Monument record 9807/0/1 - Bronze Age round barrow

An early-middle Bronze Age ring-ditch monument with a central urned cremation burial. A second urned cremation burial lay just outside the northern edge of the ring-ditch and two unurned cremations were placed into the infilled ring-ditch. One of the unurned cremation burials was radiocarbon dated to the middle Bronze Age.

{1} The survey identified two circular linear anomalies in the northern part of the field. One measures 25m in diameter, the other 12m in diameter. The comparative weakness of the magnetic signal in relation to the other features identified by the survey, the size of the larger of these features and their isolation from areas of settlement may indicate that they are funerary or ritual monuments rather than settlement related features.

{2} The western side of the ring ditch corresponded with the geophysical survey anomaly although the eastern side did not.
A cremation burial was found in a central position within the ring-ditch. It was 0.6m in diameter and urned, although the precise fabric and form of the latter could not be determined. With the agreement of the CAA it was not excavated and was covered with protective layer and orange plastic before backfilling of the trench.
There was no evidence for the second, smaller, ring-ditch and it is likely that the strong furrow anomalies confused the results.

{3} Evaluation located a ring-ditch towards the centre of the proposed development. It was defined by a substantial circular ditch, c. 2.6m wide and 1m deep, with a diameter of c. 24m. Four cremation burials survived; one central, two within the ditch fills and one just outside the ditch.

{6} Archaeological excavation revealed an early-middle Bronze Age ring ditch which contained a central urned creamtion burial. There was no evidence for a mound and or that the ring ditch had been reworked/cleaned. Three other satellite cremation burials were found nearby. The ring ditch has been dated solely on its similarity with better-dated monuments in the region. One of the satellite burials can be dated to the early Bronze Age by a collared urn, while charcoal from an unurned cremation within the ring ditch has been radiocarbon dated to the middle Bronze Age.

<1> Ladocha J.; Fisher I., 2013, Archaeological Geophysical Survey on land south of Main Road, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN109879.

<2> Barker, J and Luke, M., 2014, Land to the South of Main Road, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Field Evaluation, p. 11 (Report). SNN110611.

<3> Crank, N. (Editor), 2017, South Midlands Archaeology (47) (Journal). SNN111362.

<4> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<5> Luke, M & Mortimer, S, 2016, Preliminary report on the archaeological investigation of an Iron Age and Roman settlement at Earls Barton, Northamptonshire (Interim Note). SNN112609.

<6> Luke, M, & and Barker, J, 2022, Iron Age and Roman settlement and a Bronze Age ring-ditch at Main Road, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire (Monograph). SNN114228.

Record last edited

Oct 19 2022 12:39PM