Neolithic Pits, Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age Pit Alignments and Iron Age to Roman Settlements at Wollaston Quarry, Northamptonshire

Between 1990 and 1998, MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook a series of archaeological excavations within Wollaston Quarry covering an area of 116ha.Eight excavation areas and a watching brief were undertaken.The proximity of the River Nene and at least four palaeochannels formed the dominant natural landscape features.This dynamic environment affected settlement and land use throughout prehistoric and Roman periods. Seventeen pits, largely in small groups, were identified containing early Neolithic to late Neolithic/early Bronze Age pottery.Some of these features were located within the area of the palaeochannels.Later, of especial interest was a notable collection of eleven different late Bronze Age to early Iron Age pit alignments, which were part of a co-axial landscape over an area of 2.5km².There was also a small area of domestic activity reflected by pits dating to the early Iron Age as well as two large watering holes in other locations.The pit alignment boundaries inf