Romano-British enclosure. Pottery from the enclosure ditch and related internal features indicate the majority of activity took place during C2, with continuity into C3. The morphology of the enclosure suggests it is of IA tradition and pottery of this custom has been found on the site, complicated by the fact that this pottery was recovered (from more than one context) in association with sherds that can be firmly placed in C2 AD. The pottery report cites this in terms of residuality, but the possibility of long term continuity of native tradition should perhaps also be entertained. The successive recuts evident in the section of the enclosure ditch excavated in one trench suggest that the monument was maintained over an extended period of time. The wealth of animal bone and pottery recovered from this evaluation point towards a site of relative economic and social sophistication. (1)

Examination of some of the finds taken from the site revealed one bovine metacarpus, one thick, off white sheet of plastic, mildly burned on one side, and another limb bone. The latter bone, while bearing minor similarities to a human long bone, was considered far too robust to be of human origin and was felt to most probably be part of a horse and was, at least, of animal origin. The bones were not in fresh condition and given the nature of the site from which they were recovered it is most likely that they are contemporary with the Romano-British features previously excavated on the site. Workmen indicated the bones and plastic had been located whilst digging the foundation trenches for two houses in this area. (2)

Inspection was also made of the surface of the spoil heaps containing the spoil dug from the foundation trenches. This yielded nothing of comparable antiquity to the Romano-British site, the majority of artefacts being modern building rubble, asbestos, mortar, CBM and plastic. The only artefacts of interest were several fragments of roof tile with a bright red fabric and emerald green glaze. The author’s suspicions of a Chinese origin for these was corroborated by others, who suggested they might have been imported and used somewhere in the vicinity at some point around the 1920s. (2)

<1> Pre-Construct Archaeology Linc, Dec 2003, Archaeological Evaluation Report; Raymoth Lane, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, pp 9, 10 (Unpublished document). SNT2398.

<2> David Budge, 2007, Site Visit to Worksop Police Station and Raymoth Lane, Worksop (Unpublished document). SNT5759.