Source/Archive record (Unpublished document) SNT5759 - Site Visit to Worksop Police Station and Raymoth Lane, Worksop

Title Site Visit to Worksop Police Station and Raymoth Lane, Worksop
Author/Originator
Date/Year 2007

Abstract/Summary

The author paid a visit to Worksop police station on 11/06/07 as a guest of the local constabulary in order to examine some finds handed in by builders working on a new housing estate on the site of the Iron Age / Romano-British settlement at Raymoth Lane (HER M18390). The finds had been reported as human remains, hence the involvement of the police, who had halted work on that part of the site pending determination of the origin and age of the remains. Doctors at Retford Hospital had been consulted by the police and had confirmed the bones as human. As the bones were dry and had no tissue adhering and as the find spot is a known archaeological site Nottinghamshire County Council Archæology Section was asked to examine the bones and to state whether, in our professional opinion, they were likely to be of archaeological origin. Initial inspection of the contents of the evidence tube revealed one bovine metacarpus, one thick, off white sheet of plastic, mildly burned on one side, and another limb bone. Upon opening the evidence tube and examining the contents closely, 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. A visit was then made to the find spot. This was in the NE corner of the known archaeological site close to or over the enclosure ditch previously partially excavated in 2003. Workmen indicated the bones and plastic had been located whilst digging the foundation trenches for two houses in this area. The trenches were examined, but had already been filled with concrete and no archaeological features or deposits could be seen. It was not possible to discern any traces of archaeological features which should have been visible in the stripped surface of the site, with weathering and the construction work having masked all traces. 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 and suggested they might have been imported and used somewhere in the vicinity at some point around the 1920s.

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Description

Results of a site inspection. Report includes photograph of finds from evidence tube

Location

Referenced Monuments (1)

  • IA / Romano - British settlement enclosure at Raymoth Lane, Worksop (Monument)

Referenced Events (1)

  • Site Visit at Raymoth Lane, Worksop

Record last edited

Aug 6 2024 3:16PM

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