Papworth Everard Bypass Project

Between December 2005 and April 2006 the Cambridgeshire County Council Archaeological Field Unit (CAM ARC) carried out an archaeological excavation along the line of the proposed Papworth Everard Bypass. The southern end of the bypass formed a junction with the A428 at TL278/627,while the northern end joined the B1040 just to the west of Papworth at TL290/620. The work was commissioned by S. Atkins Consultants Ltd on behalf of the Department of Transport of Cambridgeshire County Council, in advance of
the construction of the bypass.
A prior evaluation of the site had lead to the identification of three main areas for excavation within the footprint of the bypass and during the course of the work a further three were also identified.
At the far south - eastern end of the excavation area a mid Bronze Age cremation cemetery was discovered. This was entirely unexpected, and being sealed by 1m+ of alluvium was entirely intact. Excavation of the area of the cemetery which fell under the footprint of the bypass revealed 39 cremations, some of which were urned. There were also a number of other features associated with the cremations, including ash dumps and post holes - within which sat the burnt remains of wooden posts.
Across the rest of the excavation area, the archaeological works revealed the remains of a substantial mid to late Iron Age field boundary system which, based on the density and location of finds, appeared to lie near to its associated settlement at the north - eastern end of the excavation area. However, the excavation did not uncover this settlement.
In addition to these field boundary features a number of seemingly isolated structural features were also identified at the southern end of the excavation area (a single huge post hole and a number of beam-slotted short linear ditches, one of which was clay lined). These sat on the top of a hill overlooking the rest of the site. The exact function of these was not clear but it is thought that they may have had some sort of ritual function.
The use of the site continued into the early Romano-British period with a number of the earlier Iron Age field boundary ditches being maintained / cleared out, as well as a few new ones being established.
Later evidence for use of the site consisted of traces of medieval ridge and furrow activity, and modern plough scars