Willingham/Over Pipeline Re-routing: Archaeological Investigations.

Abstract

Excavation in advance of a re-routed pipeline, near Over, Cambridgeshire, enabled additional sightings of parts of a Middle Bronze Age fieldsystem originally identified in advance of large scale gravel extraction immediately to the east. Located towards the junction between the River Ouse and Over Fen, the pipeline's new route also ran close to the southern Over barrow group bringing the relationship between the monuments and fieldsystem closer into view. In traversing an important wetland prehistoric landscape the pipeline also encountered some occupation evidence - consisting mainly of small postholes and pits - although the feature/finds densities were not substantial.. Surprisingly, where the pipeline ran close to a known settlement the area was found to be blank, with modern agriculture accounting for an unexpected degree of truncation. Further elements of the palaeo-topography were mapped including a previously unrecorded relict stream channel. In the vicinity of the barrow group and high within the thick alluvial cover a series of large ditches were recorded on similar alignments to the Bronze Age field ditches.