Early Neolithic, Iron Age and Roman Settlement at Monksmoor Farm, Daventry, Northamptonshire

Includes contributions from Rob Atkins, Andy Chapman, Mary Ellen Crothers, Val Fryer, Rebecca Gordon, Tora Hylton, Rob Perrin and Yvonne Wolframm-Murray; illustrations by Olly Dindol and Rob Reed. MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) has undertaken archaeological work at Monksmoor Farm on the north-eastern edge of Daventry in six different areas. The earliest archaeological features lay in Area 6 at the southern end of the development area, where two pits were radiocarbon dated to the early Neolithic. They contained a moderate assemblage of worked flints along with sherds of early Neolithic pottery. In the middle Iron Age a settlement was established in the same location comprising a roundhouse and several enclosures. Two other contemporary settlements are thought to have originated in the late Iron Age/ early 1st century BC and were identified in Areas 1 and 2 between c0.2km and 0.5km apart and 500m to the north of Area 6. Area 1 contained evidence for a cluster of eight roundhouses with associated enclosures clearly showing sequential activity, while in Area 2, a large ditched enclosure defined as a Wootton Hill type, within which another roundhouse was present. It is possible that the Wootton Hill type enclosure in particular may have a slighter earlier origin than the limited pottery assemblage suggests. Sparse early Roman features were also found in Areas 3, 4 and 5. This settlement continued in use through the later 1st to 2nd century AD. During the early Roman period the settlement in Area 6 was greatly expanded with large rectilinear ditched enclosures along with smaller enclosures and paddocks being established on either side of a routeway indicating movement of livestock was important.