Monument record 5834/0/1 - Late Neolithic pits, Early Bronze Age cremation burials and post built structure, Banbury Lane

Two pits containing an assemblage of unabraded partially refitting late Neolithic Grooved Ware pottery were recorded during trial trench excavation. Further definitive evidence of Neolithic occupation was not located during subsequent excavation. However, three early Bronze Age cremations, two of which were unurned and a third interred in an inverted collared urn, which also contained a ceramic spoon and bronze awl were found, as well as a contemporary circular post built structure. The urned cremation was radiocarbon dated to 1970-1740 cal BC.

{1} Two pits containing an assemblage of unabraded partially refitting late Neolithic Grooved Ware pottery were seen:
A sub-oval pit 0.95 x 0.6 x 0.12m deep with a shallow, bowl shaped profile
A sub-circular pit with near vertical sides breaking sharply to a flat base with a diameter of c.0.9m and a depth of 0.32m.
The only environmental evidence recovered was as small amount of comminuted charcoal.

{2} During the excavation of the site in 2012, three early Bronze Age cremation burials were found in the vicinity of the late Neolithic pits identified in the preceding evaluation- no further Neolithic features were identified. However, further analysis of the Neolithic pottery was undertaken and a radiocarbon date of 2680-2470 cal BC was obtained from food residue present on one of the pottery sherds.

Two of the cremations were unurned and contained no grave goods, while the third was interred in an inverted collared urn, which also contained a ceramic spoon and a bronze awl, as well as fragments of burnt flint which probably represented flakes and tools which had disintegrated in the pyre and animal bone, which possibly represented further pyre goods. This cremation, a child aged between 11 and 12.5 years, was radiocarbon dated to 1970-1740 cal BC(95% confidence, 3520+/-50 BP; UBA-21483). One of the unurned cremations was a female of at least 25 years at death, with a degenerative joint disease of the shoulder. The third cremation was more ambiguous and it was not possible to identify if the fragments were associated with one, or both even both, of the other burials, or represent a third individual.

An early Bronze Age circular post-built structure was located south-east of the cremations. The structure comprised 12 postholes forming a circle 7m in diameter, with a central pit. Charcoal from the fill of this pit was radiocarbon dated to 1890-1660 cal BC (95% confidence, 3451+/-46 BP, UBA-21502).

<1> Cuthbert, M., 2012, Archaeological Evaluation: Banbury Lane, Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire, p.11-12 (checked) (Report). SNN108278.

<2> Cuthbert, M. and Zeepvat, B., 2017, Late Neolithic pits and an Early Bronze Age cremation cemetery at Middleton Chase, Banbury Lane, Middleton Cheney, p. 11-35 (Article). SNN110925.

Record last edited

Sep 21 2021 3:33PM