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 Avebury 55

Site number 472

Burial codes 4005 4007 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4047 4051 4065 4073 4084 4092 4101 4104 4107 4108 4109 4110 4111 4121 4122 4127 4128 4143 4152 4153 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A bell barrow built on a previous occupation site. It covered three cremations. Cremation I had been disturbed and was 3m north of the barrow centre, in an oblong pit with rounded sides oriented WSW/ENE. These grave goods accompanied it: an inverted pygmy cup, a metal awl, a small pendant of horn, 3 stem joints of fossil encrinites (beads), and part of a (?)chalk bead. There was some uncremated bone in the south west corner of the pit. A collared urn sherd was in the disturbed pit fill and could have been from the urn containing cremation I. The cremation deposit comprised two individuals, a probable male c20-30, and a child of under c1 with rickets.

Cremation II on the south east berm was secondary, and in an oblong pit oriented NW/SE. The bones appear to have been inserted in an oblong container, as they were concentrated in an oblong mass 0.45m x 0.2m. Again there were 2 individuals, a child c10-12, and one of under c1.

Cremation III was in an oval pit oriented EW, and small in quantity, accompanied by a fill of soft black material including heat shattered flints and burnt chalk. In the centre were some larger pieces of charcoal. All were inserted when still hot from the pyre, as they had burnt the pit sides. One burnt bone bead had accompanied the cremation.

On the west berm, 1.5m from the edge of the ditch, was an irregularly cut grave in which lay the tightly contracted skeleton of a mature male individual c40 or more, head to S, on its left side, ascribed to the Beaker period by Smith. On the berm and under the barrow mound there were a number of occupation pits containing sherds datable to Neolithic (Windmill Hill) and Beaker occupations of the area, and also domestic refuse - flint, stone, animal bone, and antler. In pit 3 at different levels of the filling were parts of the skeleton of an infant c6 months, at the bottom spreading into the filling of pit 3A. The skeleton was incomplete, and appears to have been deposited in a disarticulated state in the refilling of these pits. The infant appeared to have suffered from rickets judging from bone pathology. The latest sherds in the fill were long necked Beakers.

Remains/Period Y4

County Wiltshire

Region S

National grid square SU

X coordinate 102

Y coordinate 679

Bibliographic source Smith 1965c, Brothwell 1992

Query

Site name	Avebury 55
Site number	472
Burial codes	4005 4007 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4047 4051 4065 4073 4084 4092 4101 4104 4107 4108 4109 4110 4111 4121 4122 4127 4128 4143 4152 4153 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A bell barrow built on a previous occupation site. It covered three cremations. Cremation I had been disturbed and was 3m north of the barrow centre, in an oblong pit with rounded sides oriented WSW/ENE. These grave goods accompanied it: an inverted pygmy cup, a metal awl, a small pendant of horn, 3 stem joints of fossil encrinites (beads), and part of a (?)chalk bead. There was some uncremated bone in the south west corner of the pit. A collared urn sherd was in the disturbed pit fill and could have been from the urn containing cremation I. The cremation deposit comprised two individuals, a probable male c20-30, and a child of under c1 with rickets. Cremation II on the south east berm was secondary, and in an oblong pit oriented NW/SE. The bones appear to have been inserted in an oblong container, as they were concentrated in an oblong mass 0.45m x 0.2m. Again there were 2 individuals, a child c10-12, and one of under c1. Cremation III was in an oval pit oriented EW, and small in quantity, accompanied by a fill of soft black material including heat shattered flints and burnt chalk. In the centre were some larger pieces of charcoal. All were inserted when still hot from the pyre, as they had burnt the pit sides. One burnt bone bead had accompanied the cremation. On the west berm, 1.5m from the edge of the ditch, was an irregularly cut grave in which lay the tightly contracted skeleton of a mature male individual c40 or more, head to S, on its left side, ascribed to the Beaker period by Smith. On the berm and under the barrow mound there were a number of occupation pits containing sherds datable to Neolithic (Windmill Hill) and Beaker occupations of the area, and also domestic refuse - flint, stone, animal bone, and antler. In pit 3 at different levels of the filling were parts of the skeleton of an infant c6 months, at the bottom spreading into the filling of pit 3A. The skeleton was incomplete, and appears to have been deposited in a disarticulated state in the refilling of these pits. The infant appeared to have suffered from rickets judging from bone pathology. The latest sherds in the fill were long necked Beakers.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Wiltshire
Region	S
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	102
Y coordinate	679
Bibliographic source	Smith 1965c, Brothwell 1992