Land at 11-15 Main Street, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire. An Archaeological Excavation

The archaeological investigation at 11 Main Street, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire consisted of three areas of excavation, undertaken between 16th January 2017 to the 3rd March 2017.The excavation followed on from an evaluation undertaken by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU), between 26th April and the 3rd May 2016, which revealed a series of medieval ditches and post-medieval quarry pits. The 2017 excavation recorded 85 features in total, ranging in date from the medieval period (12th-14th centuries) along with late medieval quarry pits to modern agricultural pits, sewage overflow pipes and ditches (20th century).The linear ditches represent two main phases of medieval activity, with five sub phases and internal plot divisions. A series of late medieval quarry pits respected the boundary ditches therefore suggesting the boundaries were still in use when the quarry pits were excavated. Across the excavation, frequent modern features in the form of animal burials and sewage drains were located and truncated the earlier activity. This was particularly evident near the modern street frontage. Towards the current property, a compacted chalk yard surface extended across the area and is thought to represent a former cattle yard. The sewage drains were most likely 1950s in date, associated with a cess tank, located in the southeast corner of site, and brick built. Much of the modern activity had taken place within the living memory of the local residents