An Interim Report on Excavations at Etton, Maxey, Cambridgeshire, 1982–1984

This interim report is principally concerned with waterlogged lower ditch deposits of the Etton causewayed enclosure. The site is situated near the eastern edge of the Maxey complex of cropmarks, and owes its remarkable preservation to a high local water table and a blanket deposit of clayey alluvium which has protected the archaeological deposits from plough-damage. The description of the causewayed enclosure includes interim discussions of woodworking, the use of cattle as draught animals, and outlines of the environmental succession. Short statements on pottery and other finds are also included. Brief mention is also made of the earlier (Phase I) and later (Phase II) Neolithic sites at Etton Woodgate, immediately to the west of the causewayed enclosure. These sites, which were also partially waterlogged, were discovered during a watching brief of topsoil-removal work in the adjacent quarry. Etton Woodgate II produced very early evidence for textiles and for possible charcoal manufacture. The Discussion outlines recent research in the region and offers provisional explanations for the roles of lowland causewayed enclosures.