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Excavations in a pasture field to the north of Fen Drayton village have revealed evidence of settlement from the Neolithic through to the post-Medieval period. Short-term episodes of Neolithic occupation and part of a Bronze Age field system gave way to phases of middle/late Iron Age farmstead enclosures. The earliest enclosure contained two annular house ditches. The focus of settlement subsequently shifted south with the original enclosure being turned over to agricultural use. Overlying the whole an intricate Romano- British system of ditches or trenches was laid out in parallel and interlocking groups. The system relates to a 'villa' site to the west and may be horticultural in origin, possibly for the cultivation of vines or fruit trees.

This study has been commissioned anticipating a major building programme at St. Edmund's College. Located on the southern side of Castle Hill, the 'upper town' of Cambridge, the College lies immediately beyond the line of the Roman defences. The exact location of the early boundary and its main western approach road will be a major theme of this report inasmuch as it directly reflects upon the extra-mural status of the development site - how centrally was it 'exterior'?

The C A U was commissioned to undertake an evaluation in the grounds of Clare Hall prior to the construction of new residential and study apartments. The assessment area, centred on TL 4391 5827 is situated in the south-west corner of the existing accommodation and garden complex covering an area of approximately 420 square metres. The work was carried out for Nicholas Ray Associates (Chartered Architects) on behalf of Clare Hall. Fieldwork, under the direction of the author, began on December 4th 1995 and was completed in two days.

The Late Iron Age cemetery excavated at Hinxton comprised eight burials, five of which were enclosed within circular ditches. All the burials were with in pits and were accompanied by a single, or multiple pottery vessels, three of the burials also contained metal work. Later, probably in the early Roman period, the cemetery was used again to inter three inhumations. The cemetery lay within an area crossed by Roman ditches; elements of a system of field boundaries which covers a large portion of the quarry site and the local landscape. The cemetery had been subject to considerable truncation by ploughing, probably beginning in the Roman period.

Excavations at West Fen Road, Ely in advance of an Anglia Water pipeline and pumping station produced evidence of Late Iron Age settlement. The surviving evidence consisted mainly of ditches with occasional pits and gullies. The pottery recovered dated the settlement to c. AD 1/10to AD 50/60. The quantity of finds was high and with the recovery of two decorated artefacts was perhaps suggestive of more than a 'normal' agricultural settlement.

The assessment revealed little evidence of Roman activity other than a poorly preserved child's inhumation tentatively dated to that period. A. small number of Roman pottery sherds were also recovered from later contexts. To the north of the site there was evidence of extensive chalk and marl extraction which may have removed earlier archaeology if it had been present. To the south was long lived plough agriculture which resulted in ridge and furrow across the lower part of the site. The small quantity of Roman material in the ploughsoil suggests that in this area Roman features were not present rather than having been subsequently destroyed. The indication is that Cambridge's Roman hinterland is best understood as discrete small settlements rather than as strip development. Subsequently the ridge and furrow was infilled with clean marly clay, possibly derived from the extraction area, and then given over to orchard/nursery activity.

The Cambridge Archaeological Unit carried out an evaluation on 11.25 hectares at the King�s Dyke brick pit, Whittlesey (TL 240 980). The work was carried out between 13 and 28 October 1995, and was funded throughout by Hanson Brick. Evaluation involved fieldwalking, evaluation trenches and 5x5 metre �test stations�. In total, 2340 square metres or 2.1% of the site was opened. In western and central parts of the site, the evaluation uncovered an area of Romano-British settlement of significant archaeological importance, blanketed in midden-like and artefact-rich �black earth�. Also uncovered were remains of a roadway, which may form part of the Roman Fenland Causeway. Far less material was retrieved from the eastern and southern parts of the site, although a cylindrical loom-weight dating to the Bronze Age attests to Bronze Age occupation in the area.

In late August and September 1995 a month-long field evaluation was undertaken on a 60.8ha site along the western floodplain of the River Great Ouse immediately east of the village of Needingworth (TL3510-3620/7140- 7220). Part of a campaign of long-term investigation on ARC quarries along the lower reaches of the Ouse at its junction with the fen, this programme was a direct continuation of fieldwork in fields immediately to the north. Relating to a major extension of the Barleycroft Farm quarry, the 1180m long site runs as a 350-700m wide strip down to the riverside. From the outset, the methodology employed has been designed in the knowledge that eventually work will commence on the larger Willingham/Over site, located immediately opposite on the east bank of the river. Apart from its obvious environmental impact, the status of the river as a social/cognitive divide provides a major research directive. Much of the evidence of early land-use revealed within this programme relates to the 'archaeology of activities', and the results are relatively diffuse with little sense of focus. Although traces were found of Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Roman usage, apart from the latter there are few readily delineated 'sites' and it becomes problematic to distinguish ubiquitous landscape activity from settlement per se - a difficult issue to resolve within a framework of large-scale landscape evaluation.

Excavations at Denny End revealed evidence of occupation from the Early Anglo-Saxon period partially sealed beneath remnant ridge and furrow. The principal feature is a shallow Sunken Feature Building, or Grubenhaus, with platform walls and entranceway (in association with pits, a large posthole and worn or cut hollows). The features represent the isolated domestic/work unit, which in part may comprise an element of processing. Separated and to the west is a three-sided post-built structure. Finds include sizeable pottery and bone assemblages, loomweights, a spindle whorl, a granite grinding stone and three bone tools.

Following a field evaluation in November 1993, excavations were conducted across the site of a 6ha borrow-pit occupying the 1st-2nd terrace of the River Granta, immediately to the west of the new A11 widening. These revealed evidence for intermittent settlement, agricultural and ceremonial activity from the Mesolithic to the Saxon period. This, the second part of the report, describes Roman and Saxon activity on the site. Area excavation revealed part of a system of large sub-rectangular fields with LPRIA or very early Roman origins. Their large size, low-lying location and the absence of evidence for manuring indicates their use for pasture. An Early Saxon (6th - 7th century) settlement was established within the relict Roman fieldsystem. The main complex, on a high gravel terrace in the south-eastern part of the site, comprised six sunken-featured buildings (Grubenh�user), along with numerous pits and hollows. A seventh structure was sited on the floodplain to the north-west. The fills of the grubenh�user produced substantial assemblages of pottery and animal bone. Interpretation is offered on the status of the settlement, its sequence and development, the detail of structure abandonment and filling, and the regional context of the site.

Additional excavations within the2 ha. area designated for 'TopSoil 95' carried out on behalf of Hanson Brick Ltd. provided further useful information on the scale and character of ditch and/or enclosure systems within the area, most of which appear to be of Romano- British date . No evidence was found for significant pre-Roman activity in this area and it is unlikely that any of the ditches or other features are prehistoric. A small open-area excavation revealed part of the denuded remains of a timber structure also probably of Romano-British date, situated close to the west side of the site, and extending westwards beyond the edge of the area. Further excavation of adjacent areas to clarify the extent and character of this structure are clearly desirable.

A Watching Brief was carried out on groundworks around the Great Tower of Buckden Palace. External excavations for drains revealed a high degree of post-medieval disturbance to the east of the Tower. A possible construction trench was observed in section by the south west corner turret. Inside the basement three drain trenches allowed examination of the internal face of the eastern wail. This revealed at least two phases of construction and alteration work probably dating to the late fifteenth and early nineteenth centuries. No certain pre-Tower features were revealed.