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 Gussage St Michael II, Thickthorn Down

Site number 63

Burial codes 5005 5022 5023 5025 5028 5030 5032 5053 5142 5153 5167 5184 5200 4002 4005 4009 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4032 4042 4051 4065 4072 4082 4092 4098 4102 4105 4108 4110 4111 4122 4128 4143 4153 4171 4181

3500bc - 2500bc Long barrow with U-shaped ditch open at south east, oriented SE. Two parallel banks of turf transverse to the axial line with chalk filling were found where the primary interment might have been expected. This embanked chamber was a possible mortuary house. Three pits pre-dated the barrow, and were filled with chalk rubble with the occasional burnt flint and charcoal. There were post holes in the causeway. The mound was oval with a core of turf and earth dumps built successively from the SSE, capped by chalk rubble, containing flintwork and animal bones, and had been undisturbed.

In the primary silting of the U-shaped ditch were Windmill Hill potsherds and 2 chalk phalli. At the same levels were found 6 nests of flint knapping debris, grooved chalk fragments, a grooved antler beam, and domestic and wild animal bones. Peterborough ware and Beaker sherds were found in higher levels.

RC: BM-2355 3210 +/- 45 from red deer antler on surface of buried soil beneath the north quadrant of the barrow.

2500bc-14/1300bc There was a secondary inhumation of a female c20 with a child c1.5 in a shallow grave just below the long barrow surface. The child appears to have been crouched, head to SE, and on its legs lay a Bi Beaker on its side. There was little of the adult female skeleton left and it may have been disturbed by the child inhumation. There were further secondary inhumations: a crouched dolichocephalic female c17-18, on its right side, head to SE, and by the right foot a Bi Beaker, by the left heel a bronze awl. Behind this lay a further secondary inhumation of a crouched burial surrounded by an oval of large flint nodules and without grave goods. This burial had disturbed the last.

Remains/Period Y4 N5

County Dorset

Region S

National grid square ST

X coordinate 972

Y coordinate 123

Bibliographic source Drew and Piggott 1936a, Grinsell 1959, Bradley and Entwhistle 1985

Query

Site name	Gussage St Michael II, Thickthorn Down
Site number	63
Burial codes	5005 5022 5023 5025 5028 5030 5032 5053 5142 5153 5167 5184 5200 4002 4005 4009 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4032 4042 4051 4065 4072 4082 4092 4098 4102 4105 4108 4110 4111 4122 4128 4143 4153 4171 4181
3500bc - 2500bc	Long barrow with U-shaped ditch open at south east, oriented SE. Two parallel banks of turf transverse to the axial line with chalk filling were found where the primary interment might have been expected. This embanked chamber was a possible mortuary house. Three pits pre-dated the barrow, and were filled with chalk rubble with the occasional burnt flint and charcoal. There were post holes in the causeway. The mound was oval with a core of turf and earth dumps built successively from the SSE, capped by chalk rubble, containing flintwork and animal bones, and had been undisturbed. In the primary silting of the U-shaped ditch were Windmill Hill potsherds and 2 chalk phalli. At the same levels were found 6 nests of flint knapping debris, grooved chalk fragments, a grooved antler beam, and domestic and wild animal bones. Peterborough ware and Beaker sherds were found in higher levels. RC: BM-2355 3210 +/- 45 from red deer antler on surface of buried soil beneath the north quadrant of the barrow.
2500bc-14/1300bc	There was a secondary inhumation of a female c20 with a child c1.5 in a shallow grave just below the long barrow surface. The child appears to have been crouched, head to SE, and on its legs lay a Bi Beaker on its side. There was little of the adult female skeleton left and it may have been disturbed by the child inhumation. There were further secondary inhumations: a crouched dolichocephalic female c17-18, on its right side, head to SE, and by the right foot a Bi Beaker, by the left heel a bronze awl. Behind this lay a further secondary inhumation of a crouched burial surrounded by an oval of large flint nodules and without grave goods. This burial had disturbed the last.
Remains/Period	Y4 N5
County	Dorset
Region	S
National grid square	ST
X coordinate	972
Y coordinate	123
Bibliographic source	Drew and Piggott 1936a, Grinsell 1959, Bradley and Entwhistle 1985