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An Early to Middle Saxon Settlement at Quarrington, Lincolnshire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2011

Gary Taylor ,
Carol Allen ,
Justine Bayley ,
Jane Cowgill ,
Val Fryer ,
Carol Palmer ,
Barbara Precious ,
James Rackham ,
Tessa Roper  and
Jane Young
Gary Taylor
Affiliation:
Archaeological Project Services, The Old School, Cameron Street, Heckington, Sleaford NG34 9RW, UK. E-mail: . (GT)
Carol Allen
Affiliation:
Oxford Archaeology North, Storey Institute, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster LA1 1TF, UK. E-mail: . (CA)
Justine Bayley
Affiliation:
English Heritage Centre for Archaeology, Fort Cumberland, Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney, Portsmouth PO4 9LD, UK. E-mail: . (JB)
Jane Cowgill
Affiliation:
25 Main Street, South Rauceby, Sleaford NG34 8QG, UK. E-mail: . (JC)
Val Fryer
Affiliation:
Church Farm, Sisland, Loddon, Norfolk NR14 6EF, UK. E-mail: . (VF)
Carol Palmer
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Prehistory, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET, UK. E-mail: . (CP)
Barbara Precious
Affiliation:
25 West Parade, Lincoln LN1 1NW, UK. E-mail: . (BP)
James Rackham
Affiliation:
The Environmental Archaeology Consultancy, 25 Main Street, South Rauceby, Sleaford NG34 8QG, UK. E-mail: . (JR)
Tessa Roper
Affiliation:
25 West Parade, Lincoln LN1 1NW, UK. E-mail: . (JY)
Jane Young
Affiliation:
25 West Parade, Lincoln LN1 1NW, UK. E-mail: . (JY)
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Abstract

Excavations undertaken at Quarrington, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, revealed part of an Early and Middle Saxon settlement with associated fields or enclosures. Several timber buildings were identified, both round and rectangular, and there was evidence of ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking at the site. Finds included a large and regionally significant pottery assemblage, showing that Quarrington had an extensive trading network and obtained pottery from Lincolnshire and Leicestershire in the Early Saxon period. Pottery from the Northamptonshire area dominated the assemblage in the Middle Saxon period, with a smaller component from Lincolnshire and a limited quantity from Ipswich. Spatial variations in the Saxon ceramic assemblage suggest that the focus of settlement shifted towards the west or north west in the Middle Saxon period.

Few rural sites of Early and Middle Saxon date have produced sufficient faunal material to permit an analysis of changes during the fifth to eighth centuries until now; the large bone assemblage from Quarrington indicates changes in diet and the husbandry of domestic animals through time, with sheep becoming more important as pig diminished. Alterations to the slaughter profiles of cattle and sheep were also evident and may indicate changes from subsistence to surplus production. An apparently isolated Neolithic cremation and a post-medieval stone building were also revealed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 83 , September 2003 , pp. 231 - 280
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2003

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