Iron Age settlement and skeleton has been found in Evesham

An archaeological evaluation was carried out on the land opposite Highfield Road in Evesham after a planning application was put forward to build 32 homes on the site.

A crouched burial - a skeleton put in a crouched position - was found on the site, along with 12 artefacts and different cut features in the ground.

The eastern end of Trench 3 with the skeleton. (Image: Ambrey Archaeology Ltd)The remains on the site are believed to come from an old settlement that may have spanned the middle of the Iron Ages to the late Roman period.

According to the published document by Ambrey Archaeology, Iron Age burials in the area are unusual, and the type of burial itself was a widespread thing for the time.

It is also unknown if where the skeleton was found was part of a site dedicated to burials during that period or if it was just a single burial. 

Some of the artefacts discovered included pottery dating from the Middle Iron Age or earlier to the late Roman period, a Neolithic or Bronze Age flint flake, a Roman nail, and two fragments of burnished bone from the burial.

West-facing section of a shallow feature on one of the trenches. (Image: Ambrey Archaeology)Animal bone largely from cattle was also found along with one bone, demonstrating the probable use of the animal for traction.

Environmental remains included hulled barley and glume wheat crops suggesting some crop processing activity.

A series of ditches, two ring gullies which would have surrounded round houses, a large number of pits, and a large post hole are the structural elements located on the site.

North-west facing section of posthole cut by one of the ditches. (Image: Ambrey Archaeology)On the document, a spokesperson for Ambrey Archaeology said: "It is thought that archaeological remains on the site represent the remains of a settlement which may have spanned the Middle Iron Age to the late Roman periods.

"As such, it is considered that the archaeological remains within the site are of local to regional significance."

 JHD Partnership has proposed building 32 new 'affordable' homes off School Road and Red Lane in Evesham, but the plan has been met with dismay with a wave of people complaining to Wychavon District Council that it should not go ahead.

The mountain of objections criticised the plan, saying the town's Highfield Road was not wide enough, too steep and was already suffering from parking problems.

This article previously stated that Rooftop Housing put forward the planning application. This has now changed to JHD Partnership. The article has been amended to reflect this.