Archaeologists investigating sites earmarked for thousands of new homes on "areas of special restraint" along the A120 bypass around Bishop's Stortford, near Stansted airport between London and Cambridge (England), believe they may have found a Neolithic earthwork in the form of a ritual enclosure.
     Interpretation is tentative at this stage but has identified the remains of a probable Late Neolithic (circa 4500-2500 BCE) or Early Bronze Age (circa 2500-1700 BCE) burial mound, along with several ditches, pits and post-holes of probable Bronze Age date, and a roughly cobbled surface covered with Late Iron Age and Roman pottery.
     Investigations within the larger area have identified an enclosure and ditches of probable Iron Age date (circa 800-100 BCE), an enclosure of possible Roman date, and another prehistoric burial or possible henge (ritual enclosure) of late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date (circa 3000-1700 BCE).
     This circular ditched feature appears to contain several cremation burials in the ditch, and has a central feature that may also be a burial. If so, it is potentially an important find.

Edited from Herts and Essex Observer (11 September 2012)