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 West Overton 19, North Farm

Site number 1656

Burial codes 4005 4009 4022 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4044 4046 4051 4065 4072 4075 4084 4092 4098 4101 4104 4108 4109 4111 4121 4128 4143 4152 4153 4168 4181 3002 3005 3022 3024 3025 3028 3030 3035 3036 3041 3048 3051 3065 3075 3083 3084 3092 3098 3104 3111 3127 3128 3143 3151 3153 3154 3159 3161 3173 3181

2500bc-14/1300bc A round barrow with evidence for funerary activity from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Ages. In the earliest phase an incomplete and dismembered body of an adult male was deposited in a pit. At a later date, possibly early Beaker, another body was inhumed in the same grave, crouched, head to E, and possibly bound. Due to subsequent disturbance of the upper abdomen, possibly relatively soon after burial, any grave goods deposited with the body had vanished except for a few pottery fragments. At this stage the burial pit appears to have been covered with a small barrow and surrounded by a ditch.

The site appears to have then grassed over, been ploughed during the Beaker period, and then developed another turfline. In the Early Bronze Age the site was used for the burial of an adolescent c14, accompanied by beads of jet and amber. Nearby there was the burial of a young infant. Both were crouched, and over them was raised a presumably large mound with a deep ditch.

14/1300bc-8/700bc The southern side of the ditch contained a substantial cremation cemetery. Forms of burial varied: some were in pits with or without a stone or pottery lid, some deposits were surrounded by stones, occasionally with additional stone lids. These cremation deposits were placed on or dug into a layer of bone, pottery and industrial waste from flint and sarsen working which appears to have been deliberately laid over a layer of established turf in the ditch. The more elaborate deposits occurred in the south western sector of the ditch, which contained substantially more sarsen, though possibly not a greater number of bodies than the south eastern sector.

There were 2 free standing stones in the south western sector, possibly cemetery markers. The excavators considered that the cemetery may have been under guardianship: one deposit consisted of a cremation in an urn that was set upright on the inner edge of the ditch and had a stone lid. Wash from the ditch piled up against the urn, but it was probably visible for a considerable time after its original construction.

Remains/Period Y4 Y3

County Wiltshire

Region S

National grid square SU

X coordinate 139

Y coordinate 686

Bibliographic source Anon 1988

Query

Site name	West Overton 19, North Farm
Site number	1656
Burial codes	4005 4009 4022 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4044 4046 4051 4065 4072 4075 4084 4092 4098 4101 4104 4108 4109 4111 4121 4128 4143 4152 4153 4168 4181 3002 3005 3022 3024 3025 3028 3030 3035 3036 3041 3048 3051 3065 3075 3083 3084 3092 3098 3104 3111 3127 3128 3143 3151 3153 3154 3159 3161 3173 3181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A round barrow with evidence for funerary activity from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Ages. In the earliest phase an incomplete and dismembered body of an adult male was deposited in a pit. At a later date, possibly early Beaker, another body was inhumed in the same grave, crouched, head to E, and possibly bound. Due to subsequent disturbance of the upper abdomen, possibly relatively soon after burial, any grave goods deposited with the body had vanished except for a few pottery fragments. At this stage the burial pit appears to have been covered with a small barrow and surrounded by a ditch. The site appears to have then grassed over, been ploughed during the Beaker period, and then developed another turfline. In the Early Bronze Age the site was used for the burial of an adolescent c14, accompanied by beads of jet and amber. Nearby there was the burial of a young infant. Both were crouched, and over them was raised a presumably large mound with a deep ditch.
14/1300bc-8/700bc	The southern side of the ditch contained a substantial cremation cemetery. Forms of burial varied: some were in pits with or without a stone or pottery lid, some deposits were surrounded by stones, occasionally with additional stone lids. These cremation deposits were placed on or dug into a layer of bone, pottery and industrial waste from flint and sarsen working which appears to have been deliberately laid over a layer of established turf in the ditch. The more elaborate deposits occurred in the south western sector of the ditch, which contained substantially more sarsen, though possibly not a greater number of bodies than the south eastern sector. There were 2 free standing stones in the south western sector, possibly cemetery markers. The excavators considered that the cemetery may have been under guardianship: one deposit consisted of a cremation in an urn that was set upright on the inner edge of the ditch and had a stone lid. Wash from the ditch piled up against the urn, but it was probably visible for a considerable time after its original construction.
Remains/Period	Y4 Y3
County	Wiltshire
Region	S
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	139
Y coordinate	686
Bibliographic source	Anon 1988