Charred Plant Remains from an Iron Age Settlement Site at Dirft East, Covert Farm, Crick, Northamptonshire. (Dre 97)

Excavation of this extensive Iron Age settlement site was carried out by BUFAU 1997-8. Evidence of occupation dating from the Bronze Age to Roman times was found with the main evidence dating to the Middle and Late Iron Age. The excavated area was divided into three fields from south to north: Field 1 (1.48 hectares) was sealed by alluvium and contained features cutting the gravel terrace on the bank of a palaeochannel, Field 2 (4.26 hectares) was partly covered by alluvium while higher up the slope in the northern third of the field the topsoil directly overlay the features, Field 3 (5.27 hectares) was also partly covered by alluvium with the northern half of the field covered only by topsoil. Samples were taken from excavated features for the recovery of charred plant remains in order to investigate the evidence for the crops cultivated and activities on the site. It was hoped to investigate changes over time and distribution of remains on the site to contribute to the evidence about life on the site in the past. [Taken from introduction]