Little Paxton, Diddington, Cambridgeshire. Archaeological Evaluation 2004

Birmingham Archaeology was commissioned by Aggregate Industries through Entec UK Limited to undertake a programme of trial trenching of a proposed extension to Little Paxton Quarry. The purpose of the trial trenching was to define the location, extent, date, character, condition, significance, and quality of any archaeological remains to permit the formulation of an appropriate mitigation strategy. This archive includes the results of a field evaluation carried out between August and September 2004, which was undertaken in accordance with the Institute of Field Archaeologists Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Evaluations (IFA 1994). Most of the datable features identified may be attributes to the Iron Age. There was no evidence of Early Iron Age activity; no features of this data have been uncovered by excavation within the existing quarry concession. Comparatively few features datable to the Romano-British period could be identified. The only Roman ceramics derived from Trenches B2, B5 and B8. This apparent paucity of Roman features may be explained by an abandonment of the site in the mid-late 1st century. Despite the proximity of the deserted medieval village of Boughton very few post-Roman features could be identified. As an exception, a few features of post-medieval date were identified in Trench B41.