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 Alfriston Race Course

Site number 1166

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4029 4031 4036 4043 4044 4047 4048 4051 4053 4065 4071 4081 4083 4092 4094 4098 4101 4107 4108 4109 4111 4125 4128 4143 4152 4153 4154 4156 4159 4161 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A round barrow composed of a mound of puddled chalk rubble covered by a carefully built packing of flints mixed with black earth containing a considerable quantity of urn sherds and various kinds of pottery ranging from Bronze Age to Romano-British, with over this a layer of earth. In the general soil forming the mound were many flint flakes, knives or arrow heads. From north to south there was a seam of compact red soil below the chalk layer c1m wide curving down to the centre where there was a dome shaped mass of the same material. There were flints in the red material, the quantity diminishing with the depth except in the dome. This material was not apparently local.

There was no central deposit found, but there was a variety of peripheral burials. Above the red seam in the north of the barrow which de St Croix found in 1868, three urns had been discovered by Ade in 1849 in the flint packing. There was a large collared urn nearer the mound centre, inverted and embedded in clean chalk rubble and containing a quantity of calcined human bones with a boar tusk. Two smaller collared urns were upright, near the outer edge of the mound, the larger of the two containing calcined bones but the smaller being empty. In 1869 Smith found 10 further deposits, Nos 4-9 forming a regular arc in the S/WNW sector, Nos 1-3 being E of centre, and No 10 at the SSE periphery of the mound. No other urns were found save a broken base near No 7 in the flint packing. The 10 deposits are described:

1 A hollow made in the chalk rubble layer covered with a dome of large flints containing a complete cremation with charcoal mixed.

2 1m nearer the centre was a similar cist but covered by a stone and empty.

3 In a hollow in the flint packing layer were the much broken bones of most parts of a human body, 'evidently at some period removed from the place of their original deposit'. With these were found the teeth of a ruminant, a small tusk and a piece of horn. The earth around appeared crystallised.

4 In the flint packing in brown soil were the unburnt bones of an infant accompanied by shells of 2-3 species of helix and a limpet.

5 The crouched skeleton of an adult male of middle age, placed on its left side, oriented NNW/SSE had been set on the natural chalk surface and immediately on deposition the layer of puddled chalk had been laid over it. The brachycephalic skull was considered [in 1870] a marked example of the Belgic type.

6 In the upper part of the mound was another inhumation of a dolichocephalic adult male, the skeletal material being separated and mixed up with the surrounding earth and flints in the deposit.

7 An inhumation similarly disposed to that of No 6 but less complete, in the upper part of the mound.

8 A similar inhumation consisting of many broken bones but no skull.

9 A similar inhumation but smaller in quantity still, chiefly teeth and small fragments of bone.

10 An inhumation deposit placed below the natural chalk surface and covered with a separate packing of flint. They represented two individuals, one young and one adult.

Remains/Period Y4

County Sussex

Region SE

National grid square TQ

X coordinate 510

Y coordinate 30

Bibliographic source Ade 1849, Smith 1870, Musson 1954

Query

Site name	Alfriston Race Course
Site number	1166
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4029 4031 4036 4043 4044 4047 4048 4051 4053 4065 4071 4081 4083 4092 4094 4098 4101 4107 4108 4109 4111 4125 4128 4143 4152 4153 4154 4156 4159 4161 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A round barrow composed of a mound of puddled chalk rubble covered by a carefully built packing of flints mixed with black earth containing a considerable quantity of urn sherds and various kinds of pottery ranging from Bronze Age to Romano-British, with over this a layer of earth. In the general soil forming the mound were many flint flakes, knives or arrow heads. From north to south there was a seam of compact red soil below the chalk layer c1m wide curving down to the centre where there was a dome shaped mass of the same material. There were flints in the red material, the quantity diminishing with the depth except in the dome. This material was not apparently local. There was no central deposit found, but there was a variety of peripheral burials. Above the red seam in the north of the barrow which de St Croix found in 1868, three urns had been discovered by Ade in 1849 in the flint packing. There was a large collared urn nearer the mound centre, inverted and embedded in clean chalk rubble and containing a quantity of calcined human bones with a boar tusk. Two smaller collared urns were upright, near the outer edge of the mound, the larger of the two containing calcined bones but the smaller being empty. In 1869 Smith found 10 further deposits, Nos 4-9 forming a regular arc in the S/WNW sector, Nos 1-3 being E of centre, and No 10 at the SSE periphery of the mound. No other urns were found save a broken base near No 7 in the flint packing. The 10 deposits are described: 1 A hollow made in the chalk rubble layer covered with a dome of large flints containing a complete cremation with charcoal mixed. 2 1m nearer the centre was a similar cist but covered by a stone and empty. 3 In a hollow in the flint packing layer were the much broken bones of most parts of a human body, 'evidently at some period removed from the place of their original deposit'. With these were found the teeth of a ruminant, a small tusk and a piece of horn. The earth around appeared crystallised. 4 In the flint packing in brown soil were the unburnt bones of an infant accompanied by shells of 2-3 species of helix and a limpet. 5 The crouched skeleton of an adult male of middle age, placed on its left side, oriented NNW/SSE had been set on the natural chalk surface and immediately on deposition the layer of puddled chalk had been laid over it. The brachycephalic skull was considered [in 1870] a marked example of the Belgic type. 6 In the upper part of the mound was another inhumation of a dolichocephalic adult male, the skeletal material being separated and mixed up with the surrounding earth and flints in the deposit. 7 An inhumation similarly disposed to that of No 6 but less complete, in the upper part of the mound. 8 A similar inhumation consisting of many broken bones but no skull. 9 A similar inhumation but smaller in quantity still, chiefly teeth and small fragments of bone. 10 An inhumation deposit placed below the natural chalk surface and covered with a separate packing of flint. They represented two individuals, one young and one adult.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Sussex
Region	SE
National grid square	TQ
X coordinate	510
Y coordinate	30
Bibliographic source	Ade 1849, Smith 1870, Musson 1954