser and SiLi detector. The analysis of the metallic material was conducted at a 25kV accelerating voltage set to give 2000 counts on pure cobalt and less than 25% dead time. The analysis of the slaggy material was conducted at 15kV. Calibration was by pure element and geological standards according to the standard procedures. Detection limits (2σ); Cu 0.7%, Sn 0.3%, Pb 1.5%, As 0.7%, Ni 0.1% and Fe 0.3%.

Figure 6.11: Micrograph of crucible showing minute pieces of charcoal

The analysis All six crucible fragments revealed a layer of glassy, slag like material covering the internal face. Where the fragment included the rim of a crucible, the slag continued over the rim and down the other face. The slag matrix has an indistinct interface with the fabric of the crucible itself. In most cases the corrosive nature of the slag has eaten into the ceramic leaving an interface region of silica grains alongside metal prills within a glassy matrix (Fig 6.10). In one sample (SF40, ditch 125.2, RD3) a series of vesicular inclusions were noticed which, on further investigation, proved to be minute pieces of charcoal (Fig 6.11). The pieces are very degraded, but have been identified by Dr Chris Salisbury as Alder Buckthorn (Frangula Alnus), Mountain Ash (Sorbus Aucuparia) or Silver Birch (Betula Pendula). The most likely identification is considered to be Mountain Ash.

Figure 6.12: Micrograph of crucible showing peculiarlyshaped bronze shavings and scrapings

suggests that alloying was being conducted and not purely re-melting of bronze brought onto the site.

Metallic prills were analysed from each of the six samples and found to be of three main compositions; pure copper, bronze and tin. The presence of both pure copper and pure tin within some of the samples

Sample SF45 (ditch 126.4, RD4) revealed some peculiarly shaped metal prills (Fig 6.12) which proved to be bronze shavings or scrapings. The composition 87

Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: A Middle Iron Age Settlement with Copper Alloy Casting prills and bronze prills do suggest primary alloying. However, differential volatility of the constituent elements dependent on redox conditions within the crucible will change the observed composition of the prills quite considerably and therefore account for the variability of compositions here. Table 6.1 presents the compositions of the prills quantitatively analysed. The glassy slag matrix is essentially an alkali aluminium silicate containing a significant proportion of iron (12% FeO) and some copper (8% CuO). This composition is quite typical for crucible slags. Cassiterite (SnO2) is present in some parts of the glassy matrix as a separate crystalline phase in a characteristic rhomboid form (Fig 6.14).

Figure 6.13: Micrograph of crucible showing tin, copper and bronze prills

Discussion

of these fragments is generally about 7% tin with the rest mainly copper with traces of nickel, iron and lead. Such a composition is consistent with wrought Iron Age bronzes (Dungworth 1996) and therefore indicates that some recycling of the waste from the various manufacturing and finishing process was going on.

The analyses indicate that the crucibles were used for the melting and alloying of bronze. Additionally, there is evidence for the melting of shavings of bronze which are probably waste material from the finishing (general fettling and engraving) of castings. Similar material was found in a leather bag at Danebury and was also probably destined for re-melting (Northover 1991, 412). The retention of such small fragments of base-metal for re-cycling has aroused surprise amongst metallurgists more used to seeing such practices limited to jewellers workshops. However, we should not under-estimate the scarcity and consequent value of bronze during the Iron Age and it is surely incorrect to equate modern foundry practice with an Iron Age workshop.

In the majority of samples metal was present as discrete spherical prills giving a range of compositions from pure copper up to relatively high-tin bronze of around 20% tin. Middle Iron Age bronzes can contain quite high levels of tin, however amounts greater than 15% are very rare and so it would seem likely that the prills with such high levels of tin are the result of the effects of the oxidising atmosphere in the crucible (Dungworth 2000). Indeed, the effect of the crucible atmosphere is perhaps most noted on the tin prills that are usually only present as tin oxide. However, the fact that tin prills are present (Fig 6.13) together with copper

The oxidising atmosphere in the crucible, born witness too by the oxidised condition of many of the metal prills, is entirely consistent with Iron Age triangular crucibles (Northover 1991, 411). Melting was therefore probably

Table 6.1: Analyses of metal prills and droplet Sample (SF) Feature/Structure

Iron

Nickel

Copper

Arsenic

Tin

Lead

(13) 27.1, RD3

0.60

0.28

99.5