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Figure 98 Plate 35: Structure 8541 at Healam West The land to the north of the post-built structure (8541) had been subject to successive stages of enclosure that were broadly contemporary with the life of the building. A number of recut gullies (8357, 8453, 8499, 8520, and 8521) were identified in this area running both parallel and perpendicular to the structure; however, the overall layout of the enclosures was impossible to ascertain due to the limited area excavated.

Related Figures (265)

Figure 1: Location of the motorway scheme within northern England

Figure 3: Solid geology (www.mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain)

Figure 4: Drift geology (www.mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain)

Figure 12: Archaeological features around Rainton Common Geophysical survey of the western edge of Field 8 identified a linear feature running from north-east to south-west, and a second apparently running from it to the east-southeast. The first feature has subsequently been plotted from aerial photographs continuing to the south-west over a distance of some 400m (Fig. 12) and can be seen to form part of a much broader landscape of widely-spaced parallel linear land-divisions, presumably a field-system pre-dating the laying-out of Dere Street which appeared to cut across it (Deegan 2013). Some elements of features running at right angles to Dere Street have also been recorded (Deegan /oc. cit.; Deegan 2004) and this complex extends across the whole of Rainton Common and the northern end of Hutton Moor. One of the main north-east to south-west aligned features (Fig. 12) corresponds with the known Hutton Moor pit alignment (previously recorded between SE 351 743 and SE 358 751) revealed clearly in aerial photography taken during the drought of 1976 (Riley 1977, 29; MNY 34985). That part, or all, of the complex consists of lines of pits rather than continuous ditches suggests an Iron Age date for the whole field system, although a similar pit-alignment enclosure complex at Milfield in Northumberland has

Figure 13: Location plan for Quernhow and Sinderby, Fields 42 to 47 A discrete scatter of seven postholes (1255, 1269, 1281, 1283, 1287, 1289 and 1291) was located towards the western end of the area examined in Field 47 (Figs. 14 and 15). These postholes were all of remarkably consistent size, 0.20-0.22m in diameter, except 1269 which was 0.25m in diameter, and vertical sided. They had varying surviving depths of 0.06-0.20m and were mainly filled with mid greyish brown silty sand without any evidence for packing stones. The exception was the fill (1254) of posthole 1255 which was a black silty sand and contained charcoal.

Plate 1: Curvilinear gully 1251 at Sinderby Lane, Field 47 The northern posthole of this group (1 269) had been cut by a ring gully, 1251 (Fig. 15, section B). This was 17.5m long (centreline) and curved to describe a semi- circle, open to the south and with an external diameter of some 11.5m (Plate 1). The gully was typically 0.85m wide and had a surviving average de Half of the feature was excavated, in pth of 0.22m. five segments, and was shown to contain a single fill of mid greyish- brown silty sand containing occasional small stones. No datable finds were recovered from this deposit. The fill was sampled at four locations which p roduced small numbers of charred barley (Hordeum sp.) grains as well as some unidentifiable cereal grains and seeds from a variety of weeds. A sample of the carbonised barley grains provided an Iron Age radiocarbon date of 377-182 cal BC (SUERC-39587) (Table 1).

Table 1: lron Age calibrated radiocarbon dates (see Table 95 for uncalibrated data)

igure 14: Plan of archaeological features at Sinderby Lane

Figure 16: Section of archaeological features at Sinderby Lane (located on Fig. 14)

Figure 17: Location plan, Roxby House The relationship between gully/small ditch 1292 and pit 1294 at Sinderby Lane indicates that the gully, and presumably also the similar parallel feature 1298, formed part of a probable Iron Age or Romano-British trackway. The slight nature of the features contrasted with their extent; however, previous work at Scorton Quarry some 21km to the north has recorded a network of similarly slight features defining an extensive system of large Geophysical survey undertaken across parts of this area at the eastern side of the Al in 1994 and 2005-6 identified fragmentary linear anomalies orientated at approximately 45 degrees to the alignment of the A1/ Roman Dere Street and the medieval and modern field systems (Fig. 17), and perhaps representing remnants of an agricultural landscape pre-dating the Roman road. Aerial photographic plotting (Deegan 2013) has revealed that complexes of features including field systems, smaller (presumably settlement) enclosures and trackways lie to both the west and east of the A1 corridor in this area, and many of these features also lie on a similar alignment at an angle to the Roman road. In the area around Whinney Hill (Field 57) on the western side of the A1 lies a complex of smaller curvilinear enclosure-

Figure 18: Plan of archaeological features at Roxby House, Field 53

Figure 19: Archaeological features in Field 58

Plate 2: Ditch 652, Field 58, facing north natural. Ditch 652, observed over a length of 2.4m, was more than 1.5m wide (the top of the inner north-western side lay beyond the trench at this point) and 0.4-0.5m deep (Plate 2). It had a flat-based V-shaped profile, the outer side being markedly steeper than the inner side. It had a primary fill, 651, running down the north-western (inner) side of the cut which was up to 0.2m thick and consisted of mid brown clayey sand, cobbles and smaller stones. Some flecks of charcoal were noted and the deposit produced three flints, one of which was un- worked. The other two pieces refitted to form a single piece of debitage of a character suggesting a later Bronze

Figure 20: Possible lron Age features at Healam Bridge

Figure 22: Plan of archaeological features at Exelby Lane, Leeming (sections are to be found on Fig. 23) The features comprised seven ditches, including one (ditch group 4218) that had been recut on at least four occasions, and ten pits all laid-out with a general south- west to north-east alignment. The quantity of industrial waste recovered from the features increased to the north-

Figure 23: Sections of archaeological features in Field 107 (located on Fig. 22

Figure 26: Healam Bridge geophysical survey (after GSE 1993; 1994a; Hale 2005; 2009) Figure 27: Healam Bridge geophysical survey interpretation

Figure 31: Principal north-south sections at Healam North (located on Fig. 29) Sub-phase 1a — Trajanic/Hadrianic-early Antonine (AD 98-161) (Fig. 32) The sequence of deposits suggested that the area had been subject to periodic flooding and that the stream channel had changed its position on numerous occasions. Taken together, the evidence suggested that during the Roman period Healam Beck was much wider than today and was flanked by a wide zone of marshy ground. An earlier evaluation trench (Trench EE8, Speed 2006a) lay between the southern limit of the area of excavation in Field 63 and the northern bank of Healam Beck. The only features identified were palaeochannels of the beck, suggesting considerable post-Roman re- working of this area by the stream. The pottery recovered from the stratified features constituting Phase 1a in the area adjacent to the beck revealed that the settlement began here during the Hadrianic period. A scatter of Flavian-Trajanic pottery sherds indicated limited activity in the early 2nd or late 1st century AD but these finds may represent curated items and therefore pre-date the settlement activity at the site. The pottery types present throughout Phase 1 indicate a higher degree of ‘Romanised’ behaviour in comparison with types recovered from Phases 2 and 3. This is characterised by a greater quantity of fine dining wares and amphora indicating that goods were being imported to the site. It also includes a small number of finds of a military nature which were recovered from the features within Phase 1a. These comprised a copper alloy dumb-bell fastener from a stone spread (section 11.4 no.8, RF 534; 7896) and a conical iron spear ferrule (section 11.3 no.2, RF 1125; 7816) from the fill of one of the postholes forming structure 7968. A sequence of Roman period occupation deposits up to 1.5m deep was encountered on the slope above the beck for a distance of up to 80m (Plate 4). Within this sequence, there was evidence of a series of buildings, large ditches and a rectangular enclosure. Two of the buildings had cobbled floor surfaces (5009 and 7951) and four were post-built structures (5129, 5695, 6949 and 7968). Four further rectangular stone spreads may also represent the foundations of less substantial structures. The sequence has been divided into three main phases based on stratigraphic and dating evidence.

Plate 3: Organic silt deposits at Healam North, facing east

Plate 4: Healam North overview, facing north

Plate 5: Mule skeleton 7613 at Healam North The occupation deposits were overlain by an extensive clay surface (5289), which probably represented a formalised floor surface post-dating the initial period of occupation. The clay was fired pink/red

Figure 33: Hardstanding 7607, Phase 1b at Healam North

Figure 35: Overview of Phase 1b at Healam North

Plate 6: Structure 7951 at Healam North, facing south-west The layer of hard-standing (7607; described above) was overlain by a more formalised stone yard surface (7404), which was contemporary with the floor surface for the building (7152) described above. It extended 8m from the southern edge of the building towards the beck with an average width of 3m and traces of it were evident around the south-eastern corner of the building indicating that it may have been more extensive. A number of finds associated with the domestic occupation of the structure were recovered from small deposits of sand, burnt material and truncated patches of metalled

Plate 7: Structure 6949 at Healam North, facing east

alloy coins; one of Mark Anthony (RF 364; 32-31 BC) and one of Hadrian (RF 504; AD 119-21), an iron vessel escutcheon (section 11.13 no.3, RF 1096), and pottery which dated predominantly to the 2nd century AD. particularly sedges (Cyperaceae) and predominantly from a wetland environment with a small quantity of charred cereal grains. The spread may have represented either a floor covering of wild plants and grasses collected from the surrounding area or roofing material which had been accidentally burnt along with the building.

Immediately to the north of structure 6949, a juvenile inhumation burial (7303; Plate 8) was identified. The remains were oriented from east to west and were supine extended with the right arm flexed over the chest and the left arm resting on the lower ribs; the front of the skull was displaced to the left, probably post-depositionally. Eight iron nails were found around the remains suggesting that they had been interred within a coffin, which was corroborated by the large rectangular grave-cut. All of the nails had traces of mineralised wood attached to them and analysis of these revealed that the coffin was made of oak (Section 11.9). have been redeposited within building 6949 when the postholes were initially excavated through the remains of the earlier building. This may also account for a silver coin of Domitian (RF 315; AD 77-78) and a large quantity of early Antonine coarse ware pottery recovered from the same deposit. The number of burnt pottery sherds recovered from this phase was much higher than that recovered from the previous phase. Although it is possible that some of the burnt material recovered from spread 5596 was residual from the earlier structure, the marked increase in the incidence of burnt wares during this phase would indicate that structure 6949 had also been burnt down. In particular, the presence of a large quantity of burnt samian suggests that the pottery was being stored within the building, possibly for repair (Monteil, Section 10.3).

Structure 5009 comprised a primary cobbled floor surface (5224; not illustrated) which was only evident on the lower ground to the south of drain 5441 but may have originally continued to the north over stone foundation 5399. The cobbled surface had slumped in some places and had been repaired and overlain by further patches of cobbles and metalling (5222/5269, 5223, 5225, 5226, and 5268; not illustrated). These patches occurred in the area bounded by the post-pads and may represent periodic repairs to an internal floor surface. Finds recovered from these deposits included a staple and three sherds of pottery, dating to between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD and including a stamped fragment of a mortarium. The series of cobbled surfaces described above had been identified in a previous evaluation trench (Trench N, Wright 1995a). During the evaluation parts of the surfaces were exposed but were not further investigated.

Plate 9: Structure 5009 at Healam North, facing north To the immediate west of the re-surfaced yard a contemporary timber building (5129) was constructed which also truncated the alluvial deposit. It was a relatively small rectangular structure, measuring c.8.5m from east

Figure 40: Phase 1 at Healam North, northern area (north)

Figure 41: Phase 1 at Healam North, northern area (central)

the later elements of the western roadside ditch (during or after the mid-2nd century AD). Ditch 7954 had been excavated no earlier than the Hadrianic period, as it had cut pit 7206 toward its southern end, which had become infilled after this time.

Figure 43: Section through Roman road at Healam North (located on Fig. 40)

Plate 12: Skeleton 7275, Healam North, northern area

Plate 13: Skeleton 5243, Healam North, northern area

Table 2: Healam Roman and early medieval inhumation burial calibrated radiocarbon dates (see Table 95 for uncalibrated data)

Plate 14: Structures 5728a and b, with structure 5729 beyond, at Healam North, northern area, facing north-west

Plate 15: Structure 5729 with later Phase 3 burnt pit 7448 and corn-drying kiln 7405, at Healam North, northern area

Plate 16: Ditch 7205 during excavation, with structure 5729 beyond, at Healam North, northern area, facing we

Plate 17: Structure 7252 at Healam North, northern area

Plate 18: Revetment 7959 at Healam North, facing north: east noted in the base of five postholes and a further two post- pads (5440 and 5919) were evident at surface level. No postholes were identified along the eastern end of the building suggesting that it was open (but perhaps with an enclosed section at the western end). This suggests that it was an agricultural building with the eastern end, facing away from the presumed course of the road, open to the fields beyond. Finds recovered from the fills of the postholes included a glass vessel sherd (section 11.12, RF 274), iron nails, and pottery which included Crambeck grey ware and calcite-gritted ware sherds of the late 3rd or 4th century, and a sherd from a Huntcliff type jar dating from c.AD 360. Although these sherds could have got into the posthole fills after the posts were removed or decayed, they do imply the building was in use not much earlier than the 4th century (Section 10.2).

Ditch 5151/5311 was recut by a series of ditches (5085, 5562, 5259/6724, 5689/6919, 6715, 7054, 7958, 7960, 7961, and 7962), which formed the enclosure (5007) to the south. The earliest of these ditches (7962) was also seen to continue further to the south of the enclosed area (flanking the suggested line of Dere Street) and contained a large collection of 4th century pottery in the primary and upper fill including Crambeck grey ware, Huntcliff type jars, and late Nene Valley colour -coated vessels (Section 10.2). resulted in the re-deposition of earlier artefacts. This would account for the anomalously un-abraded and large sherds of Antonine pottery from some of the ditch fills (Section 10.2). It may also indicate the origin for a fragment of copper alloy binding (Section 11.11 no.10, RF 1092). Similarly, finds of a domestic nature such as a toilet implement (Section 11.2 no.67, RF 251), a copper alloy armlet (Section 11.2 no.50, RF 305), and an iron knife blade (Section 11.8 no.10, RF 333) from the fills of these ditches may have initially been deposited in or around structure 7951 (Phase 1b) and subsequently found their way into the ditches via the midden (5042/5237). Evidence for redeposition is also found in joining pottery sherds from earlier phases. A sherd of samian, which was burnt and repaired and had a large X type graffiti on its surface, joined with a sherd from spread 5596, structure 6949; Phase 1c (Monteil, section 10.3) and part of an Antonine period rilled beaker was also found in building 5129, Phase 1d (Leary, section 10.2).

Huntcliff jar of the late third or first half of the 4th century and the ditch also contained residual 2nd century AD pottery (Section 10.2), an iron ring, and a glass vessel sherd (Section 11.12, RF 803).

Two layers of silty material with a high content of fired clay (5632 and 5633) were identified to the immediate north and north-east of kiln 5330 and seemed to result from the demolition or collapse of the superstructure. Finds recovered from these deposits included sherds of calcite-gritted ware jars and Crambeck ware indicating a date in the late 4th century AD. A small pit (5590) was also encountered to the immediate north of the kiln which contained 35 sherds of a narrow necked jar of a type most common during the 2nd and 3rd century AD (Plate 20). It appeared that the jar had been intentionally placed within the pit and may have been a quenching pot. Figure 48: Kiln 5330, Phase 3c at Healam North

Plate 20: Quenching-pot RF309 within pit 5590 at Healam North Within the area partially enclosed by ditch (5554/7987) three large pits were identified (5029, 5662 and 5881). All three of the pits were back-filled with dark brown silty clay and a large quantity of animal bone, fired clay, pottery sherds, and nails indicated that they were ultimately used as refuse pits. Although the pits were all cut from the same level, only pit 5881 could be securely dated to the late 4th century on the basis of the

Figure 49 and Plate 21: Phase 3d at Healam North with Pit 5296, showing cobble lining and quernstone in base The other fence-line (5332) was identified converging with fence 5133 and comprised five postholes (5250, 5327, 5340, 5353, and 5371), also with a linking beam- slot (5332). Most of the components of this feature were devoid of finds and it was dated to the late 3rd century AD or later on the basis of eight sherds of pottery from the fill of just one of the postholes (5131). A further period of relative inactivity on the southern part of Field 63 was attested to by the accumulation of a second extensive midden deposit (5002) which overlay the features described above (Phase 3c). It covered an area of c.50m by 50m and had an average depth of 0.1m. The presence of the midden showed t hat there was still occupation at Healam Bridge towards the very end of the 4th century A D but that the area of settlement had contracted significantly. The datable pottery recovered from the midden material dating comprised a high level of residual predominantly from the Hadrianic- Antonine period, but the presence of Huntcliff jar sherds and Crambeck gre deposition date a such as an adze (Section 11.8 no.1, and agricultural activity at Healam ongoing industria during this period (Section 11.2 nos. 289), a spoon pro y wares and mortaria ter AD 370. A num gave an optimum ber of iron finds, , whereas four copp be (Section 11.2 no. RF 182), attest to er alloy brooches 1, 3, 23, 26, RFs 128, 351, 118, and 78, RF 171), and a stylus (Section 11.6 no.1, RF 270), among other finds, suggest continuing domestic occupation in the vicinity,

Plate 22: Skeleton 5016 at Healam North, showing nailed footware and equid bone lying across pelvis

Figure 50: Phase 3 at Healam North, northern area (north)

Plate 23: Structure 9189 at Healam North, northern area

Figure 52: Phase 3 at Healam North, northern area (south)

Table 3: Healam Roman cremation burials calibrated radiocarbon dates (see Table 95 for uncalibrated data The corn dryer (7405, Fig. 51) was located adjacent to the burnt pit group and may have been a contemporary feature (Plates 15 and 26). It consisted of an elongated pit that had been lined with irregularly coursed sub-angular stone that was aligned north-west to south-east. The masonry element was 1.3m by 0.4m by 0.19m in size and had been fired as both the masonry and surrounding soil matrix were discoloured by heat exposure. The backfill surrounding the structural component contained a silver coin which dated to AD 348-50 (RF 493) and the main fill of the corn dryer contained residual 2nd Other late 3rd to 4th century AD activity identified vithin the central area of the site (Figs. 50-52) comprised

Plate 25: Cremation deposit 6838 cut into the fill of ditch 6813, Healam North, northern area

Plate 26: Remains of corn drying kiln 7405 at Healam North, northern area

Plate 27: Late phases of Roman road 9038 at Healam North, northern area

Plate 28: Wheel ruts within Roman road surface 9038 at Healam North, northern area

Figure 53: Geophysical survey and excavated archaeological features at Healam South, northern end

Figure 54: Geophysical survey and excavated archaeological features at Healam South, southern end

Figure 56: Phase 1 at Healam South, southern end

Plate 29: Cremation deposit 2353 at Healam South

Figure 58: Section across ditch group at Healam South (located on Fig. 53)

Figure 57: Healam South, balancing pond and high pressure gas main diversion excavation areas

Figure 60: Overview of Phase 3 at Healam South

Plate 30: Section excavated across ditch 2651 at Healam South

Plate 32: Pebble surface 2262 at Healam South Figure 62: Phase 3 at Healam South (southern end)

The existing gas main was aligned north to south and ran slightly to the west of the centre line of Trench A. Installation of the main had severely truncated archaeological features in the western side of this trench. Trenches B and C were located beyond the area disturbed by the earlier pipe. Plate 33: Overview of excavated areas at Healam West, facing north

Figure 63: Geophysical survey and excavated archaeological features at Healam West

Evidence for the north-eastern side of a possible rectangular timber structure (8541; Plate 35) was encountered in the south-western corner of Trench B, truncating the alluvial deposits described above. It comprised a drip-gully (8455) and a parallel beam slot (8457), which were traced for a distance of 5.2m within the trench. A series of five equally spaced postholes (group 8469) was identified to the immediate south-west of the beam slot and may have provided support for the north-eastern wall and roof of the building. The drip- gully was respected by an undated gully (8529), which terminated on the line of the drip-gully to its north-west and may have also been associated with the building. It is possible that gully 8502 represents the western drip-gully

Plate 34: Waterlogged area at Healam West, facing south

Figure 65: Section of Trench B at Healam West (located on Fig. 63

Figure 66: Section of Trench A at Healam West (located on Fig. 63)

Plate 37: Horse jaw and pile of teeth 8213

southwest to east-northeast. It was constructed from re-deposited natural subsoil which probably originated from the excavation of earlier elements of the adjacent ditch group (8209) truncated by later recuts. The bank incorporated pottery which indicated it was deposited after AD 120. foot impressions, then a further right footprint, suggesting a right foot impression was missing. The spacing of the prints and the distribution of pressure towards the forefoot of the right foot suggests the individual may have suffered a deformity (see Thompson, section 7.2). The impressions were sealed by a deposit of coarse alluvial sand (8228; not illustrated) that contained late 1st to early 2nd century AD pottery.

Plate 40: Neonate burial 8290 at Healam West

Plate 41: Adolescent burial 8351 at Healam West

Plate 42: Goat skeleton 8149 at Healam West During the latest phase of Roman activity the excavated areas had been sub-divided into separate

Plate 43: Skeleton 8240 at Healam West, with skeleton 8247 beyond

Plate 44: Skeleton 8126 at Healam West All of the archaeological features and deposits to the north of ditch group 8209 and throughout Trenches C and B were sealed by a midden deposit (8002/8009; Figs. 65 and 66), which had an average depth of 0.4m. It appeared that the midden had accumulated in this area as the settlement contracted up the slope to the north. The nature of the finds assemblage, which contained a large quantity of pottery, supported this and indicated that the material had been deposited from AD 370 onwards.

Figure 71: Section across boundary features in Trench B at Healam West (located on Fig. 63)

Figure 76: Structure 8541 at Healam West

Figure 78: Plan of archaeological features at Dishforth Lane, Field 1

Figure 80: Plan of archaeological features in Field 20

Figure 81: First century archaeological features in Field 23

Plate 45: Enclosure 1917 at Humphrey Balk Lane, Field 23

Figure 82: Section across boundary 1801, Field 23 (located on Fig. 81) A sub-rectangular enclosure (1917) may have been appended to the north-eastern side of the earlier trackway ditch (1801). The exposed portion of the enclosure measured 30m by 15m and had two entrances to the east and north (Plate 45). The entrance to the east was c.4m wide and provided evidence for an earlier phase of the feature (not illustrated) indicating enclosure 1917 represented re-definition of an undated enclosure. In its final form the enclosure was defined by ditches that were Chronologically, one of the earliest features may have been primary elements of the ditched trackway identified within the southern part of the area (Fig. 81). The trackway was defined by parallel ditches exposed for a distance of 85m running on a south-east to north-west alignment and spaced c.5m apart. The ditches continued the alignment of a parallel linear response identified by the geophysical survey within the field to the south-east. Investigation of the features identified two phases of use.

Plate 46: Jet finger ring from pit 636 at Humphrey Balk Lane, Field 23

Plate 48: Southern end of ditch group 1587 at Humphrey Balk Lane, Field 25 To the north, and within the field to the south of Humphrey Balk Lane (Field 25), a series of ditches (group 1425) appeared to define the rear of additional enclosures (Fig. 85). The overall group retained the alignment of the earlier trackway ditches to the south and was observed over an area c.150m long by up to 6m wide. The group had a complex history and comprised the cuts of multiple ditches, two of which were L-shaped in plan and appeared to define plots facing Dere Street. The individual features within the group generally had dimensions ranging from 1m to 2m wide by 0.5m to 1.1m deep, and most had quite homogeneous fills. Apparent divergence of some elements of the boundary toward the south was due to truncation of the features by later

ploughing (Plate 48). To the north, in the vicinity of the modern field boundary, the edges of the features became very irregular and difficult to define due to significant disturbance by roots. One of the earliest features wit identified towards its southern end an hin the group was d western side, and comprised opposing ditch terminals (1589 and 1585; Fig. 85). The terminals appeared to a entrance through an earlier phase o low for a 5m wide the boundary but any continuation had been completely removed by the excavation of a later ditch (1067). The ditch terminals were up to 0.5m wide by 0.25m dee finds. Ditch 1067 was L-shaped in pla p but contained no n and was recorded for a distance of 20m from the south-western trench edge before returning to the north-west and onto the course of the overall group suggesting it was appended to the

Figure 86: Section across ditch group 1587 in Field 25 (located on Fig. 85)

Plate 49: Oven 1844 at Humphrey Balk Lane, Field 28

Initial walkover of the route within Field 40 identified an embanked enclosure approximately 60m square occupying a pronounced rise in the ground at the north- western corner of the field (MNY 24059; Fig. 88). A silver denarius of Trajan (AD 98-117) was recovered from the field surface inside the enclosure. During subsequent fieldwalking in 1994, three, and possibly as many as six, sherds of Romano-British pottery were recovered from widely scattered locations throughout Field 41 immediately to the north, although this material was not submitted for specialist assessment. A residual fragment

Figure 89: Archaeological features in Field 58 A metalled road surface 9216 was identified during upgrading works to Leases Lane to the north of Leeming Bar, bordering the eastern edge of Field 123 (located on

Plate 50: Dere Street surface 9216 at Leases Road, Leeming Bar, Field 123

There is considerable concentration of evidence for early post-Roman and Anglian activity at Catterick Bridge, Catterick village and Bainesse (e.g. Wilson et al. 1996; Young 1997); however, similar evidence elsewhere close to the line of Dere Street within the Vale of Mowbray is extremely sparse. Early medieval finds have been made around Carthorpe, only 1km to the west of Healam Bridge. Fieldwalking in the vicinity of the possible villa at Keld Hill (located on Fig. 100, Chapter 6) to the north of the village (at c.SE 308 843) has recovered a fragment of an Anglo-Saxon square-headed brooch, and also 10th-11th century potsherds (MNY 33931-2). To the south of the village, on Howe Hill (SE 313 833), four inhumation burials of Anglian date were excavated by the Rev. Lukis and Canon Greenwell in 1865 (Meaney 1964, 283-4). The burials had been inserted into a natural gravel mound, presumably mistaken for a barrow, and were accompanied by knives, copper alloy buckle and strapend, and a bead. Plate 51: Skeleton 5026 at Healam North At Leeming Bar, numerous antiquarian references from the 19th century mention burials being discovered to either side of, and below, the route of the Roman road (Leeming Lane), from Fairfield northwards for a distance of some 1km. Many of these 19th century discoveries resulted from improvements to the turnpike road in the 1830s in the Leeming area. The descriptions of accompanying metalwork (‘armour’) being found with the burials (Speight 1897, 148-9) strongly suggest that they were of early medieval date; Romano-British

Plate 54: Juvenile/adolescent skeleton 5022 at Healam North Plate 53: Skeleton 5301 at Healam North

interpreted as being of earlier prehistoric origin, a sample of charred hazel or alder twig from fill 2109 returned a radiocarbon date of 431-606 cal AD (SUERC-39588; Table 95). Sherds of probably 10th to early 11th century pottery indicated some continuing Anglo-Saxon interest in the area up to the immediately pre-Conquest period (Cumberpatch, section 10.6).

Figure 91: Roman sites in the Vales of York and Mowbray

Plate 55: Turnpike road in section at the northern end of Healam North, overlying the Roman road visible in plan, facins south

Figure 94: Burial distribution at Healam Bridge

Figure 95: Plans of inhumation burials at Healam Bridge

been buried within and around a building, thought to be occupied at the time (Millett 2006, 317-8; c f. Esmonde Cleary 2000, 135-6), and demonstrated “...a careful age specific funerary rite” (Millett and Gowland 2015, 171). At Healam, the juvenile with possible Down’s syndrome was certainly buried within an occupied area (beside a building) and these individuals may have warranted special treatment.

lable 4: Calibrated radiocarbon date-ranges for Healam Bridge inhumation burials (excluding neonates), arranged in dat order

Plate 56: Healam Bridge, facing north-west

Figure 98: Post-Roman burials in Yorkshire Isolated burials, or small groups, are known from elsewhere in the Vale of Mowbray and beyond (Fig. 98). The burials at Howe Hill constitute one such small group. At Occaney Beck, south of Ripon, an adult man had been buried in a cist (Waterman 1950). The burial was dated by two 7th century brooches. Other examples of this date Cremation as a burial rite in Britain is more common earlier in the Roman period, although as noted above seems to have continued to be popular in the Yorkshire area into the later period. Two cremations at Catterick Bridge, published as being of late 3rd or early 4th century date based on accompanying pottery and jewellery items (Wilson 2002a, 189-90) were, however, originally recorded as having been cut into the same layer containing 6th century pottery as the cist-graves noted above. Given the widespread evidence cited above for apparent curation or reuse of pottery vessels used as cinerary urns, a later date for these burials is by no means impossible, but could only be demonstrated by any future radiocarbon dating of the human bone. Further south in the Vale of York, the site at Parlington Hollins included a late cremation. The burial was accompanied by a 4th century pottery vessel and returned a radiocarbon date of mid-3rd to early 6th century (Roberts et a/. 2001, 99). At

Figure 99: Section across the turnpike road at Healam North (c f. Figure 43)

Table 5: Summary of archaeological information of inhumed skeletons periods. The two Roman phases will be compared with the funerary data from Healam Bridge as there was only one early medieval skeleton at Wattle Syke. At Driffield Terrace in York, 82 human skeletons and eighteen cremation burials were dated from the late 1st to the late Ath century AD.

Table 6: Summary of Roman cremation burials

Figure 103: Early medieval skeletal completeness Figure 102: Early medieval preservation

Figure 100: Preservation of Roman Human remains

Table 7: Summary of osteological and palaeopathological results from the inhumations

Table 7 continued: Summary of osteological and palaeopathological results from the inhumations

lable 9: Summary of identifiable elements in the cremation burials. Key: UL= upper limb, LL= lower limb, UIL= unidentified imb bone fragments, |[D=identified bone, UID= unidentified bone

Table 8: Summary of cremated bone fragment size

Figure 104: Roman demographic profile

Figure 105: Early medieval demographic profile

Figure 98 – uploaded by Dr Hannah Russ FSA

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