On a gentle slope above the village of Nassington an excavation led by Middle Nene Archaeological Group in August 2016 revealed a large, rectangular Roman building.
Site director, Derek Roberts, and his brother Andy had been drawn to this site initially by a high density of surface finds. Geophysical survey then revealed some well defined features. Digging started on 13th August, with more than 30 volunteers from MidNAG and Fane Road archaeology groups.
It would appear that the main rectangular building was an agricultural or industrial barn. There is evidence of two partially overlapping stone buildings. Extensive pottery finds date from 100AD to end of 4th century. All the pottery appears to be locally produced. The exact nature of the building remains uncertain but there are signs of burning within the structure and there are adjacent corn dryers with associated flues. Nearby features include an older man-made ditch, and other walls. It is planned to open the excavation again in August 2017.
One of the most striking finds was a partially complete jet bracelet. This is similar to ones found in the York Hungate excavation dating from 3rd or 4th Centuries.
Aerial photographs taken from a drone help provide a comprehensive record of the 2016 excavation. The shots below illustrate how the building was revealed.
13th August
15th August
17th August
25th August
31st October
