| Summary : A Iron Age settlement, consisting of five hut circles, with internal and external hearths, and a boundary bank and ditch to the north. The site was excavated by R. Close and R.H. Hayes, the latter between 1962-8. The excavation revealed paved flooring, pits, quern fragments, pottery, slag and a jet bangle fragment. The site was mapped from air photographs as part of the North York Moors NMP, and is largely extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography. The excavated area has been left open for public view. |
More information : During field investigation, the site of a presumed hut circle was indicated at NZ 61011154 by Mr RH Hayes. He stated that excavations had been recently started by Mr R Close himself, but to date nothing had been found that might identify the feature. The remains that have been uncovered so far include a semi-circular section of dry stone walling 6.5m in diameter, and an apparent floor adjacent to, but outside the circle. The top of the walling in its present condition isalmost flush with the outside ground level, but the interior has been excavated to a depth of 0.5m where the base of the wall can be seen resting upon a partly flagged floor. The walling is of fairly even coursing, and some of the stones appear to be roughly dressed. There is no comparison between the construction of this circle and the ring mounds which contained burials on the adjoining moor, [NZ 51 SE] and its use as such can be discounted. It seems possible that the remains indicate some form of habitation site.
Surveyed at 1:2500. (1)
Four hut-circles excavated by R Close. Sherds found include two rims; cf Jarlsholf 1. D 3. (2)
An additional hut circle has been surveyed at NZ 60981155. A notice board has been erected which says 'Ancient Monument Iron Age Hut Circles BC Do Not Damage' (3)
Excavation in 1962-8 revealed that the foundations and peripheral ditches of a group of five circular Iron Age huts with central
hearths, a pit area and four external hearths, (see plan). There were at least two phases of building on the site and probably three -
1. Building of huts D and E.
2. Building of hut B. Disuse of D and E.
3. Building of huts A and C.
There is some evidence that the final phase was unfinished but this is not entirely certain. No post holes were found although it is likely wooden posts were used as roof supports, possibly erected on the stone floors and held upright by braces. Hut C was the best preserved with a complete horizontal paved floor and stone walling remaining to a height of 6 to 16 ins. The pits, associated with one ofthe earlier phases, were not for grain storage but seemed to be cooking pits. Finds included Iron Age pottery of local origin, saddle
querns, a lower beehive quern stone, a door pivot, rubbing stones, flints, a jet bangle fragment and two or three pieces of iron slag. The site has been left uncovered and open to public view. Trial holes were dug outside the hut area on the surrounding moor and to the west of the road, but no further ditches or huts were located. Air photography has shown that the site lies at the mid-point of one side of a rectangular field 300 ft in length, the boundaries of which are shallow linear ditches (nothing visible on RAF air photographs 1946). (4-7)
The settlement, consisting of hut circles and a boundary bank and ditch, is visible as earthworks on air photographs, centred at NZ 6099 1155. The possible boundary bank and ditch was visible prior to excavation and appears to have abutted two of the hut circles forming a northern boundary. The boundary bank appears to be no longer extant, and may have been levelled during the excavations. The remainder of the settlement is visible post-excavation and is extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography.
(8-9) |