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 City Farm Site 4, Eynsham

Site number 1037

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4031 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4081 4085 4092 4098 4101 4104 4111 4112 4124 4128 4143 4153 4161 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A ring ditch with an inner and outer ditch on different axes, the former with a causewayed entrance to the NW. The outer ditch was interpreted as earlier, with an inner bank, associated with late Beaker finds (struck flints and sherds of long necked A Beakers), the inner as a henge of irregular oval shape oriented NW/SE, and constructed after a short intervening interval.

The henge ditches, which were unusually deep for gravel, relative to their width, showed traces of sprung oak revetment posts consolidated in position by a deliberately laid unweathered gravel and loam mix, Layer 6. The posts may have supported a wicker or thatch 'fence' but not planking or hurdling. Sherds of long necked A Beaker and of a possible pygmy cup were found in similar layers to the sherds in the outer ditch. Some animal bones were also found. Stake holes 4/2 (approximately central to both ditches) and 4/3 (opposite the causeway entrance and on the inner side of the outer ditch) made line through the centre of the entrance but could not otherwise be related clearly to the two ditches. The inner ditch appears to have been filled in soon after digging and reveting, followed by the outer being filled.

RC: from post charcoal GrN-1685 1510 +/- 65

Pits 4/4-6 lay south east of the site. Pit 4/4 was irregular, cup-shaped, 0.85m in diameter x 0.25m deep, lined with rammed loam and to the east with yellowish clay. It contained reddish brown stony loam at the base covered by blackish brown loan, charcoal dust, large fire-cracked quartz pebble and cremated bones of an adult. The bone and charcoal were mixed. Pit 4/5 was oval, cup shaped, 0.6m in diameter x 0.3m deep, lined with rammed brown stony loam, at the base containing reddish brown stony loam under blackish brown loam with cremated bone of an adult and sherds of collared urn at the surface. Pit 4/6 was oval, funnel shaped, 0.6m in diameter at the top, lined with brown stony loam, with a collared urn near the base standing upright containing washed cremated bones of a probable male adult, and blackish brown loam with charcoal dust. Similar material extended from the urn top to the top of the excavated pit in an irregular funnel shape. The empty urn had been inserted first, and jammed tightly against the lining which had then been completed to the pit top, followed by the pouring in of the bone and pyre gleanings to fill the urn and then the rest of the pit.

These burials are assumed to be Early Bronze Age by the excavator.

Remains/Period Y4

County Oxfordshire

Region SE

National grid square SP

X coordinate 430

Y coordinate 111

Bibliographic source Case, Bayne, Steele, Avery and Sutermeister 1965

Query

Site name	City Farm Site 4, Eynsham
Site number	1037
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4031 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4081 4085 4092 4098 4101 4104 4111 4112 4124 4128 4143 4153 4161 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A ring ditch with an inner and outer ditch on different axes, the former with a causewayed entrance to the NW. The outer ditch was interpreted as earlier, with an inner bank, associated with late Beaker finds (struck flints and sherds of long necked A Beakers), the inner as a henge of irregular oval shape oriented NW/SE, and constructed after a short intervening interval. The henge ditches, which were unusually deep for gravel, relative to their width, showed traces of sprung oak revetment posts consolidated in position by a deliberately laid unweathered gravel and loam mix, Layer 6. The posts may have supported a wicker or thatch 'fence' but not planking or hurdling. Sherds of long necked A Beaker and of a possible pygmy cup were found in similar layers to the sherds in the outer ditch. Some animal bones were also found. Stake holes 4/2 (approximately central to both ditches) and 4/3 (opposite the causeway entrance and on the inner side of the outer ditch) made line through the centre of the entrance but could not otherwise be related clearly to the two ditches. The inner ditch appears to have been filled in soon after digging and reveting, followed by the outer being filled. RC: from post charcoal GrN-1685 1510 +/- 65 Pits 4/4-6 lay south east of the site. Pit 4/4 was irregular, cup-shaped, 0.85m in diameter x 0.25m deep, lined with rammed loam and to the east with yellowish clay. It contained reddish brown stony loam at the base covered by blackish brown loan, charcoal dust, large fire-cracked quartz pebble and cremated bones of an adult. The bone and charcoal were mixed. Pit 4/5 was oval, cup shaped, 0.6m in diameter x 0.3m deep, lined with rammed brown stony loam, at the base containing reddish brown stony loam under blackish brown loam with cremated bone of an adult and sherds of collared urn at the surface. Pit 4/6 was oval, funnel shaped, 0.6m in diameter at the top, lined with brown stony loam, with a collared urn near the base standing upright containing washed cremated bones of a probable male adult, and blackish brown loam with charcoal dust. Similar material extended from the urn top to the top of the excavated pit in an irregular funnel shape. The empty urn had been inserted first, and jammed tightly against the lining which had then been completed to the pit top, followed by the pouring in of the bone and pyre gleanings to fill the urn and then the rest of the pit. These burials are assumed to be Early Bronze Age by the excavator.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Oxfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	SP
X coordinate	430
Y coordinate	111
Bibliographic source	Case, Bayne, Steele, Avery and Sutermeister 1965