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
546
A47 Thorney Bypass: An Archaeological Evaluation
Cooper, A. (2003). A47 Thorney Bypass: An Archaeological Evaluation. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 546
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by a team from Cambridge Archaeological Unit along the route of the proposed A47 Thorney Bypass (TF 271 041 - TF 320 044) in May 2003. The work followed preliminary investigations by desk based and aerial photographic assessment. Thirty-seven trial trenches were set out and sample excavated along the length of the proposed bypass route. No archaeological features were encountered although a sequence of marine, alluvial and peat deposits was revealed, probably dating from the Mesolithic period onwards. This evidence provides an insight into the fluid and shifting character of prehistoric landscapes around Thorney, enhancing the results of earlier palaeoenvironmental investigations in the area.
547
A47 Wansford to Sutton: Desktop Assessment
Dickens, A. (2003). A47 Wansford to Sutton: Desktop Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 547
This archaeological desktop report has been commissioned by Atkins Heritage on behalf of the Highways Agency in order to provide further information about the archaeology and historic landscape in the vicinity of the proposed dualling of the A47 between Wansford and Sutton. The report considers the results of geophysical survey undertaken along the corridor and attempts to place those results in an appropriate archaeological context. The study has also considered available historical map data to determine any potential for aiding interpretation of the geophysical data. This study has been explicitly limited in its aims and scope and cannot be considered a full desktop study of the route, this has still to be undertaken.
548
The Rank Hovis Site, Cambridge: Archaeological Desktop Assessment
Dickens, A. (2003). The Rank Hovis Site, Cambridge: Archaeological Desktop Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 548
A Proposal has been made for redevelopment of the Rank Hovis site, Hills Road, Cambridge (site centred NGR TL 46052 57141), totalling about 2.7ha in area. Given that the sites lie in an area of archaeological potential, further information is required prior to determination of any mitigation strategy. Taylor Woodrow have appointed the Cambridge Archaeological Unit to carry out a desktop assessment to collate and assess information relating to the sites' archaeological potential.
549
132 Scotland Road, Chesterton: An Archaeological Evaluation
Patten, R. (2003). 132 Scotland Road, Chesterton: An Archaeological Evaluation. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 549
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in advance of the proposed construction of new homes at 132 Scotland Road, Chesterton, Cambridge. Three trenches were excavated to assess the potential for any archaeological remains. The trenches revealed evidence for 18th-19th century gravel extraction and a series of un-datable ditches.
550
Land off Coles Lane, Oakington: Archaeological Desktop Assessment
Dickens, A. (2003). Land off Coles Lane, Oakington: Archaeological Desktop Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 550
This archaeological desktop assessment has been commissioned by Neale Associates to provide more detailed information on the probability of archaeological finds on a site off Coles Lane, Oakington (TL4119 6471). The site comprises 1.3 hectares on the northern edge of Oakington village which lies about 7 kilometres to the north of Cambridge. The principal objective of the document is to examine the potential of archaeology occurring within the proposed development site and to set the findings in their wider archaeological context.
551
Haslingfield Manor, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Desk Based Assessment
Cooper, A. (2003). Haslingfield Manor, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Desk Based Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 551
An archaeological desk based assessment was undertaken by Cambridge Archaeological Unit in advance of building work at Haslingfield Manor, Cambridge (centred TL 4055 5230) in May 2003. The main focus of the investigation was the moated Elizabethan manor itself. In addition, a 500m radius around this site was investigated in order to provide contextual information and assess the potential for discovering earlier archaeological remains. The assessment follows the development of Haslingfield Manor from mid-sixteenth century onwards and outlines evidence of prehistoric, Roman, Medieval and Post Medieval activity in the surrounding area. It suggests that there is some potential for the discovery of prehistoric and Roman archaeology within the development area. More importantly, there is significant potential for the discovery of buildings and garden features relating to the Medieval and Post medieval occupation of Haslingfield Manor.
552
Tunbridge Hall Farm, Bottisham. An Archaeological Evaluation
Wills, J. (2003). Tunbridge Hall Farm, Bottisham. An Archaeological Evaluation. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 552
The Bottisham site lies to the northeast of and adjacent to previous archaeological excavations from which Roman remains, dating from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD, were recovered. The investigation revealed a potentially high status Roman settlement with the presence of stone footed buildings and painted wall plaster. The remains appear to belong to the later Roman period (c. 200-450 AD), although sequential superimposed fields or paddocks indicate the possibility of the settlement spanning the broader Roman period. While no doubt predominantly agricultural in nature, industrial activity was suggested by quantities of slag.
553
Wandlebury Ringwork, Cambridgeshire: Evaluation Survey & Excavation, 1994-7
French, C. (2003). Wandlebury Ringwork, Cambridgeshire: Evaluation Survey & Excavation, 1994-7. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 553
The ringwork at Wandlebury (Figs. 1-3) is a local nature conservation area, beauty spot and home of the Godolphin Arabian. It was first investigated archaeologically by Clark and Hartley in 1955-6 with the infamous and so-called chalk figures found and excavated by Lethbridge and Tebbutt in the same years. Forty years on, the initial season of a training excavation for the second year students from the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, was undertaken at Wandlebury over two weeks in June in the years 1994-7, with additional geophysical survey in 1998. Over the past two decades, prehistoric landscape archaeological projects have repeatedly demonstrated that monuments rarely exist in isolation but were integrally associated with extensively modified and utilised landscapes.. These landscapes contained field systems, shifting and long term settlements (often elusive), industrial and/or processing areas, ceremonial routeways, burial monuments and cemeteries and ancillary/satellite structures. Consequently a similar approach to investigating the landscape outside the scheduled ringwork at Wandlebury using non-destructive survey and sample excavation techniques was proposed, albeit on a much smaller scale of works, and has provided exceptional new data on the occupation of the hill-top and its immediate surroundings. The students' training was to include exposure to and practice of all aspects of archaeological fieldwork which would normally be employed in any archaeological investigation. The area initially chosen for this work lay outside the bounds of the scheduled monument area on the hill-top to the east of the extant rampart and ditch in Varley's Field and to the south of the rampart in the area of the putative chalk-cut figures and in Picnic Field past the playing field. These areas had been suspected to be of considerable archaeological importance - possibly important areas of extensive later prehistoric settlement, but these had not yet been investigated. Two seasons of work were spent outside the ringwork before applying and obtaining Scheduled Monument Consent to undertake an evaluation exercise within available parts of the interior of the monument in 1996 and 1997. The study area chosen for evaluation was situated between the tree line on the surviving line of the outer rampart and the garden wall bordering the current estate's garden in an arc from the southeastern to northern sectors of the ringwork interior. The main task here was to ascertain whether the settlement features discovered by Clark and Hartley in 1955-6 were discrete or much more extensive, and of what periods. In total, 99 test pits and 19 trenches were excavated, and over 5 hectares of land subjected to geophysical survey within the ringwork and its immediate environs.
455
North West Cambridge. An Archaeological Desk based Assessment
Redfern, N. (2001). North West Cambridge. An Archaeological Desk based Assessment. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 455
This Archaeological Desk Based Assessment was commissioned by the University of Cambridge's Estate Management and Building Service. It concerns a large area of land, c.120 hectares, to the north-west of Cambridge, centred on TL 4280/5990. This study is being produced as part of the proposed redevelopment of this land for student accommodation, University staff 'key worker' housing, teaching and research facilities and commercial research and development space. The study reveals a potential for archaeology of several periods, notably Roman, with known archaeology, specifically a Roman road running from the east along the northern edge of the area.
456
An Archaeological Assessment by Field Walking and Metal Detecting of land at Fairstead, King's Lynn, Norfolk
Alexander, M. (2001). An Archaeological Assessment by Field Walking and Metal Detecting of land at Fairstead, King's Lynn, Norfolk. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 456
This project was commissioned by Wilcon Homes Ltd to assess the archaeological potential of the development area (centred TL 640 190). The work was carried out on 9th-10th October and 16th-17th October 2001. Over two-thirds of the site was covered in Flandrian deposits, which offered adequate conditions for field walking. Neither field had any pottery older than the late modern period. Roman sherds might have been expected on the Flandrian deposits and their absence suggests that the deposits may be of post-Roman date, as has been found elsewhere in the Norfolk Fenland. The Flandrian deposits had few finds of any kind, with no metal and a only a few prehistoric flints and a small amount of post-medieval material. On the sandy higher, eastern, part of Field B, concentrated to the north-west of the rising ground was a minor collection of flints and burnt flint. The sample is small but covers a wide date range from Upper Palaeolithic to Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. Conditions for metal detecting on the Flandrian deposits were adequate, and were greatly improved on the higher outcrop of sandy soil The majority of the metal finds were modern and their distribution reflects the proximity of the Fairstead estate. Low-level activity in the Post-medieval period was represented by a scatter of coins and musket balls.
457
Archaeological Investigations on the Site of The Former Yorkshire Grey Public House, High Street, Chesterton, Cambridge
Mackay, D. (2001). Archaeological Investigations on the Site of The Former Yorkshire Grey Public House, High Street, Chesterton, Cambridge. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 457
The excavation on the site of the Former Yorkshire Grey public house, High Street, Chesterton, revealed several intercutting phases of activity, beginning in the Prehistoric period, and ending with the public house itself. The pre-modern phase of greatest activity dates to the Saxo-Norman period of the 11th to 13th centuries, represented by property boundaries, land divisions, domestic pitting and the establishment of the street front. The earlier and later Medieval periods were also represented.
458
A Watching Brief for an Electricity Service Trench, The Market Square, Cambridge
Alexander, M. (2001). A Watching Brief for an Electricity Service Trench, The Market Square, Cambridge. Cambridge Archaeological Unit report no. 458
The Cambridge Archaeological Unit were commissioned to monitor the excavation of new service trenches for the insertion of electricity cabling across Market Square, Cambridge. The work was carried out on behalf of Cambridge City Council and took place from the 15th to the 18th October 2001. The earliest deposits encountered within the excavated trench appear to date to the 18th century and may relate to the demolition of town houses and their cellars. The demolition of properties on King's Parade was part of a road widening and landscaping scheme initiated by the University in the late 18th and early 19th century (Cessford, 1999). The watching brief also noted considerable disturbance to the ground from the insertion of services, the most notable of which was the brick-lined culvert located to the north of the fountain and aligned north-south.
