Information for record number MWA1989:
Neolithic settlement at Market Street, Warwick

Summary During an excavation in 1966 evidence for a Neolithic settlement was recovered off Market Street in Warwick. Some 33 shallow pits containing flint artefacts and fragments of pottery and a flint scatter were excavated and recorded.
What Is It?  
Type: Building?, Pit Cluster
Period: Unknown
Where Is It?  
Parish: Warwick
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 27 64
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Conservation Area (Grade: )
Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 Excavations were carried out on the site of the Mulberry Tree Pub during 1966-7. Immediately above the natural sandstone was a sandy layer containing flint flakes, cores and Neolithic sherds similar to Windmill Hill - Abingdon types. Some twenty shallow pits, none more than 0.46 deep, were found cutting from this layer into the natural - these also yielded Neolithic pottery, flints, and in one instance carbonised hazelnuts.
2 Interim report.
3 Further brief report on Medieval pits and pottery kilns.
4 These pits now appear close to other pits of Early Neolithic date excavated in the Warwick Bus Station archaeological Excavations undertaken by Archaeology Warwickshire in 2008. It has been speculated that these pits combine in plan to represent part of a Neolithic timber house, though hard to confirm this suggestion in the future given the amount of subsequent disturbance in this area. The pits composing this conjectured site are all of similar dimensions and, like these pits encountered in 1966 to 1967, arrange themselves in lines suggestive of wall lines (see also MWA20491).
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Excavations in Market Street, Warwick, 1966
Author/originator: Farr M , and Steven Taylor
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: WMANS
Author/originator: Farr M and Taylor S
Date: 1966
Page Number: 15-16
Volume/Sheet: 9
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: 5,500 Years at Warwick Bus Station, Neolithic, Saxon, Medieval and Later Archaeology at the Bus Interchange, Market Street, Warwick, 2008
Author/originator: Gethin, B, Palmer, S & Pratt, E
Date: 2011
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Excavations in Warwick 1967
Author/originator: Farr M , and Steven Taylor
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
designation Conservation Area The character of a town or village is often enhanced by its streets and buildings. Where these places are of special architectural or historic interest, they are protected by being designated as a Conservation Area. Conservation Areas vary greatly and can range from historic town centres to country houses set in parkland. Their special characteristics come from a combination of factors including the quality of buildings, the historic layout of roads and boundaries, use of characteristic building materials, the presence of trees and street furniture. All features within the area are recognised as part of its special character. Within Conservation Areas there are greater controls over demolition, minor developments and protection of trees. back
source WMANS West Midlands Archaeological News Sheet, a publication that was produced each year, this later became West Midlands Archaeology. The West Midlands Arcaheological News Sheet contains reports about archaeological work that was carried out in the West Midlands region in the previous year. It includes information about sites dating from the Prehistoric to the Post Medieval periods. It was produced the Department of Extramural Studies at Birmingham University. Copies are held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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period Neolithic About 4000 BC to 2351 BC

The word ‘Neolithic’ means ‘New Stone Age’. Archaeologists split up the Neolithic period into three phases; early, middle and late. The Neolithic period comes after the Mesolithic period and before the Bronze Age.

People in the Neolithic period hunted and gathered food as their ancestors had but they were also began to farm. They kept animals and grew crops. This meant that they were able to settle more permanently in one location instead of constantly moving from place to place to look for food.
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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument LAYER * An archaeological unit of soil in a horizontal plane which may seal features or be cut through by other features. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument HARD * A firm beach or foreshore used for landing and loading of ships and other vessels. In more recent times hards have been reinforced with concrete. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument WINDMILL * A tower-like structure of wood or brick with a wooden cap and sails which are driven around by the wind producing power to work the internal machinery. Use with product type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument MARKET * An open space or covered building in which cattle, goods, etc, are displayed for sale. back
monument PIT CLUSTER * A spatially discrete group of pits usually containing artefactual material with little or no accompanying evidence for structural features. back
monument PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument POTTERY KILN * A structure, composed of oven and hovel, used for the firing of pottery ware. back
monument FLINT SCATTER * A spatially discrete, though sometimes extensive, scatter of flint artefacts recovered from the surface, eg. by fieldwalking, rather than from a particular archaeological context. back
monument BUS STATION * A building and open area from which buses, usually those working local or regional services, begin or end their journeys. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record