Between October 2017 and December 2018, Oxford Archaeology East carried out open area excavations on land off Gilden Way, Harlow, Essex (centred on TL 4815 1225). Covering five arable fields, the works followed several phases of archaeological investigation - including fieldwalking, geophysical survey and evaluation trenches - carried out over a number of years and ahead of construction works. A total of 10.99ha were machine stripped for the excavations, split between 16 separate areas during two phases of fieldwork (Phase 1: Areas 1-3; Phase 2: Areas A-M). In conditions ranging from snow and frost to baking sunshine, the excavations revealed areas of archaeological activity spanning from the Neolithic to medieval periods with some post-medieval disturbance. Neolithic activity spread east to west across a gravel ridge/terrace on a plateau at the top of the hill. At the western edge in Area D, a causewayed enclosure overlooked a tributary of the River Stort and enclosed an area of pits. In contrast to other causewayed enclosures in the area, the current example contained a large quantity of pottery (8816 sherds, 54.7kg) and 9,000 worked flints, recovered from its fills and from associated pits. Further east, also on the gravel ridge, a possible Neolithic longhouse sat amongst contemporary pits in Area K. Bronze Age activity was limited to a possible field system at the eastern edge of the development area, as well as three pits and a post hole in Area K. Iron Age activity was found across the central areas, specifically Areas B-C and G-K, concentrated on the gravel brow of the hill. The activity spanned the whole of the period, with the focus being in the centre of Area K, where unenclosed Early Iron Age settlement consisting of pits and post holes was superseded by a group of rectilinear and D-shaped enclosures in the Middle and Late Iron Age. As well as a large number of pits, settlement features consisted of three complete roundhouses in the centre of Area K (as well as possible truncated ones), enclosures and boundaries, droveways and pens that spread from Area I in the west to the eastern edge of Area K. Romano-British land-use was expected to be the main activity within the Phase 2 excavation areas, due to the presence of a Roman villa (MEX 13089) directly to the north of the site. However, Roman activity primarily consisted of field systems and a trackway. Three clusters of cremations, as well as isolated examples, were also encountered in Areas G...