Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

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Site name Windmill Hill
Site number 73
Burial codes 5003 5009 5021 5023 5025 5028 5030 5035 5036 5042 5044 5047 5051 5053 5065 5072 5075 5084 5092 5098 5101 5104 5107 5108 5109 5111 5125 5126 5127 5143 5151 5153 5168 5181
3500bc - 2500bc Causewayed enclosure. Separate dumps of animal bone, decayed organic matter and charcoal on primary silt of ditch. Keiller's excavations discovered skeletons of 2 children and a number of animals buried in the ditches. Outer ditch Cutting III contained a child skeleton c2-3 oriented E on right side, a young pig skeleton, and a young goat skeleton. The middle ditch held a dog skeleton. The outer ditch in Cutting V contained a disturbed infant skeleton c7-7.5 months. None were in grave pits. Possibly the last burial had been heaped over with earth, and was oriented E on right side.

There were 'occupation hearths' in the ditches usually with pottery, animal bones, and flint in association. The ratio of quantities of deposits between Outer, Middle and Inner ditches was 1:2:3. Besides the complete skeleton, human skeletal material was distributed through 14 ditch segments: mostly skull and long bone fragments (of old bone) in the lower levels (4 adults, 3 children c3-8.5). Several pre-causeway pits were found, some with small items deposited, others not.

Whittle's excavations of 1988 found a pre-enclosure single grave and one deposit in the outer ditch including a child cranium. The single grave contained a male c35-40, and was set under the outer bank. The oval grave was filled by chalk rubble and dark soil mixed with rubble, the layers alternating. The top layer contained animal bone at the centre. The skeleton was on its back, contracted, head to the NE, and laid on the left side. It was largely complete and articulated but there was some displacement to the left arm, 2 bones of the lower leg, and a knee cap was over the right arm. The feet may have been bound. The body was left to decay in this position before burial.
Remains/Period Y5
County Wiltshire
Region S
National grid square SU
X coordinate 87
Y coordinate 715
Bibliographic source Keiller 1934, 1939, Piggott 1954a, Smith 1965b, Kinnes 1979, Whittle 1990a


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Last updated: Tues Aug 10 2004