Monument record MDR3379 - Roman settlement (Carsington Site A), Brough Field

Field 1628 has been fieldwalked by K Maddocks since 1965. He has recovered Samian, Amphora, Coarseware, Derbyshire and Castor Ware. Also a stone mortarium and a quernstone fragment. (1) The area was trial trenched by the Derwent Arch. Soc. 18-JAN-75, no plans or published material are available. (2) Sherds of Medieval pottery were recovered from field 1628 in May 1973. Excavation showed the field to have ridge and furrow extending towards Scow Brook. The sherds are probably from manuring the fields. (3) Further fieldwork by M Wildgoose, Kniveton, suggested pottery concentrations at SK 2518 5235 and SK 2522 5223, mainly 3rd century Derbyshire Ware. Fieldwork from Oct-Nov 1977 demonstrated that material extended the entire extent of the field. Excavations were undertaken by Prof. Branigan, Sheffield University. (4, 5) Excavations funded partly by Severn Trent Water were undertaken at 'Site A' within Brough Field. Fieldwalking during 1979/80 indicated a settlement area of c. 2ha. Excavation focused on the central and north-eastern part of field 1628 where the highest concentrations of finds were recovered through fieldwalking. Mechanical stripping and hand-cleaning of an area of 0.24ha showed that the site had been all but destroyed by 18th to 20th century ploughing. However, it was possible to identify a series of phases in the site: Phase 1: concentrated in the south-eastern part of the site the earliest structure was a substantial rectangular timber building, defined by truncated post-holes, and c. 9m long and 7.5m wide. This probably had an internal aisle 2m wide running the length of the east side. The building had a series of ditches immediately to the north forming an arc around the north-western and western side of the building. These were thought to relate to water drainage. Phase 2: by the end of the second century AD the timber building had been superseded by buildings with stone foundations. The remains of three or possibly four buildings were identified. Within one of these the remains of a Y shaped feature interpreted as the base of a mithing furnace or slaking tank was found. Galena (lead ore) was found in association with some of the buildings. Phase 3: A series of ditches were cut across the site - and these cut through the remains of one of the phase 2 buildings and the phase 1 timber building. Finds from the site included a range of pottery (Samian, Mortaria, Coarse Wares) numbering 4102 sherds. Associated with phase 1 were principally Derbyshire Ware vessels and Buff wares - with tentative dating to the early second to the mid third century AD. Phase 2 pottery was a little more informative, although once again Derbyshire Ware formed the bulk of the evidence - indicating a third to fourth century AD date. The phase 3 features produced pottery indicating a wide spread of dates. In addition to the pottery coins, glass, fibulae, iron chisels, iron knives etc., were found along with the lead and galena. (6) The Roman administration from a site known as 'Lutudarum' of lead production within the Peak Dsitrict is identified by inscriptions on lead pigs which correspond with an 18th century gazetteer known as the Ravenna Cosmography, which lists Lutudarum alongside places in Cheshire and Derbyshire. However there has been debate as to whether Lutudarum was a specific place of the name given to the orefield as a whole. At Site A, heavy ploughing has removed all but the last vestiges of features. The post holes of a rectangular timber building of late 1st or early 2nd cenutry AD, and the fragmentary remains of two or more later stone-footed rectangular buildings of probable late 2nd century date were recovered. (7) For Roman lead working in Carsington, see: Roman Settlement (Carsington Site A), (SMR3209) Roman Farmstead (Carsington Site B), (SMR3222) Roman Settlement in Carsington, (SMR3244) Lead pigs in pit, (SMR32432) Roman Road, Buxton to Derby ('The Street'), (SMR99030) Roman Pottery, (SMR3219) Roman lead pig, (SMR3251) Roman inscribed weighted lead pig, (SMR3252)