Details
Excavations at Beaumont Leys and Humberstone, on the outskirts of Leicester, revealed two areas of Iron Age 'aggregated' settlement, closely associated with long-lived linear boundaries. Both sides were predominantly involved with livestock farming and are significantly larger than other previously investigated settlements, with Humberstone being the largest Iron Age site yet found in Leicestershire. The scale and longevity of the two sites is refelcted in the material culture, which includes the largest pottery and animal bone assemblages from contemporary sites in the East Midlands. Together the two settlements provide evidence of settlement throughout much of the Iron Age and provide a rare opportunity to study sites of similar character in proximity.