Ab
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Northamptonshire Archaeology
Archaeological Fieldwalking
Brooklands East
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
January 2005
Michael Webster
February 2005
Report 05/027
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Northamptonshire Archaeology 2 Bolton House
Wootton Hall Park Northampton NN4 8BE
w. www.northantsarchaeology.co.uk t. 01604 700493/4
f. 01604 702822
e. sparry@northamptonshire.gov.uk
STAFF
Project Manager Adam Yates BA AIFA
Text Michael Webster
Fieldwork Jenny Jackson BA, Chris Jones, Jackie Robertson BA MPhil, Rob
Smith, Michael Webster
Flint Alex Thorne BSc
Ceramics Iain Soden BA
Illustrations Jacqueline Harding BA HND
QUALITY CONTROL
Print name Signed Date
Checked by
MARK HOLMES
Verified by
PAT CHAPMAN
Approved by
ANDY CHAPMAN
OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS Project name
Milton Keynes, Brooklands
Short description (250 words maximum)
Fieldwalking survey detected a concentration of flint tools possibly suggesting occupation at the eastern end of the development area. Elsewhere a general background level of activity was attested by low levels of finds dating from the early prehistoric to the 19th century.
Project type
(eg DBA, evaluation etc)
Fieldwalking
Site status
(none, NT, SAM etc)
None
Previous work (SMR numbers etc)
Current Land use Arable, pasture, woodland
Future work
(yes, no, unknown) unknown
Monument type/ period
Significant finds (artefact type and period)
Flint scatter dating from Neolithic/early Bronze Age.
PROJECT LOCATION County
Buckinghamshire
Site address (including postcode)
Brooklands, Milton Keynes
Study area (sq.m or ha)
35ha
OS Easting & Northing (use grid sq. numbers)
490700 239700
Height OD
65m aOD
PROJECT CREATORS Organisation
Northamptonshire Archaeology
Project brief originator
Project Design originator
Director/Supervisor Michael Webster
Project Manager Adam Yates
Sponsor or funding body John Samuels Archaeological Consultants
PROJECT DATE Start date 24/01/05
End date 11/01/05
ARCHIVES Location (Accession no.) Content (eg pottery, animal bone etc)
Physical
Paper
Digital
BIBLIOGRAPHY Journal/monograph, published or forthcoming, or unpublished client report (NA report)
Title
Serial title & volume
Author(s)
Page numbers
Date
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY 2
3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2
4 AIMS AND METHODOLOGY 3
5 RESULTS 3
6 DISCUSSION 8
BIBLIOGRAPHY 8
Tables
Table 1: Summary of finds .................................................................................................... 4
Table 2: Summary of flint assemblage ................................................................................. 5
Table 3: Summary of pottery assemblage ........................................................................... 7
Figures
Fig 1: Site location
Fig 2: Distribution of finds (Fields 1 and 2)
Fig 3: Distribution of finds (Fields 7 and 8)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWALKING
BROOKLANDS EAST
MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
JANUARY 2005
Abstract
Northamptonshire Archaeology was commissioned by John Samuels Archaeological Consultants to undertake a fieldwalking survey of land at Brooklands East, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The survey detected a scatter of flint tools at the east end of the development area, possibly suggesting occupation. Elsewhere an unexceptional general background level of activity was attested by low levels of finds dating from the early prehistoric to the 19th century.
1 INTRODUCTION
Northamptonshire Archaeology was commissioned by John Samuels Archaeological Consultants to undertake a fieldwalking survey of land at Brooklands, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (centred on NGR SP 907 397; Fig 1). Previous work undertaken on the site includes desk-based assessment (JSAC 2004), and a geophysical survey is currently being undertaken. The main objective of the project was to identify any areas of archaeological potential.
The proposed development area (PDA) comprises 18 fields occupying 155ha, situated on
the eastern flank of Milton Keynes. They lie within the parishes of Broughton, Moulsoe and Wavendon. The site is roughly triangular in shape and is bordered to the south-west by the A5130, and to the north-east by the M1 motorway. Agricultural land, open air HGV storage and a trade fair exhibition area lie beyond the southern site boundary, which is formed by a stream. Two minor roads cross the site; the first is a byway which links to footpaths and bridleways north of the M1; the second lies approximately 400m inside the southern boundary of the site and leads to the village of Salford.
Initial inspection showed that 9 fields had been planted with arable crop and had the potential to be fieldwalked. Closer inspection revealed that only 4 retained sufficient space
between crop growth to make field walking practicable (Fields 1, 2, 7 and 8); these totalled 35ha in area.
2 GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY
The PDA straddles the parishes of Broughton, Moulsoe and Wavendon. The site slopes gently from the south-east (c.69m OD) to the north-west (c.60m OD) with a steeper slope towards the southern boundary of the site; a stream which is a tributary of the River Ouzel. Another tributary lies 200m within the north-western site boundary. Land use comprises a mixed planting regime of arable and broad leaf crops with areas of pasture and mixed woodland.
The soils are of calcareous clays of the Evesham 3 Association, overlying Jurassic and Cretaceous clays. South of Salford Road the soil type changes to loams of the Bishampton 2 association, over till and glaciofluvial drift. Clay soils of the Fladbury 1 association, over river alluvium, are associated with the northern tributary stream referred to above (SSEW 1983, JASC 2004).
3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
A desk-based assessment of the site been undertaken (JSAC 2004). In the vicinity of the site, the assessment identified areas of prehistoric activity from the Mesolithic onwards as well as Roman activity to the south at Broughton Manor. Prehistoric funerary and Roman occupation have been identified at Broughton Barn Quarry to the north of the PDA. The assessment concluded that the site has a medium to high potential for prehistoric and Roman remains. The potential for Anglo-Saxon remains would be low and that any medieval activity would be in the form of open field systems, although there may be evidence of extended settlement remains of the village of Broughton, to the north of the existing settlement.
There are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments, listed buildings, registered parks and gardens, historic battlefields or Conservation Areas within the PDA.
4 AIMS AND METHODOLOGY
The overall objectives of the archaeological investigation were to enable an assessment of the potential and significance of the present remains on the site and to locate any further archaeological remains. The fieldwalking component sought to provide information regarding the extent, distribution and character of any archaeological surface remains across the proposed development area.
Fieldwalking was undertaken on the available 35ha between 24-28 January 2005. The survey was undertaken by walking systematically along parallel transects spaced every 20m, with surface finds collected from a corridor extending about 1m to each side of the transect line. The overall sample of the surface area was thus about 10%. The finds from each transect were allocated to 20m stints and plotted accordingly.
All pre-20th century artefacts were collected. Standard Northamptonshire Archaeology Fieldwalking Record Sheets were used. These include weighting factors such as ground surface visibility and weather conditions.
Transect locations were surveyed in the field from the field boundaries using an optical square, tapes and ranging poles. The distribution of each category of finds was mapped at a scale of 1:2000 and analysed to identify meaningful concentrations.
5 RESULTS
5.1 Summary
Twenty transects were walked in Field 1; ten in Field 2; twenty-one in Field 7; and twenty- seven in Field 8. The distributions of finds collected are shown in Figures 2 and 3.
All the fields had been ploughed and contained a crop which was up to 0.1m tall and densely set in parts of the fields. The survey was undertaken in good light and mixed dry and damp weather conditions. There was no surface water but previous rain and weathering had formed a covering of fine silts.
The topsoil in all fields was a dark grey/brown clay sandy loam. A dense scatter of complete and shattered flint nodules was present towards the south end of Field 8. This concentration formed at the top of a steep escarpment which descended to the stream which formed the southern boundary of the field. The other fields contained a sparse scatter of
flints. The pottery distribution showed no significant concentrations and may be the result of manure scatters.
The results of the fieldwalking are summarised in Table 1. Distribution is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Table 1: Summary of finds
Field Flint Pottery CBM Metal
Prehistoric Roman Saxon Medieval Post-med
1 7 0 0 0 2 3 1
2 5 0 0 0 0 3
7 9 0 0 0 0 1
8 34 0 1 0 5 2 1
Total 55 0 1 0 7 9 2
5.2 The Flint
by Alex Thorne
A total of fifty five pieces of worked flint were recovered. A general scatter was recovered from Fields 1, 2 and 7, but there was a clear concentration in Field 8. The composition of the assemblage is summarised in Table 2.
Occasionally it was difficult to ascertain whether edge damage was a result of post- deposition damage, or whether it was a direct result of utilisation and or deliberate retouch. If the identification of edge wear and or retouched was judged as possibly being original it was included in the totals, but it may be that items in these categories are thus slightly over- represented.
Table 2: Summary of flint assemblage
Category of flint
Field 1
Field 2
Field 7
Field 8
Total
Scrapers
2
0
0
7
9
Cores
1
0
1
3
5
Hammer stone
0
0
0
1*
1
Notched flakes /blades
0
0
1
2
3
Miscellaneous retouched
1
2
4
9
16
Utilised flakes
0
0
1
1
2
Utilised blades
1
0
1
2
4
Waste flakes
1
0
0
5
6
Waste blades
0
0
0
1
1
Burnt: worked
0
2
0
2
4
Burnt: un-worked
0
0
1
0
1
Shattered pieces
1
0
0
1
2
Misc. rolled flint: Palaeolithic
0
1
0
0
1
Total
7
5
9
34
55
*an outworked core was used as a hammerstone
The flint was largely part of a single assemblage, which probably dates to. the later Neolithic/early Bronze Age. The majority of the whole flint assemblage comprised tools (66%), with limited debitage (25%) mainly represented by cores. The remainder of the assemblage (9%) comprised burnt flint, most of which had been worked prior to burning. The nature of the debitage with largely irregular flakes supports a later date; earlier assemblages tend to contain more regularly-shaped flakes and blades, which were detached from carefully prepared cores. The predominance of hard-hammer struck pieces also suggests a later prehistoric date. Most cores were simply naturally broken nodules with flakes removed unsystematically, and which had potential for further working. There were
no core-rejuvenation flakes. Although smaller pieces of debitage are largely absent from the assemblage, this may in part be due to the general lack of specific tool manufacture as other signs of flint working, such as shattered pieces, are certainly present.
Diagnostic later Neolithic/early Bronze Age pieces such as small thumbnail scrapers and fabricators were absent from the assemblage. With the exception of one neatly worked end scraper, the few scrapers present were mostly clumsy, with little or poor retouch present, which again is suggestive of later prehistoric manufacture. Three examples of scrapers showed other retouch: One of these may instead have been intended as a knife, and is categorised under miscellaneous retouched tools. Several of the retouched tools (mainly knives), showed either additional notching and/or signs of utilisation. There were a further three pieces which have only been notched. Other specific tool types were few; these mainly comprise utilised flakes, the sharp edges of which had been used for cutting in an ad hoc manner, then discarded.
The character of the tools suggests that there were domestic activities taking place on site, scraping animal hides, cutting and trimming animal and vegetable matter, and some flint working. There was a limited amount of burnt flint present which was probably accidentally burnt in domestic fires.
There was a small quantity of earlier material present, probably later Mesolithic/early Neolithic in date. These included a neatly made retouched and notched knife blade from Field 2, two utilised blade fragments, and a waste flake from Field 8. These were differentially patinated to a blue/grey colour. A single neatly worked core, which had then been re-used as a hammer stone, was of a different character to others in the assemblage, although it lacks the distinctive patination, and it may be earlier.
There was a single flake of possible Palaeolithic date from Field 2. One side of a thick flake had been retouched. The piece is thickly patinated to an ochrenous colour and had suffered later frost damage; the damaged areas lacking patina.
There were two main types of raw material used, chalk-land flint and gravel. The chalk
land flint was dark grey brown or black flint with thin to thick creamy coloured grainy cortex, which was quite weathered. The gravel nodules used were ochrenous (yellowish brown or a reddish-brown coloured flint), with rounded surfaces sometimes heavily percussed, probably as a result of water rather than glacial action. Other examples of gravel nodules had thin and brown, grainy or buff cortex and probably derived from glacial clays. A few pieces exhibited frost damage or were pot-lidded flakes.
A catalogue of the flint is retained in archive.
5.3 The Pottery
by Iain Soden
Seventeen sherds of pottery and two of probable tile were recovered. Many were water- damaged and abraded by the weather. Most were body sherds and the few form-sherds which were diagnostic betoken ordinary domestic vessels. The date range was wide. Not counting a single anomalous Roman sherd, the assemblage suggested loss between the 12th and 19th centuries and all was probably the result of occasional losses which were transferred to the fields with manuring. The small numbers do not allow for systematic or sustained manuring from any particular source. The pottery occurrence by number and weight of sherds by fabric type is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Summary of pottery assemblage
Red E�wares Black-glaze Slipware
Field Transit No Wt (g) No Wt (g) No Wt (g)
2 5 1 6 0 0 0 0
2 5 1 51 0 0 0 0
2 8 1 27 0 0 0 0
1 14 0 0 0 0 1 17
1 14 1 110 0 0 1 7
1 15 0 0 1 58 0 0
1 15 1 5 0 0 0 0
Totals 5 99 1 58 2 24
6 DISCUSSION
6.1 Early prehistoric
Isolated findspots showed activity in the area in the early prehistoric, including one flake of possible Palaeolithic date. Also present were Mesolithic pieces, although no concentrations indicating specific sites were apparent.
6.2 Later prehistoric
The fieldwalking survey has identified a concentration of flints towards the eastern end of the development area. This suggests domestic activity dating to the later Neolithic or early Bronze Age was taking place.
6.3 Roman
A single sherd of Roman pottery was recovered. No conclusions can be drawn from this limited evidence.
6.4 Anglo-Saxon
No evidence for Anglo-Saxon activity was recovered.
6.5 Medieval and post-medieval
The survey has detected a general level of background activity deriving from manuring in the medieval and post-medieval periods.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JSAC, 2004 An Desk-based Assessment of Strategic Reserve Land, Eastern Expansion Area, Milton Keynes, John Samuels Archaeological Consultants
SSEW, 1983 Soils of England and Wales, Sheet 3, Midland and Western England, Soil Survey of England and Wales, Harpenden
Northamptonshire Archaeology
a service of Northamptonshire County Council 11th February 2005
Northampton
Milton Keynes Bedford
Milton Keynes
Buckingham
900 910 920
410
Field 1
Field 2 Field 3 Field 4 M1
400
Broughton
Field 5
Field 6
Field 7
Milton Keynes Field 8 Field 9
390
Development Area
Fields walked
� Crown copyright. All rights reserved Northamptonshire County Council: Licence No. 100019331. Published 2005. Fields not walked
892 894 896 898 900
C
406
#
Field 1
M1
B F
F
F
F
404
Field 2
B
#
Key
Romano-British Pottery
Medieval Pottery
Post-Medieval Pottery Tile
# Flint
F C S Core
Scraper
F
B F Blade Flake
W Waste
H Hammer stone
This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office � Crown copyright. Unauthorised N # Natural Burnt/Shattered
reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Northamptonshire County Council: Licence No. 100019331. Published 2005. /Firecracked
910 912 914
398
M1
Field 7
N F
396
F
F #
F
F F
B
S
C W
394
Field 8
C
# #
F C
W
S
F
W F
W
B B
S C
B 392
S F
B
C
# S
F
F
# H
F
B S F
S
Key
Scale 1:2500 Romano-British Pottery Medieval Pottery Post-Medieval Pottery Tile W #
Flint
390
C S Core
Scraper
B F Blade Flake
W Waste
H Hammer stone
N# Natural Burnt/Shattered This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office � Crown copyright. Unauthorised
Fig. 3 /Firecracked reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Northamptonshire County Council: Licence No. 100019331. Published 2005.