Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, Part 1: Excavations at the Wellcome Genome Campus 1993-2014: Late Glacial Lithics to the Icknield Way

Archaeological investigations in Hinxton, south Cambridgeshire, revealed evidence of human activity from the Palaeolithic to the Early Roman periods, including a significant Terminal Palaeolithic assemblage and a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age shaft. The area was also extensively cultivated from the Early Neolithic to the Middle Roman period.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford Archaeology East

Archaeological excavations were carried out over a span of two decades in Hinxton, a village situated in south Cambridgeshire, by OA East on behalf of the Wellcome Trust. The excavated areas were situated in the Cam valley, a region characterized by its strategic location along the Icknield Way, the ridgeway route, and the River Cam, which served as natural pathways for movement and communication.

The post-glacial valley landscape of Hinxton, adorned with indigenous woodland, flowing streams, and seasonally flooded pools, beckoned Palaeolithic and Mesolithic communities to settle in the area. One of these pools yielded a remarkable Terminal Palaeolithic "Long/Bruised Blade assemblage," of national significance.

The Early Neolithic saw the commencement of tree clearance to facilitate the exploitation of the fertile valley sides. This transformation reflected the growing ritual or ceremonial significance of the landscape. A Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age shaft, containing a substantial assemblage of worked flint and Beaker pottery, further emphasized this significance.

During the later prehistoric and Early Roman periods, two square enclosures were constructed, with the largest of them likely associated with mortuary practices. Subsequently, a small timber shrine emerged. Sporadic burial of individuals, both in graves and as disarticulated remains, occurred throughout prehistory.

Agricultural exploitation of the valley remained nearly continuous from the Early Neolithic until the Middle Roman period, after which the land lay largely fallow. However, during the conquest period, large corrals linked to major trackways were constructed, indicating the potential for stock management on a scale commensurate with supplying the nearby fort and Roman town at Great Chesterford.

The immediate landscape surrounding Hinxton remained uninhabited until the Anglo-Saxon period. A companion volume (Part II) specifically focuses on post-Roman activity in the region.

Weight: 656g
Dimension: 209 x 297 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781907588136