Archaeological Investigations at Must Farm, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. Phase I Extraction Area. Interim Report

Abstract

This report discusses the results of monitoring and excavation of The Phase 1 extraction area at the site of Must Farm, Whittlesea, in the Flag Fen basin, Cambridgeshire. The 5.05 hectare area being monitored revealed three raised gravel islands separated by a deeper 'wet' zone characterised by the presence of lower peat and fen clay-like horizons. The islands were delineated by the -0.50m Ordinance Datum (OD) contour and reached a maximum of 0.30m above OD. A buried soil horizon survived across most of the island tops although in places it had been 'replaced' by metalled surfaces made up of thin layers of compacted gravel. Most of the surfaces were linear and appeared to represent pathways leading off of the islands. A small burnt stone mound with an accompanying watering hole was found close to the -0.50m contour, making it the deepest 'dry-land' feature yet to be found within the Flag Fen basin. Slabs of Grooved Ware pottery were retrieved from the buried soil close to the western edge of the area along with some Late Mesolithic and later Neolithic worked flints.