Roman Industrial Activity at Norman Way Industrial Estate, Over, Cambridgeshire

Archaeological excavation uncovered relatively dense Roman remains in the north part of the site. The earliest phase consisted of a number of boundary ditches and pits that were presumably related to agricultural activity associated with an adjacent settlement. This was quickly followed by a phase of industrial activity located to the southwest of the ditches, represented by a small cluster of pits that contained charcoal-rich fills and slag indicative of metalworking in the vicinity. Following this, a large sub-rectangular watering hole was dug, the fills of which also contained slag and daub. The most intensive phase of activity included another watering hole, a number of large intercutting sub-circular pits and a possible corn drier, all of which contained large amounts of crop processing waste. The latter may be evidence of crop processing being undertaken by the local population on behalf of the Roman authorities.