Fordham Primary School, Isleham Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire: PXA and UPD

Between the 26th April and 13th May 2016 Oxford Archaeology East carried out an Archaeological Excavation at Fordham Primary School, Fordham Cambridgeshire. The excavation covered a total area of 740 square metres
The excavation revealed activity of Late Saxon to post medieval/modern date. Late Saxon activity was represented by boundary ditches, which had also been found during an earlier excavation (Connor 2000) and implies a planned landscape. A Sunken Featured Building and associated pits and post holes together with evidence for mixed livestock farming were key features of this period.
Evidence for similar activity continued into the early medieval period when the presence of small scale metal working together with an assemblage of knives suggests some specialist craft working was also taking place on the site. Features of medieval date included post holes and pits.
The later medieval features consisted largely of pits, but of interest was an annular ditch that may have functioned as an animal pen or hayrick. Additionally a change was noted from the mixed livestock base of earlier periods to an apparently more specialised farming regime based largely on cattle.