The Area around Ouseburn is not renowned for its prehistoric remains, but this may be because archeologists have not paid it the same attention as the Pennines, Wolds and North Yorkshire Moor.

Close by, at Boroughbridge, stand the 3 Devils Arrows a tribute to the importance of this fertile and productive area. Nearby on the site of Aldborough was the Roman Town of Isurium Brigantum, capital of the Brigantes tribe

An Early Bronze Age barrow was excavated at Round Hill, Little Ouseburn in 1958. This consisted of a tree trunk coffin in a grave which was covered with a turf stack and then sealed with a cairn of thousands of cobbles ans boulders. Over this was piled another mound of turf and soil which was circled by small stones ans an enclosing ditch. Early Bronze Age Urn fragments where found which may have been from a later interment and evidence of a secondry cremation was found in the edge of the mound. There was also evidence on the site of activity as early as the Post Glacial Hunter period and a flint with Farmer period associations together with greenstone axe fragments and beaker sherds were found on the site.

AROUND 1756, at Duel Cross, Branton Green, Great Ouseburn various upposed Anglian burial Urns composed of blue clay and sand were found whilst excavating for materials to repair the turnpike road. A lot of coins of various Roman Emperors, in particular, Vespasian, Domitian and Trajan were also found. In 1776 about 180 metres away was found a Roman Milestone (Votive stone). This is shown below.

In the early 1950s an Iron Age A occupation was excavated nearby at Grafton. The site is on the edge of a disused quarry, and unfortunaely it appears the main centre of occupation as been destroyed. Two walls, an hearth and various pieces of Iron Age A , B and Roman pottery were found, together with a segment of bronze bracelet and a bronze tweezer.