Monument record 2758/0/1 - Early Bronze Age Burial & Possible Round Barrow

A pit at the southeast end of the causewayed enclosure (HER no 2758/1/1), between the ditches, contained a crouched inhumation accompanied by animal bones, a single sherd of pottery, and a flat bronze dagger of Early Bronze Age date.

{1} Excavation undertaken in October 1972. Midway between the enclosure ditches an oval pit was discovered which proved to be a dug grave containing a crouched inhumation burial laid on a compacted gravel surface. Accompanying the body was a bronze dagger which placed the burial in the early Bronze Age. Stains on the gravel suggested a wooden handle for the dagger. Apart from the dagger, the only other find accompanying the burial was the leg bones of a sheep. A sherd of Beaker was found in the upper filling.
Remains of a shallow ditch suggested that there had been a ring ditch surrounding the grave, although if a barrow mound had existed no other trace remained in 1972.
Parallel stains on the clay filling of the grave, together with charcoal fragments, indicated a collapsed wooden cover over the body. Additional evidence for this came from the body itself as the skull, pelvis and rib cage were flattened and the right upper arm had been separated from the bones of the lower arm.
Includes a specialist finds report for the Beaker pot sherd and the dagger.

{2} One of the pits was excavated and contained a crouched inhumation, accompanied by the leg bone of a sheep, a flat bronze dagger and a single sherd. The dagger is said to be of early Bronze Age type.

{3} A large oval pit midway between the two ditches at the south-east end of the enclosure proved to be a burial pit. The crouched inhumation laid on a packed gravel surface and covered by clay-silt was accompanied by the leg bones of a sheep and a flat bronze dagger. The dagger, and a sherd of pottery from the grave, have been examined by D.Coombs of Manchester University and placed by him in the early Bronze Age. Analysis of the inhumation identified it as a male in his early 30s, of about 5ft 5ins height, and broad-shouldered. He had had trouble with one leg and his lumbar region showed a sever arthritic condition. He also had a very thick skull.

<1> Nene Valley Research Committee, 1973, Durobrivae: A Review of Nene Valley Archaeology (Vol.1), p.24-6 (checked) (Journal). SNN6892.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.86 Site 6 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, p.5 (checked) (Journal). SNN8956.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2022 12:19PM