The discovery of worked flints as well as two pits in July 2019 during a quarry extension near Grangemill, Derbyshire, have given us a glimpse into the life of our Neolithic predecessors.
We recovered a total of eleven flint artefacts from within the topsoil and subsoil across the site and which were likely sourced from the Trent Valley to the south. Most of the flints date to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age period. However, the presence of two blades within the assemblage suggests that people may have been in the vicinity as early as the Late Mesolithic or Early Neolithic periods, perhaps as part of episodic visits to the area.
We also discovered two small pits containing 26 sherds of pottery and charred hazelnut shell fragments. The pottery, which all comes from two – three separate vessels, are all handmade ‘Mortlake Bowl’ Peterborough Ware vessels (a sub-type of ‘Peterborough Ware’) typical of the later Neolithic. They have been decorated using twisted cord technique which would have been pressed into the surface of the vessel prior to being fired. Additionally, on the pot shown in the photograph on the top left of this page additional decoration has been applied by a pointed stick or bone to create short, diagonal lines.
The presence of the pottery within these pits suggests that, for at least a part of the later Neolithic, a settlement may have existed in the vicinity and which may have comprised either seasonal or permanent occupation. There is some debate about what constitutes a settlement during this period, but it is likely that they would have been occupied by small communities who may have lived in wooden and/or turf huts, or possibly animal skin tents. The construction techniques for these types of dwellings during this period may explain why we only find evidence of isolated pits and small numbers of flint and pot. As the vessels found within these pits would likely have been large and difficult to transport over long distances it is likely that they were made, used and broken close to where they were discarded.