Land East of Folkingham Road, Morton, Lincolnshire: Scheme of Archaeological Strip, Map and Record

Informed by the results of the evaluation survey, two areas of the site were excavated to investigate the features identified in the evaluation trenches. Area 1 is located on the northwest of the site near the western boundary with Folkingham Road, and is approximately 3,800m2 and extends over evaluation trenches 2, 3, and 4. Area 2 is positioned on the east of the site and is approximately 2,800m2 and extends over evaluation trenches 6 and 17. Topsoil stripping using a 360� mechanical excavator fitted with a 1.8m toothless bucket was accompanied by a seven-ton dumper. Overburden removal was conducted under archaeological supervision to the natural or first archaeological horizon, whichever was encountered first. Archaeological features were thoroughly cleaned and examined to determine their character, survival condition, and date, after which a complete written, drawn, and photographic record was made of each feature. Standard PCAS context recording forms were used to record descriptions of each archaeological horizon. Section drawings were located on the base plans by triangulation and levelled from spot heights on the site, and all features were mapped on the national grid using GPS. All sections were drawn at 1:20 scale and archaeological features were plotted on site plans respectively drawn at 1:50 scale. A high-quality digital photographic record of the excavation and features was also made. The site straddles two fields to the east of Folkingham Road on the northern extent of Morton. Archaeological remains were encountered in the northwest and east of this site during an evaluation survey conducted in February 2023. The strip, map, and record programme commenced in November 2023 to investigate the features discovered in the evaluation. Two areas were designated for excavation, respectively labelled Area 1 and Area 2. Archaeological features were encountered in both areas, with the archaeology being particularly dense in some parts. Only the northeastern and southeastern portion of Area 1 were devoid of archaeological remains. Area 1 and Area 2 are only about 50m apart; however, the historical periods reflected in the archaeology of each area were remarkably different. Features encountered in Area 1 were Late Iron Age with a few dated to the Early Roman period. While there were some Late Iron Age and possible Early Roman features discovered in Area 2, the majority were Late Anglo-Saxon, Saxo-Norman, or medieval. In Area 1 nearly the full extent of a Late Iron Age / Romano-British enclosure ditch and the partial remains of a second enclosure ditch were examined. In association with these were a palisade ditch, an occupation spread, a beam slot, and several waste pits. Extending from the northern to the southwestern limit of excavation was a Late Iron Age trackway, and running parallel to this was a Roman trackway. The partial remains of a Late Iron Age ring-ditch were also investigated. Additional features examined in Area 1 included gullies, ditches, pits and post-holes. Archaeological remains in Area 2 consisted of linear features, pits, post-holes, a cremation burial, and two possible grave-cuts. The cremation burial was isolated and unurned. It contained the burial of a single adult individual and was potentially Bronze Age in date. Two enigmatic features resembling shallow grave-cuts were also encountered, one of which contained a silver-plated torc and the other a large quantity of animal bone. Near to the latter possible grave-cut was a pit partially surrounded by a double row of stakeholes. A large east-west ditch and several pits contained Anglo-Saxon pottery sherds and a loom weight, and this is the largest assemblage of Anglo-Saxon finds yet to be discovered in Morton. The remaining ditches and pits were medieval in date, and the slag found in a 13th-century ditch and pit is evidence for a bloomery furnace in the near vicinity.