Early Medieval Occupation and Related Features at Isleham Recreation Ground, Cambridgeshire

From the 21st to the 25th of May 2012 Oxford Archaeology East conducted an
archaeological evaluation at Isleham Community Centre and recreation ground, Mill
Street, Isleham (TL 6425 7403) in advance of the development of a new community
centre with associated services and parking.
Seven trenches were excavated totalling 147m in length. Two areas of occupation
were uncovered dating to the early medieval period whilst a third may relate to
medieval clunch processing. Occupation located to the south-west of the proposed
development area consisted of a high density of features including postholes, pits
and ditches. These features appear to have been bounded to the east and north by
a ditched enclosure. Occupation identified to the east of the site consisted of a pit
containing an articulated cow burial as well as eleven postholes indicative of houses
or briars. These features were bounded to the west by a large ditch. A third area of
activity to south of the development area, evidenced by a substantial chalk filled
feature, may be evidence of clunch working in the medieval period.
The site may have been part of a small holding with a primarily pastoral economy in
the early medieval period. Environmental evidence suggests fish and grain was
brought in to the site whilst the cow burial indicates the that livestock was kept on
the site. This small holding may have been closely related to the priory and a lack
of Ely ware ceramics suggests that this site went out of use around the time that the
monks were moved to Linton. Clunch working may have continued on the site until
the late medieval period with a sherd of Cistercian ware pottery from this area being
the latest recovered from this evaluation.