Swan’s Nest, Swaffham, Norfolk : Excavating the Prehistory of the Breckland Clays

This volume details the results of an excavation carried out prior to development at Swan’s Nest in the town of Swaffham, Norfolk, which recorded prehistoric activity spanning the Mesolithic to Iron Age.

Of greatest significance was the identification of an extensive Middle Bronze Age enclosure within which structures were once located and large-scale flint heating activities were carried out. Artefacts, animal bones and paleoenvironmental remains recovered from the enclosure have allowed for the partial reconstruction of the past environment and the human communities once present at the site.

Within this volume the fieldwork results are presented along with the finds, faunal, environmental and aerial imagery analyses that have been carried out as part of this project. The site is discussed within its broader regional context and in relation to the development of the local landscape across time.

The Swan’s Nest evidence has granted significant insights into the prehistoric communities that once occupied the environs of Swaffham and the wider Breckland region.