Bishop’s Stortford North, Secondary School, Hertfordshire: PXA

Between 12th October and 18th December 2020 Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological excavation on land north of the A120, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire. A total of 2.65ha in two separate areas (Areas 1 and 2) was machine stripped to investigate areas of interest identified in the earlier evaluation phase of the investigation.
Early land-use was evident from residual Neolithic/BA flints and Late Bronze Age/Early Iron and Middle Iron Age pottery in several later features. One Middle Iron Age pit was identified in Area 1. The main periods of activity identified in Area 1 dated to the transitional Late Iron Age to Roman and later Roman periods. This activity consisted of multiple Late Iron Age to Roman ditched enclosures which commenced with a sub-circular example in the west of Area 1 with a series of rectangular enclosures added to its north-east and eastern side. Internal ditches and pits primarily lay within the sub-circular enclosure which also contained a post-built structure in its south-western corner. A well or small waterhole was revealed in the largest rectangular enclosure.
Later Roman activity (2nd century onwards) included larger waterholes on the northern and southern edges of the rectangular enclosures to the east which truncated the earlier ditches. Large spreads of midden material, a small rectangular enclosure and a poorly preserved 4th century burial also belong to this period.
Area 2 contained six post-medieval ditches and three pits. A very large feature, possibly representing a watering hole, extended across most of this area.
Artefactual evidence included a large assemblage of Late Iron Age to Roman pottery with smaller quantities of earlier and post-medieval material. Fragments of Iron Age loom weights, Roman quern, spindle-whorls, animal bone and tile were also recovered. Metalwork included three 1st century copper-alloy brooches, two copper-alloy coins and iron nails.