NT 956322: Six rectangular buildings were recorded from the air near Milfield in July 1971 by Dr N McCord. Excavations between 1973-76 by R Miket revealed three of these buildings. They were of timber construction and bore a close resemblance to 6th/7th century timbered buildings from that area. Finds included an Anglo-Saxon knife and pottery sherds which provided further evidence that these were Anglo-Saxon buildings forming a small Bernician settlement. Amidst these buildings were a series of Neolithic pits and 'post' pits producing pottery sherds, decorated in the Fengate tradition, and organic material. Both storage and rubbish pits were excavated. Associated finds included a wide ranging flint assemblage. Carbon 14 dating from some of the pits produced a date of 3290bc+/-110. Ceramic evidence from one pit included the almost complete remains of a bucket-shaped vessel possibly of Iron Age date. Medieval rig and furrow was found overlying the Anglo-Saxon buildings. (See plan - Authy 5). (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)

Additional bibliography. (6)

NT 956324. Continued excavations by R Miket and C O'Brien. Remains of rectangular buildings and surrounds were examined. One building lay within a rectangular enclosure, otherwise seems to have been an unenclosed site. Pre-Conquest site, dated by radiocarbon determination. Other features of Neolithic date across the site. Medieval cultivation furrows crossed the site. (7)

Six rectangular cropmarks recorded in air survey were shown in excavation (Miket and O'Brien 1973-1981) to be the foundation trenches of early medieval buildings. Two were contained within separate timber fenced enclosures. Another six rectangular buildings were identified from individually set posts. Seven carbon 14 dates from charcoal in the foundations lie in the range 2060+/-150bp to 1380+/-80bp (uncalibrated). Other post holes within the excavated area may belong to other buildings of this or earlier periods. Also present was a scatter of pits containing pottery of both the Grimston and Peterborough traditions, with supporting carbon 14 dates.
A segmented linear boundary of unknown date crosses the area south-east to north-west. Plough furrows for broad rigg cultivation cut and overlie other features.

The excavations referred to in sources 1-5 continued until 1981. A total of twelve rectangular timber built Anglo-Saxon structrues (named buildings A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, L, N, P and R) were revealed. All floor levels had been removed by ploughing and/or erosion and the buildings survived only as foundation trenches or sets of post holes. The evidence produced by the excavations was insufficient to draw any detailed conclusions about the function of the site but it is not thought to be of such high status as the nearby sites at Milfield and Yeavering.

The excavations also produced evidence of Prehistoric activity, but full details of this have yet to be published. (8)

The early mediaeval settlement at Thirlings occupies level ground at 40m OD. Here six trench-founded timber buildings have been recorded by air photography. Excavations carried out from 1973 to 1981 revealed a further six post-hole buildings which cannot be identified on air photographs.

The six trench founded buildings recorded by air photography are situated as follows (grid references accompanied by appropriate identification letters as used in the excavation report):
L NT 9555 3223 (13m x 6m)
A NT 9559 3219 (12m x 6m)
P NT 9563 3220 (9m x 5m)
B NT 9559 3215 (10.5m x 5.5m)
C NT 9563 3216 (15m x 7m)
N NT 9571 3215 (11m x 6m). (9)(11c)

Seven radiocarbon dates have been obtained which indicate that the site was occupied in the period mid 5th century AD to late 6th century AD. (8)

Air photograph. (9)

Excavations by Miket took place between 1973 and 1981. Over 2000m square of the early medieval settlement was excavated revealing additional timber buildings not visible on aerial photographs, and a large number of pits and post-pits containing earlier and later Neolithic pottery and other artefacts.
The Neolithic pits covered an extensive area, some were suggestive of circular, trapezoidal and possibly rectangular structures. Radiocarbon dates indicate activity commencing around the beginning of the fourth millennium BC and continuing intermittently until at least the mid-third millennium BC. The pottery assemblage was substantial, and included Earliy Neolithic Carinated Bowl, and later Neolithic pottery in a variety of impressed styles that include Peterborough Ware as well as Grooved Ware. There was some evidence for cereal cultivation. (10)

NT 956 322. Site SW of Thirlings. Scheduled No ND/557. (11a)

The square annex at the end of building C has been compared with other square features, both annexes and free-standing structures, known from other Anglo-Saxon sites. It is tentatively suggested that such features may represent pagan shrines. (11b)

Aerial photographs showing excavation in progress. (11d-g)

Other aerial photograph references. (11h-r)

The site has been mapped from the air as part of the Milfield Geoarchaeology Project. (See archive object MD000296) (11)

General association with HER 2163. (11)