Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

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Note that there may be a few slight discrepancies between counts given in the text and the returned results in the gazetteer. This is a result of corrections and amendments (not updates) made to the gazetteer since the research was published in BAR. This does not materially affect the picture presented but does add more detail.

Site name Standlake Ring Ditch 1

Site number 1026

Burial codes 4001 4005 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4048 4051 4065 4075 4084 4091 4098 4104 4111 4128 4143 4153 4181 3005 3009 3022 3023 3025 3028 3030 3035 3041 3047 3051 3053 3065 3075 3081 3082 3083 3084 3093 3098 3102 3104 3108 3110 3111 3112 3121 3122 3129 3131 3143 3151 3152 3153 3160 3161 3173 3181

2500bc-14/1300bc There was a probable primary inhumation at the centre of the enclosed area, in a pit or grave. The evidence is based on a witness' observation of the gravel digging when the ring centre was destroyed, and a skull disturbed then.

14/1300bc-8/700bc The ring ditch was originally excavated in 1857 [No 6 in Akerman and Stone 1857]. The southern half of the ring ditch and enclosed area contained 74 probably secondary deposits, including 4 pits with calcined human bone (one set being of a child) but no traces of urns, 3 pits simply refilled with earth (one covered over by a slab), 11 with whole inurned cremations in solid state, c30 inurned cremations in collapsed state, and c30 inurned cremations where the original position of the urn could not be identified. About 50 urned cremations were in the ditch itself, the remainder being inside the enclosed area.

The urns were mostly plain coarse types, and those illustrated appear to be of Deverel-Rimbury type, but one biconical urn is shown. Some urns were upright, some inverted, some on their sides and some placed on stones. Among the bones in urn f there was a bronze spiral finger-ring of plain form. Another cremation was noted as being that of a child with which were mingled the scapula and other unburnt bones of a kid or lamb. One large urn had another placed within it of basin shape. Another large urn contained the bones of an adult and also a smaller urn with those of a child. Another inverted urn contained a cremation with a flint arrow head placed when the ashes were hot. These were all the details recorded of individual deposits.

In the south west quadrant, on the inner side of the ditch there appeared to be a rectangular burnt area c6m x 2m, a possible ustrinum. [Akerman and Stone 1857].

Four further pits have since been discovered, all containing ashes and burnt bone including the remains of a child, an adult female and an adult but no urn remains. Analysis of the ditch upper layer of fine earth blackened by fire and containing small fragments of pottery and burnt human bone (probably including a child) suggested a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age overlap date for the site. [Riley 1947].

Remains/Period Y4 Y3

County Oxfordshire

Region SE

National grid square SP

X coordinate 384

Y coordinate 47

Bibliographic source Akerman and Stone 1857, Stone 1858, Bradford 1942a, Riley 1947, Harding 1972, Wilson 1981

Query

Site name	Standlake Ring Ditch 1
Site number	1026
Burial codes	4001 4005 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4048 4051 4065 4075 4084 4091 4098 4104 4111 4128 4143 4153 4181 3005 3009 3022 3023 3025 3028 3030 3035 3041 3047 3051 3053 3065 3075 3081 3082 3083 3084 3093 3098 3102 3104 3108 3110 3111 3112 3121 3122 3129 3131 3143 3151 3152 3153 3160 3161 3173 3181
2500bc-14/1300bc	There was a probable primary inhumation at the centre of the enclosed area, in a pit or grave. The evidence is based on a witness' observation of the gravel digging when the ring centre was destroyed, and a skull disturbed then.
14/1300bc-8/700bc	The ring ditch was originally excavated in 1857 [No 6 in Akerman and Stone 1857]. The southern half of the ring ditch and enclosed area contained 74 probably secondary deposits, including 4 pits with calcined human bone (one set being of a child) but no traces of urns, 3 pits simply refilled with earth (one covered over by a slab), 11 with whole inurned cremations in solid state, c30 inurned cremations in collapsed state, and c30 inurned cremations where the original position of the urn could not be identified. About 50 urned cremations were in the ditch itself, the remainder being inside the enclosed area. The urns were mostly plain coarse types, and those illustrated appear to be of Deverel-Rimbury type, but one biconical urn is shown. Some urns were upright, some inverted, some on their sides and some placed on stones. Among the bones in urn f there was a bronze spiral finger-ring of plain form. Another cremation was noted as being that of a child with which were mingled the scapula and other unburnt bones of a kid or lamb. One large urn had another placed within it of basin shape. Another large urn contained the bones of an adult and also a smaller urn with those of a child. Another inverted urn contained a cremation with a flint arrow head placed when the ashes were hot. These were all the details recorded of individual deposits. In the south west quadrant, on the inner side of the ditch there appeared to be a rectangular burnt area c6m x 2m, a possible ustrinum. [Akerman and Stone 1857]. Four further pits have since been discovered, all containing ashes and burnt bone including the remains of a child, an adult female and an adult but no urn remains. Analysis of the ditch upper layer of fine earth blackened by fire and containing small fragments of pottery and burnt human bone (probably including a child) suggested a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age overlap date for the site. [Riley 1947].
Remains/Period	Y4 Y3
County	Oxfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	SP
X coordinate	384
Y coordinate	47
Bibliographic source	Akerman and Stone 1857, Stone 1858, Bradford 1942a, Riley 1947, Harding 1972, Wilson 1981