Editing Stevenage (section)

===Pre-Conquest===
Stevenage lies near the line of the [[Roman road]] from [[Verulamium]] to [[Baldock]]. Some [[Romano-British]] remains were discovered during the building of the New Town, and a hoard of 2,000 silver Roman coins was discovered during housebuilding in the Chells Manor area in 1986. Other artefacts included a [[dodecahedron]] toy, fragments of [[amphorae]] for imported wine, bone hairpins, and [[samian ware]] pottery associated with high status families.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/stevenage-museum/history-of-stevenage/stevenage-through-the-ages/roman-stevenage|title=Roman Stevenage|first=Stevenage Borough|last=Council|website=www.stevenage.gov.uk}}</ref> Archeological excavations have confirmed the existence of a small Roman farmstead, a [[malting]] kiln and a Celtic [[Roundhouse (dwelling)|round house]] in the Chells area, and a cemetery containing 25 [[cremation]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/22377709.ever-wondered-stevenage-streets-roman-names/|title=Have you ever wondered why Stevenage streets have Roman names?|date=25 February 2018|website=The Comet}}</ref> The most substantial evidence of activity from Roman times is [[Six Hills]], six [[tumulus|tumuli]] by the side of the old [[Great North Road (United Kingdom)|Great North Road]] that are presumably the burial places of members of a local family.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=45f35835-a631-4c96-949c-870a445a0a07&resourceID=19191|title=Heritage Gateway - Results|website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref>

The first [[Saxon people|Saxon]] camp, a little to the east of the Roman sites, was in a clearing in the woods where the church, the [[manor house]] and the first [[village]] were later built. Settlements also sprang up in Chells, Broadwater and Shephall. Before the New Town was established, [[Shephall]] was a separate parish, and Broadwater was split between the parishes of Shephall and Knebworth.

During the 9th and 10th centuries AD, the Saxon village in Stevenage faced frequent attacks from [[Viking]] raiders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stevenage-even-better.com/history-of-stevenage/|title=History of Stevenage}}</ref> Stevenage was on the border of the [[Danelaw]]. A Viking spearhead was discovered by archaeologists at nearby [[Ardeley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/stevenage-museum/history-of-stevenage/stevenage-through-the-ages/saxon-and-viking-stevenage|title=Saxon and Viking Stevenage|first=Stevenage Borough|last=Council|website=www.stevenage.gov.uk}}</ref>