Library
Publishing is a core part of the CAU's work so results from our excavations can be read and used by archaeologists, students, planners and the general public.
For over 30 years the CAU has published twenty monographs along with over 150 articles in academic journals. Many are available to download for free.
All of our site reports produced before October 2022 are available to download for free. Search for them by text or using the map. All our reports and our growing collection of digital archives are permanently accessible at the University of Cambridge's digital repository, Apollo.
Browse the results below
796
Half Moon Reservoir, Redmere Farm, Burnt Fen, Littleport, Cambridgeshire.
Collins, M. (2007). Half Moon Reservoir, Redmere Farm, Burnt Fen, Littleport, Cambridgeshire.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 796
Cambridge Archaeology Unit carried out an archaeological evaluarion through a programme of test pits and trial trenching at Redmere Farm, Burnt Fen, Littleport, Cambridgeshire in August 2007. The evaluation exposed a dense network of modern clay extraction features and paleo-environmental evidence for a salt marsh and intertidal creek followed by a reed swamp, providing a context for the lack of archaeological activity.
797
Feltwell Quarry, Feltwell, Norfolk: A Strip, Map & Record Excavation
Beadsmoore, E. (2007). Feltwell Quarry, Feltwell, Norfolk: A Strip, Map & Record Excavation. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 797
Cambridge Archaeological Unit carried out a strip, map and record excavation on land east of Feltwell, Norfolk, centred at NGR 574216/292194 from July to August 2006. The excavation exposed 77 pits; just under half of which yielded Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age flint whilst Beaker pottery was recovered from nine. Thirteen post holes were also exposed at the site, none of which formed a clear structure. Finally, four tree throws with further evidence of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity were recorded, all yielded Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age flint, whilst one contained Beaker pottery.
798
Proposed College of West Anglia, March, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Evaluation.
Tabor, J. (2007). Proposed College of West Anglia, March, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Evaluation.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 798
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cambridge Archaeological Unit on behalf of CgMs for College of West Anglia, in March, Cambridgeshire (TL 4206 9633), during November 2007. The evaluation comprised four components, 5x5m test pits, fieldwalking, 1x1m test pits, and trial trenching. The results of the 5x5m test pits provided a model of the palaeotopography and confirmed that c. 85% of the Project Development Area (PDA) was deep fen and of little archaeological potential. Further work concentrated on an area of 'high ground' in the east of the PDA where fieldwalking confirmed the presence of a previously recorded Bronze Age / later prehistoric flint scatter. With the exception of an undated ditch, exposed in two of the trial trenches, no further archaeological remains were encountered.
799
4 - 5 Peas Hill, Cambridge: Building Recording & Archaeological Observations.
Dickens, A. and Darrah, R. (2007). 4 - 5 Peas Hill, Cambridge: Building Recording & Archaeological Observations.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 799
The Cambridge Archaeological Unit was commissioned to carry out recording of the ground floor timber frames within 4 and 5 Peas Hill by Lawrence King Architecture and Design on behalf of the Cambridge Arts Theatre (Figure 1). This was in response to a request by the Cambridge City Council Buildings Conservation Office for further detail about the timber frames to enable decision-making during design for redevelopment of the ground floor.
800
Grand Arcade, Cambridge: An Archaeological Excavation. Vol 1 & 2
Cessford, C. (2007). Grand Arcade, Cambridge: An Archaeological Excavation. Vol 1 & 2. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 800
Excavations undertaken by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at the Grand Arcade site, Cambridge, between the 7th of February 2005 and the 11th of July 2006 revealed extensive evidence of one of the city's little explored Medieval suburbs. Within the 1.5 hectare development area there were 0.7 hectares of surviving deposits that were investigated archaeologically, of which just under 0.5 hectares had well preserved archaeological sequences. Several substantial lengths of the town boundary known as the King's Ditch were investigated, along with substantial portions of a dozen suburban property plots lying between the King's Ditch and St. Andrew's Street. The latter contained numerous pits, wells, postholes, beamslots, gullies, animal burials, ovens and ditches and demonstrated that the main occupation sequence began in the 11th century AD. The scale of investigations led to the recovery of large and significant assemblages of many types of material - including pottery, animal bone, worked bone, glass, clay tobacco pipe, metal objects and moulded stone - and the waterlogged conditions meant that leather and wood survived in large quantities. Late features from the mid 18th to mid 20th centuries were also carefully recorded and excavated, rather than being treated in a more cursory manner. This meant that a regionally unparalleled number of large assemblages of material of this date were recovered.
801
Grand Arcade, Cambridge: Building Survey
Dickens, A. and Baggs, A. (2007). Grand Arcade, Cambridge: Building Survey. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 801
As part of the archaeological programme ahead of development of the Grand Arcade in Cambridge a detailed record of the standing buildings on the site was made between November 2004 and April 2006. Over 100 roofed structural entities were identified, although not all of these can be considered buildings in their own right. In addition to the St. Andrew's Street frontage, nine further significant structures were been identified, some of these being survivals of Robert Sayle development and expansion, others older or on non-Sayle plots. The oldest surviving fabric belonged to the early 18th century, one-third of the structures were 19th century in date and just less than two-thirds were 20th century. The Robert Sayle main store, occupying a significant proportion of the site, was found to have been built using the then most modern of construction techniques.
802
The Addenbrookes Access Road, Glebe Farm, Trumpington, Cambridge. The 2007 Investigations: Sites 1, 2, 5 & 6.
Armour, N. (2007). The Addenbrookes Access Road, Glebe Farm, Trumpington, Cambridge. The 2007 Investigations: Sites 1, 2, 5 & 6.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 802
Two open area excavations, (Sites 1 and 2) and two trench evaluations, (Sites 5 and 6) were undertaken. Only Site 1 produced significant results covering a total area of 0.57ha revealing 84 separate features. Pottery analysis dated these to the early Iron Age - 5th to 3rd centuries BC. Eleven linear ditch features were identified in four discrete rectilinear alignments, which delineated two probable drove-ways. Two flexed inhumation burials were revealed and 22 other features represented pits of various size, form and function. Within a total of 37 postholes fourteen were attributed to square post-built structures. A large well with waterlogged deposits was located in the western part of the site. Two features were dated to earlier prehistoric periods; a small pit of the Middle Bronze Age and a treethrow contained two small fragments of Neolithic pottery and worked flint. A further late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age presence was identified from the recovery of 109 flint artefacts including tools, flakes, cores and debitage. These were mostly residual within the Iron Age deposits.
803
The Addenbrookes Link Road, Clay Farm, Trumpington, Cambridge. The 2007 Investigations: Site 3.
Timberlake, S. (2007). The Addenbrookes Link Road, Clay Farm, Trumpington, Cambridge. The 2007 Investigations: Site 3.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 803
Between April and August 2007 an area of 2.9 hectares within the corridor of the proposed link road from the M11 to Addenbrooke's Hospital was excavated (Site 3 Areas A and B). Archaeological features were largely confined to the north-western part of the site.Pre-Middle Bronze Age activity was minor, confined to a Neolithic and single cluster of Early Bronze Age pits. Middle Bronze Age occupation was characterised by a NW-SE aligned rectilinear field system from which came the remains of a Deveril-Rimbury urn and the establishment and re-cutting of a large enclosure ditch.Within the same area were a number of Middle Bronze Age burnt stone spreads including a pair of cooking pits.Late Iron Age activity was confined to a poorly developed field system and the edge of a north-south ditched trackway which seems to follow the edge of the terrace northwards along the side of the valley. Small-scale quarrying begins on the eastern side of the site towards the end of the Late Iron Age, as does the first establishment of a cultivation enclosure during the immediately pre-Conquest Period. By c.50-60 AD the cultivation of asparagus is taking place within the far north-west corner of the site, perhaps indicating the presence of an as yet unknown villa/farmstead.Quarrying continues through into this Conquest-Early Roman period whilst the ditched enclosures of much larger paddocks can be traced eastwards across the valley floor.By 80-100AD the Site 3 area seems to have been largely abandoned. Gravel and marl quarrying continued in the Post-medieval period along with the cutting of field ditches and land drains in the 19th century.
804
Barrington Cement Quarry: Excavation at the edge of the Roman Settlement at Wilsmere Down Farm.
Collins, M. and Knight, M. (2007). Barrington Cement Quarry: Excavation at the edge of the Roman Settlement at Wilsmere Down Farm.. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 804
Two conjoining phases of open area excavation at Barrington Cement Quarry, carried out in the spring of 2006 and the autumn of 2007, investigated a series of boundary ditches belonging to a small Romano-British farmstead as well as the remains of two Roman clunch quarries. The ditches had been re-cut several times demonstrating an enduring boundary that appeared to delineate the northern and easternmost extent of a settlement focus previously identified in 2005. A series of 'offshoot' ditches and gullies extending westwards from the main north-south alignment also indicated that the settlement core lay immediately to the west of the excavation area. The clunch pits were located uphill and away from the farmstead but may have been the source of building material for the settlement. Traces of tool marks made by bow-drills and metal picks were preserved on the quarry faces. A single, possible prehistoric pit represented the only non-Roman activity. The density of archaeological features increased towards the bottom of the slope, coinciding with the extent of hillwash deposits
805
Mines Farm, Weston Green, Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Desktop Assessment
Appleby, G. (2008). Mines Farm, Weston Green, Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Desktop Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 805
This archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) was commissioned by 6a Architects in response to a brief issued by Cambridgeshire Archaeology Planning and Countryside Advice (CAPCA) (Gdaniec 2007). The DBA is the first stage of archaeological investigation to determine the presence/absence of known archaeological sites within the Proposed Development Area (PDA) and study area environs, to suggest the potential for archaeological remains and assess the likely impact of development of the 42ha site centred on NGR TL 6200 5200. Examination of the archaeological, historical, aerial and cartographic evidence shows the PDA to be located on the western edge of the hamlet of Weston Green in an area of known Medieval moated sites, including the site of Mines Farm. Evidence of earlier human activity dating from the prehistoric to Medieval periods is attested in the wider landscape with worked flint, pottery and metalwork objects retrieved from within and outside the PDA.
706
Riverside Campus, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge: An Archaeological Desktop Assessment
Appleby, G. and Dickens, A. (2006). Riverside Campus, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge: An Archaeological Desktop Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 706
This archaeological desktop assessment was requested by Countryside Properties on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council to assess the likely impact of development of a 1.42ha site centred on TL460590, the Riverside Campus of Cambridge Regional College. Evaluation of the archaeological, historical, aerial and cartographic evidence shows the site to be located within an urban area of rich historical and architectural significance, dating from the 13th Century AD to the present date.
707
An Archaeological Evaluation: Frimstone Carrstone Quarry, Snettisham, Norfolk
Beadsmoore, E. (2005). An Archaeological Evaluation: Frimstone Carrstone Quarry, Snettisham, Norfolk. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 707
A team from Cambridge Archaeological Unit undertook evaluation by trial trenching in November 2005 on 6.7ha of land just north of Snettisham, Norfolk, centred at TF 6850 3510. The evaluation followed an initial field survey and was designed to determine the presence or absence, extent, date, state of preservation and significance of any subsoil archaeological features. The evaluation was commissioned by M. Dickerson Ltd. Evidence for prehistoric activity was identified in the western part of the proposed development area in the form of cut features, and artefacts across the site. Later ditches and features were also revealed in the western area and further east, whilst Romano-British and medieval artefacts were collected from across the site.
