Monument record 3727/0/45 - Prehistoric rectangular double-ditched funerary barrow

A rectangular double-ditched funerary barrow contained a central burial pit with a crouched inhumation with a secondary burial, also crouched, cut though the inner edge of the outer ditch. No dating evidence but thought to be early-middle Iron Age due to its proximity to nearby dated features

{1} The location of the rectangular enclosures was confirmed by geophysical survey.

{2} Cropmark of a rectangular enclosure. NCCAP:SP8762/057.

{3} Ditches representing cropmark Enclosure 2 were identified running NW SE across the trench. The northern part of the NS return was also evident at the edge of the trench. The outer ditch has sides sloping at 20 degrees then sloping a further 70 degrees to the base. The inner enclosure ditch was located with a slope of 45 degrees to a narrow concave base, with a length of 1.5m, 2.85m width and a depth of 0.55m. A narrow ditch running NE SW was located which appeared to run SE at its NW end. A single small oval pit was located between the inner and outer enclosure ditches. The pits sides sloped at 30 degrees with a length of 1m, width 0.7m and a depth of 0.2m. No finds were uncovered. Enclosure 2 may be of early prehistoric date (Neolithic or Bronze Age periods) but a later date cannot be ruled out.

{4} A rectangular double ditched funerary barrow was recorded in the north eastern part of the excavated area, to the north of a second rectangular enclosure and c.65m north of the pit alignment. The barrow was orientated north-north-east/south-south-west. It contained a central burial pit with a secondary burial cut through the south western corner of its outer quarry ditch. The primary burial comprised a roughly oval grave pit, 0.76m deep, centrally placed within the inner enclosure with a crouched inhumation on its left side with the head facing north-west. The secondary burial was placed in a shallow pit on the edge of the outer ditch. Also crouched, laid on its right-hand side with head facing south-west. No dateable finds were recovered.
The barrow is thought to date to the early-middle Iron Age on the basis of its proximity to other features of definite Iron Age date. However, the form of this monument is somewhat different to other Iron Age square barrows and it lies close to other funerary monuments in the Nene Valley that have been dated to the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.

<1> Barker P.P., 1996, Geophysical Survey Carried Out at Grendon Lakes, Area B, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN41098.

<2> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<3> Humphrey R., 1997, Land at Grendon Lakes, Northamptonhsire (Area B): An Archaeological Evaluation, Trench C, p. 6-7 (Report). SNN62110.

<4> McDonald T.; Last J., 1999, Land at Grendon Lakes, Northamptonshire (Area B): an Archaeological Excavation, p. 9-12 (Report). SNN43511.

Record last edited

Feb 20 2025 10:47AM