A Possible Iron Age Banjo Enclosure on Land Adjacent to Trafalgar Way, Bar Hill (in Lolworth parish)

Between November 2014 and January 2015 Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological excavation on land adjacent to Trafalgar Way, Bar Hill (in Lolworth parish), Cambridgeshire. This was in advance of a proposed expansion of Domino Printing Ltd. The excavation followed on from a geophysical survey of the site, which suggested the presence of an Iron Age settlement type known as a banjo enclosure. The excavation revealed activity of later Iron Age date, including a large enclosure ditch surrounding a small farmstead represented by roundhouse gullies, pits and post holes. Further pits, post holes and ditches were located outside of the main enclosure. The shape of the latter indicates that this may have been a banjo enclosure, although the characteristic funnel entrance was not revealed and presumably lies to the east beyond the area investigated. A late phase of Iron Age activity was represented by a large waterhole and a number of ditches and possible roundhouse gullies. This farmstead appears to have been largely based on stock-keeping (principally cattle and sheep farming), although plant remains were particularly poorly preserved on the site, inhibiting interpretation of any arable-based activities. A moderate finds assemblage was recovered, comprising pottery, animal bone, querns, a fragmented possible loomweight, metalworking debris and struck flint. One of the quern stones had been positioned in the terminal of a sub-enclosure ditch within the main banjo enclosure, with a dog skull placed on top of it, possibly as a termination rite. The farmstead appears to have been relatively short-lived and was probably abandoned around the time of the Roman Conquest in the mid-1st century AD. This is a similar picture to that which has emerged for many of the identified banjo enclosures across southern Britain, in addition to a number of other contemporary sites in this part of Cambridgeshire. However, it is in contrast to the nearby site at New Cross Farm where current excavations indicate occupation from the Middle Iron Age, with activity continuing into the 3rd century AD.