Monument record 5488/0/4 - Possible Neolithic burial and Bronze Age Bowl Barrow (Barrow 7), south of Irthlingborough Island

Partially excavated Bronze Age round barrow; preserved in situ. Within the ring ditch, but eccentric to it and on a different alignment to an excavated grave probably of early Bronze Age date was a subrectangular feature flanked by two slightly bowed linear ones. The plan of the three features is similar to known Neolithic burial deposits.

{1} The barrow was covered by up to 0.3m of topsoil. Unfortunately the west half of the barrow mound was machined away. It was composed of a red-brown sandy clay loam representing turf construction. The mound was approximately 0.6 in high.
The mound was surrounded by a sub-annular ditch measuring 18m N-S and 19m E-W. Definition was unclear, especially on the E side of the circuit. The NW side could not be traced with certainty. The ditch varied in width and depth. It was 1-2m wide and up to 0.6m deep. The sides were fairly steep and the base was either flat or slightly rounded. The primary fill of the ditch consisted of natural sand and gravel, representing erosion of the sides.
A possible feature was noted during topsoil stripping around the trench. It seemed to be linear and may have represented an outer ditch to the barrow. No relationship could be established between the barrow and this feature.
Three graves were located in the barrow. 2004 was slightly offcentre, 2000 was 2m SW of 2004, and 2005 was 2.5m W of 2004. Only 2000 was excavated. All of the graves were cut into the natural gravel.
Grave 2000 was a subrectangular feature 2.3m long, 1.6m wide and up to 0.3m deep. It contained the crouched inhumation of an adult. The skeleton was orientated SW-NE, facing NW and had been placed on its back with its legs drawn tightly into the body. The arms were by the sides of the body. No grave goods were present.
Grave 2004 was orientated NE-SW and was sub-rectangular. It measured 2.3m by 1.6m. Grave 2005 was orientated NNE—SSW and was again subrectangular. Its dimensions were 3.20m long by 1.7m wide.
A possible mortuary structure flanked grave 2005. Two roughly parallel gullies oriented N-S were found, measuring 5.3-6m long and 0.6-0.9m wide. The gullies were approximately 0.4m from grave 2005. Only one section was excavated. The gully was 0.14m deep, with steep sides and a flat base.

Bradley, P, 1994, Redlands Farm, Stanwick, Northamptonshire: Long Barrow: Landscape Unit Description (Report). SNN114106.

KeevillG, & Bradley, P, 1994, Redlands Farm, Stanwick, Northamptonshire: Redlands Farm, Stanwick, Northamptonshire: The Prehistoric Evidence: Post-Excavation Project Design (Report). SNN114105.

<1> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1992, Redlands Farm, Stanwick: Site Narrative, (checked) (Report). SNN69021.

<2> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1992, Redlands Farm, Stanwick, Northamptonshire: Post-Excavation Assessment, (unchecked) (Report). SNN75157.

<3> Harding, J. and Healy, F., 2008, The Raunds Area Project: A Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscape in Northamptonshire, p. 85-6 (Report). SNN106245.

<4> Harding, J. and Healy, F., 2011, The Raunds Area Project: A Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscape in Northamptonshire Volume 2 Supplementary Studies (Report). SNN108037.

Record last edited

Sep 21 2022 10:53AM