EAA 31, 1986: Settlement, Religion and Industry on the Fen-Edge; three Romano-British sites in Norfolk

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This volume describes three sites, excavated between 1957–64, by Charles Green and Ernest Greenfield. Each site illuminates one particular aspect of the Roman period in the environmentally diverse, and economically rich area of the Fen edge.

At Feltwell a 4th-century villa and bath house probably formed the nucleus of an estate surrounded by field systems, droveways and enclosures. The finds included a well-preserved steelyard, two ‘exotic’ objexts of elephant ivory, and an early 5th-century Germanic sword.

At Leyland’s farm, Hockwold cum Wilton, four diadems and a crown were found in the ploughsoil. Subsequent excavations discovered a fifth diadem, and a possible favissa, the building within a temple enclosure where sacred objects were stored. It was built about 200 AD and used until the late 4th century. The priestly headgear, an unusual brooch group, possible votives and a large number of coins confirm the interpretation of the temple site. The finds suggest a connection with the Eastern cult of Attis and Cybele.

At Denver, an extensive roadside settlement beside the Fen Causeway produced evidence of late 2nd/early 3rd-century salt production — an important part of the local economy. Few sites of this kind have been published, so the treatment of the finds has been extensive, a model created of the salt production process, and other saltern sites in the Roman Fenland discussed.

Finally, all three sites are placed into their regional background and related to other settlements on the Fen edge, and their importance is assessed.

Full reference:

Gurney, D., 1986, Settlement, Religion and Industry on the Fen-Edge; three Romano-British sites in Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology 31

A4, 162pp, 95fig, 23pls