The Archaeology of the Papworth Everard Southwest Quadrant: A Desktop Assessment

Abstract

The archaeological potential for the Southwest Quadrant can be considered as three chronological groups. (i) Prehistoric: Despite what might have been presumed about earlier prehistoric activity on the clay Janes' observations in the 1940s do suggest that an element of this early period has survived. It is unlikely, however, that settlement features would be found. Any evidence is more probably to be in the form of finds scatters. (ii) Iron Age/Romano British: The 1996 aerial photography survey shows a substantial complex of ditches and pits in the northern part of the Southwest Quadrant. Few of these recently discovered sites have yet been explored and none in this immediate vicinity. Given comparison to similar sites formerly protected below ridge and furrow, survival may well be good. (iii) Medieval: The northwestern part of the quadrant has a high likelihood of surviving remains spanning the period between, tentatively, the late Saxon/ early medieval and the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The "mill" mound, road and house sites should all be recoverable to one degree or another.