Book 36


Book 49

Small archaeological excavations on sites in Cranleigh, Herstmonceux, Alfold, Crowborough, Icklesham, East Grinstead, Ringmer and Plumpton Green are reported in this volume. They have little in common except to demonstrate that the notion that The Weald across Surrey, Sussex and Kent was uninhabited and largely unexploited (except for iron production) for most of its past requires revision. While the evidence might amount to only small, scattered settlements, the sites documented here span the Middle and Late Bronze Age, Early, Middle and Late Iron Age, Early Roman and Medieval periods and include not only settlement but also burial and evidence for pottery production alongside the more expected iron production, and in one case (Plumpton Green) clear evidence for arable crop production indicating that the land was also being cleared and farmed. Generally small finds assemblages are supplemented by radiocarbon dates for the earlier periods.