The Waste Management Park, Waterbeach, Cambridge. The Hammerhead: An Archaeological Excavation.

Abstract

An archaeological excavation was undertaken by Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) at the Waste Management Park, Waterbeach, Cambridge (TL 486 688). in advance of the construction of a hammerhead turning area for emergency vehicles, associated with the new Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant at the site. Excavations revealed relatively dense Romano-British remains comprising a rich midden deposit, the postholes of an aisled building and elements of a series of enclosure ditches. The features, particularly the midden deposit, produced a rich finds assemblage including over 3000 sherds of Roman pottery and 55 Roman coins, which suggest a 2nd-4th century AD date for the remains. The work is a continuation of a long running fieldwork programme on the Waste Management Park site and many of the features exposed relate directly to archaeological remains recorded during the excavation of an adjacent site in 2007. The site is located within an apparently densely settled Romano-British landscape - as indicated by extensive cropmarks - and is located in close proximity to a probable temple site to the north-east.