Monument record 4460/1/1 - Middle-late Bronze Age cremation cemetery

A total of 28 cremations, including one within a cist defined by sandstone slabs, were found during the construction of the water pipeline from Pitsford to Harlestone

{1} Excn; July 2-5th & Dec 9-23rd 1970; finds revealed in pipeline; later excn of adjacent area; max approx 25-30 cremations; half in 'bucket urns' deposited base downwards in individual holes; plough damage to top of pots; prob first cemetary of this type from Nhants; grave goods of BA faience bead + bronze bracelet + frag of twisted bronze wire bracelet found in urn in stone built cis; also finds of prehist flints & charcoal & ash; DOE excn grant #200;

{3} SP 722664 LBA cremation cemetery excavated July and Dec. 1970, by Upper Nene A.S., after top soil had been stripped in preparation for laying a water pipe-line. There were some 28 cremations, all in bucket urns set in shallow pits. Near the centre of the cemetery was a cist of thin sandstone slabs; it contained a single urn inside which was a spherical bronze object - probably a bead.

{7}Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from shallow pit 1110+/-120BC assoc with sherds of bucket urn; also radiocarbon date from pit 1300+/-100BC; ie, middle BA;

{9} Bronze Age cemetery (SP 72276645),immediately SE of a large enclosure,on Northampton Sand at 112m above OD.The site was completely excavated in 1970-71 and proved to be a middle Bronze Age cemetry with some 25 cremations.About half of these were in bucket urns,one of which was in a rectangular cist of sandstone slabs and contained a bead and a plain bronze bracelet.Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from the material,one of 1114 bc+/-120 from a cremation pit and one of 1296 bc+/-100 from another,charcoal-filled pit.

<1> MOORE W.R.G., 1971, INTERIM, (unchecked) (Interim Report). SNN1776.

<2> 1972, Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), p.52 (unchecked) (Series). SNN55389.

<3> Brown, A E (ed), 1971, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies, 5/12 (Journal). SNN13960.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 8/3 (Journal). SNN8956.

<6> N.MUS PARISH FILE, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN15851.

<7> 1973, RADIOCARBON, 15/3 (Uncertain). SNN48483.

<8> 1972, CORRESPONDENCE, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN60868.

<9> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.19/Site 10 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

Record last edited

Jun 12 2024 3:30PM