Seven pits were located to the north-east of an enclosure. The pits varied in size and shape and were either sub-circular oval in plan. The smallest pit measured 0.53 x 0.53m and the largest pit measured 2.12 x 0.76m. Each was shallow and contained a single fill. The only dating evidence was poorly dated Roman pottery from one pit and six sherds dated to the late 2nd to early 3rd century from a second pit, but it is thought likely that all seven features were broadly contemporary.

Two shallow pits were situated north-east of this group, near the northern limit of the excavation area, the former containing a small quantity of calcined bone that could not be identified to species.

The pits in more detail:

One pit was dug to the south of an enclosure, potentially within another enclosure. The pit was circular in plan, measuring 2.5m across and 0.8m deep with fairly steep sloping sides and a rounded base. A thick basal fill of silty clay contained the articulated partial remains of a horse, consisting of the skull, vertebral column and numerous ribs, while the pelvis and limbs appear to have been removed. The horse skeleton was accompanied in this fill by a near-complete barrel-shaped jar or large beaker dated to 120–250. The pit was sealed by a thinner, largely sterile clay fill.

A second pit was located about 5m north-east of an exposed surface containing Roman pottery. The pit was ovoid in plan, measuring 3.6 x 2.8m. It had a concave profile that sloped more steeply on the south-east side, reaching a maximum depth of 0.74m. The basal fill contained pottery (793g) dated to 150–210, as well as animal bone (410g), and the final backfilling episode contained pottery dated to 230–50 (3377g), including samian ware and mortaria sherds, with more than 1kg of animal bones, sprouted grain, charcoal and tile. The pit is also notable for the presence of two fragments of human femur that exhibited deliberate cut marks and had been exposed to carnivore gnawing. Radiocarbon analysis of the femur provided a date of cal AD 80–225.

Two further pits were located in the north-eastern part of the trench, both cutting the north-western side of the settlement boundary ditch. One pit was the earlier and larger of the two. It was oval in plan and measured c 3.4m long and 0.5m deep, while the other pit was circular, measuring 1.8m in diameter, with a similar depth. Neither pit contained any dating evidence, but the first pit cut a phase of the settlement boundary ditch that contained pottery dated to 270–350.

A posthole was located c 7m south of an exposed surface, seemingly positioned within the northern corner of the enclosure formed by two ditches. The feature was flat bottomed but was very truncated, measuring only 0.08m deep. In plan, the posthole was similar in shape and dimension to the postholes that formed the possible structure and was also on exactly the same alignment with four of those features, albeit located some 26m to the north-east.

A group of three pits was located just west of the possible structure. They appear to have cut at least two ditches, though they were heavily truncated by a furrow and were difficult to discern from surrounding features. Two other pits were located just to the north of this group. One of those pits was sub-circular, measuring 1.12 x 0.8m and other pit was elongated, measuring nearly 2m long, but was comparatively shallow at 0.26m deep. This pit contained pottery but it was not closely datable. Both pits, however, cut a ditch and are likely to have been late Roman.

Another pit was certainly a late feature, since it cut the settlement boundary ditch and contained a coin of Constantine dated to 330–5. The pit was 0.48m deep and was cut entirely into the ditch fills.

Finally, a pit group consisted of at least seven intercutting features and was located close to two further pits. The complex nature of this group made it difficult to define the individual components, though the whole group extended over an area of c 4.5 x 2.5m. Pottery was recovered from several fills with spot dates ranging from 120 to possibly as late as the mid 4th century, and one pit contained a coin of Constantine dated to 324–30. Another pit contained the articulated vertebral column from a horse as well as a scapula, radius and pelvis bones, possibly from the same animal. The northern edge of the group was cut by a ditch. A further pit was located just to the south of the group and had an irregular shape, was over 1.2m long and 0.24m deep. No dating evidence was recovered from its fill, though it cut another ditch and is likely to have been associated with pit group.

Martyn Allen and Lauren McIntyre, 2019, Chapel Lane, Bingham, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Excavation Report, Page 23-25 (Unpublished document). SNT5816.