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 Swarling, Petham

Site number 1283

Burial codes 1006 1009 1021 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1041 1048 1051 1065 1075 1084 1098 1104 1108 1111 1121 1123 1129 1143 1153 1161 1172 1181

100bc-AD43 A small cemetery contained 19 probable grave pits, of which at least 17 are known to have contained calcined bone in addition to material objects.

1 calcined bones and bronze Colchester brooch contained in a globular bowl.

2 grave pit c0.52m wide contained 2 pedestal urns, one with calcined bones and ashes. In the surrounding soil were three small iron fragments.

3 grave pit c0.37m deep contained a few calcined bones of a young child and some woodash, in a single globular bowl, standing upright on the gravel.

4 grave pit 0.37m deep and the bottom lined with good-sized flints. This contained the broken and partially unburnt bones of a child and a broken iron brooch set in a biconical urn, accompanied by a fragmentary conical urn. Flints were packed round the vessels.

5 irregularly dug shallow grave 0.6m x 0.25m x 0.55m deep held calcined bones in a wide mouthed bowl inverted over two or three large flat stones to be kept level, and accompanied by two butt beakers.

6 grave dug c0.5m deep containing one tall conical urn holding calcined bone and ashes.

7 grave dug c0.47m deep containing a pedestal urn holding a few fragments of calcined bone.

8 grave dug c0.3m deep containing a necked jar holding calcined bone, a second jar and a small cordoned bowl, all vessels touching.

9 grave dug c0.3m deep x 0.6m in diameter contained three globular bowls, No1 with a few pieces of calcined bone.

10 possible grave pit containing fragments of a crude flat-bottomed jar lying on its side empty, and no evidence for burial.

11 possible grave pit c0.42m deep containing a biconical jar crushed in and empty, without burial evidence.

12 grave pit with some pieces of lightly calcined bones and a few fragments of a vessel of reddish brown clay, flat based and with lightly impressed cordons.

13 circular grave c1.05m in diameter x 0.9m deep containing an unusually large quantity of calcined bones and ashes, 2 small bowls, and two bronze Aylesford brooches all in a wooden bucket with iron hoops and ring handles. There was another shapeless bronze object in the ashes, presumably something melted in the pyre. Around the outside of the bucket were arranged two pedestal urns packed round with flints, and two further small bowls. There were two round pebbles, one with a hole with rust marks, possibly a loomweight.

14 grave pit c0.6m deep containing a pedestal urn packed around with flints and holding a little calcined bone.

15 grave pit c0.3m deep containing a neckless bowl holding traces of calcined bone, and accompanied by a truncated conical bowl or lid and a globular bowl, all vessels touching each other.

16 grave pit with some calcined bone and a few fragments of pedestal urn of black ware.

17 grave pit c0.22m deep x 0.6m in diameter containing a necked jar holding a few calcined bones, accompanied by a biconical jar.

18 grave pit c0.82m deep x 0.8m in diameter containing a corrugated urn holding calcined bones and accompanied by a piriform jar, both vessels upright, a carinated bowl on its side, 2 bronze flat-bowed La Tene III brooches, and a small fragment of bronze.

19 grave pit c0.8m deep x 0.9m in diameter containing calcined bones in a pedestal urn, accompanied by a similar vessel, both on their sides, a bronze Colchester brooch and the spring mechanism of a second brooch.

Other unassociated objects found: a large decorated 'S'-sided bowl, a fragmentary pedestal urn and a bronze bucket escutcheon.

Remains/Period Y1

County Kent

Region SE

National grid square TR

X coordinate 120

Y coordinate 510

Bibliographic source Bushe-Fox 1925, Birchall 1965, Whimster 1981

Query

Site name	Swarling, Petham
Site number	1283
Burial codes	1006 1009 1021 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1041 1048 1051 1065 1075 1084 1098 1104 1108 1111 1121 1123 1129 1143 1153 1161 1172 1181
100bc-AD43	A small cemetery contained 19 probable grave pits, of which at least 17 are known to have contained calcined bone in addition to material objects. 1 calcined bones and bronze Colchester brooch contained in a globular bowl. 2 grave pit c0.52m wide contained 2 pedestal urns, one with calcined bones and ashes. In the surrounding soil were three small iron fragments. 3 grave pit c0.37m deep contained a few calcined bones of a young child and some woodash, in a single globular bowl, standing upright on the gravel. 4 grave pit 0.37m deep and the bottom lined with good-sized flints. This contained the broken and partially unburnt bones of a child and a broken iron brooch set in a biconical urn, accompanied by a fragmentary conical urn. Flints were packed round the vessels. 5 irregularly dug shallow grave 0.6m x 0.25m x 0.55m deep held calcined bones in a wide mouthed bowl inverted over two or three large flat stones to be kept level, and accompanied by two butt beakers. 6 grave dug c0.5m deep containing one tall conical urn holding calcined bone and ashes. 7 grave dug c0.47m deep containing a pedestal urn holding a few fragments of calcined bone. 8 grave dug c0.3m deep containing a necked jar holding calcined bone, a second jar and a small cordoned bowl, all vessels touching. 9 grave dug c0.3m deep x 0.6m in diameter contained three globular bowls, No1 with a few pieces of calcined bone. 10 possible grave pit containing fragments of a crude flat-bottomed jar lying on its side empty, and no evidence for burial. 11 possible grave pit c0.42m deep containing a biconical jar crushed in and empty, without burial evidence. 12 grave pit with some pieces of lightly calcined bones and a few fragments of a vessel of reddish brown clay, flat based and with lightly impressed cordons. 13 circular grave c1.05m in diameter x 0.9m deep containing an unusually large quantity of calcined bones and ashes, 2 small bowls, and two bronze Aylesford brooches all in a wooden bucket with iron hoops and ring handles. There was another shapeless bronze object in the ashes, presumably something melted in the pyre. Around the outside of the bucket were arranged two pedestal urns packed round with flints, and two further small bowls. There were two round pebbles, one with a hole with rust marks, possibly a loomweight. 14 grave pit c0.6m deep containing a pedestal urn packed around with flints and holding a little calcined bone. 15 grave pit c0.3m deep containing a neckless bowl holding traces of calcined bone, and accompanied by a truncated conical bowl or lid and a globular bowl, all vessels touching each other. 16 grave pit with some calcined bone and a few fragments of pedestal urn of black ware. 17 grave pit c0.22m deep x 0.6m in diameter containing a necked jar holding a few calcined bones, accompanied by a biconical jar. 18 grave pit c0.82m deep x 0.8m in diameter containing a corrugated urn holding calcined bones and accompanied by a piriform jar, both vessels upright, a carinated bowl on its side, 2 bronze flat-bowed La Tene III brooches, and a small fragment of bronze. 19 grave pit c0.8m deep x 0.9m in diameter containing calcined bones in a pedestal urn, accompanied by a similar vessel, both on their sides, a bronze Colchester brooch and the spring mechanism of a second brooch. Other unassociated objects found: a large decorated 'S'-sided bowl, a fragmentary pedestal urn and a bronze bucket escutcheon.
Remains/Period	Y1
County	Kent
Region	SE
National grid square	TR
X coordinate	120
Y coordinate	510
Bibliographic source	Bushe-Fox 1925, Birchall 1965, Whimster 1981