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 Ystradfellte

Site number 1508

Burial codes 4001 4005 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4036 4041 4148 4051 4053 4064 4075 4083 4092 4098 4104 4111 4122 4123 4125 4143 4151 4154 4156 4161 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A stone cairn of limestone blocks with some sandstone among which were some teeth and bones of sheep, ox, pig, rat and thrush, the blocks set over a layer of black earth which contained 50 more or less calcined flints, 21 food vessel sherds, calcined bones and wood charcoal on the old ground surface. This layer extended over the whole floor of the cairn, being thickest at the centre.

Four of the larger flint implements were set on three larger blocks of sandstone c1.2m south of the cairn centre. The fine flint tanged dagger knife occurred 1.5m east of the cairn centre. The remaining flakes, chips and fragments were over the whole floor. The sherds of pottery from an open mouthed basin with impressed decorations and of the food vessel type, were scattered over a small space c1m to the north east of the centre, and with them lay the fragments of (probably human) calcined bones and larger charcoal pieces. It is likely that a cist covered these deposits, but collapsed under the weight of the cairn structure.

The order of rite appears thus: a pyre was lit and the body burnt, the bone collected and placed in the food vessel, the vessel placed on the ground and probably surrounded with blocks and a sandstone cover lid. At the same time the 4 flint implements were placed on the stone setting, and the knife dagger also deposited in its place. The other implements and the animal bone may have been placed in the cairn as it was built.

Remains/Period Y4

County Powys

Region SW

National grid square SN

X coordinate 940

Y coordinate 130

Bibliographic source Cantrill 1898

Query

Site name	Ystradfellte
Site number	1508
Burial codes	4001 4005 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4036 4041 4148 4051 4053 4064 4075 4083 4092 4098 4104 4111 4122 4123 4125 4143 4151 4154 4156 4161 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A stone cairn of limestone blocks with some sandstone among which were some teeth and bones of sheep, ox, pig, rat and thrush, the blocks set over a layer of black earth which contained 50 more or less calcined flints, 21 food vessel sherds, calcined bones and wood charcoal on the old ground surface. This layer extended over the whole floor of the cairn, being thickest at the centre. Four of the larger flint implements were set on three larger blocks of sandstone c1.2m south of the cairn centre. The fine flint tanged dagger knife occurred 1.5m east of the cairn centre. The remaining flakes, chips and fragments were over the whole floor. The sherds of pottery from an open mouthed basin with impressed decorations and of the food vessel type, were scattered over a small space c1m to the north east of the centre, and with them lay the fragments of (probably human) calcined bones and larger charcoal pieces. It is likely that a cist covered these deposits, but collapsed under the weight of the cairn structure. The order of rite appears thus: a pyre was lit and the body burnt, the bone collected and placed in the food vessel, the vessel placed on the ground and probably surrounded with blocks and a sandstone cover lid. At the same time the 4 flint implements were placed on the stone setting, and the knife dagger also deposited in its place. The other implements and the animal bone may have been placed in the cairn as it was built.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Powys
Region	SW
National grid square	SN
X coordinate	940
Y coordinate	130
Bibliographic source	Cantrill 1898