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Does Mansfield have another Romano-British high status complex ?
The Sherwood Archaeological Society will be displaying recent finds at the Local History Fair at Mansfield Library on May 8th.
Following a preliminary excavation and magnetometer survey, the indications are that Warsop Parish contains a Romano-British establishment possibly equal in status to the Villa at Woodhouse.
The presence of high-end tableware includes glass, Samian imports, Nene Valley colour-coated wares and significantly, a fragment of flue tile. Not the finds associated with a lowly farmstead of the period. A base of a finely crafted stone well-head was also revealed but footings confirming the original layout are yet to be found.
The finds were in the bottom of an Iron-age boundary ditch at the edge of the site, a typical depositary for romanised occupiers’ domestic rubbish.
An interim report is in preparation and work will continue as and when the farming crops allow. The landowner has entrusted the finds to the Society’s care and they will be conserved at Mansfield Museum.
S.A.S.
Photographs of the first exploritary excavation, 2016.
Initial results of the first magnetometer survey.
The fully excavated well head.
Our display of some of the finds at the Local History Fair at Mansfield Library 8th May 2016
Recent excavation showing part of
an oven constructed from clay.
It is not yet known what this may have been used to cook.
Update September 2019
Due to the weather affected late harvest and short time available, the intention to do an area excavation was abandoned in favour of a 2 m. section across the very distinctive linea double feature prominent in the 2016 geophys results.
The excavation revealed a double ditch system flanking a relatively narrow trackway running in a S.W/ N.E. direction.
There was evidence that the original surface was of compacted pebbles.
The ditches were unremarkable but contained a large quantity of Romano-British pottery sherds.
Many were sharply broken but others, puzzleingly, were abraided. Their typology was much the same as in previous year's work and included colour-coated and en-barbotine examples of the Nene Valley kilns plus the usual greywares and the ever-present Derbyshire ware.
These finds are now being processed and some will be displayed at our A.G.M. in December.
Photos of the excavated area below---
Finds from the 2019 work
Base with lug handle of a tankard in Non-ferrous metal rolled foil Several sherds of a large cooking
grey-wear fabric. Purpose unknown. pot, grey-wear, undecorated.
A very rare form of vessel
in this area
Possibly an example of a
JPGillam type no184