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 Chilbolton

Site number 866

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4044 4046 4051 4065 4071 4082 4084 4091 4098 4101 4106 4107 4112 4121 4123 4124 4129 4143 4152 4153 4167 4181 4200

2500bc-14/1300bc A ring ditch with a central grave containing a primary and secondary burial, and an outer discontinuous ditch, filled with mid-brown clay loam with chalk and flint. The inner ditch like feature was separated from the outer by a narrow chalk berm. It was filled with compact grey-brown silt loam with much chalk, and a secondary deposit of orange-brown silt loam with a few chalk fragments.

RC: from hazel nut fragment in outer ditch OxA-2315 1790 +/- 80, primary burial OxA-1072 1790 +/- 80, secondary burial OxA-1073 1830 +/- 80

The central grave was a pit 1.7m x 2.5m x 0.7m deep, with an outer fill of hard packed chalk rubble suggesting backfill between the outer edges of a wooden mortuary chamber (surviving as a soil stain) and the pit wall. The primary burial was of an adult male c20-30 of robust build who had suffered a fractured forearm which had healed. The body was crouched, on its left side, head to N, and the bones were in a very disturbed state, although seemingly complete. The body may have been semi-articulated on burial or in an advanced state of decomposition on transport from elsewhere. It was much disturbed by the secondary burial: bones were moved (some in distinct groups, implying that the primary burial's mortuary chamber was not filled with soil) and replaced by the second grave excavators in the wrong positions. The soil surrounding the body was light grey, silty and friable, with chalk. It was accompanied by adjacent to the head a pair of gold, basket shaped earrings, another smaller pair of gold earrings, a sheet gold tubular bead from the skull region, and 55 flat shale beads (8 grey, 47 brown). There were two flint flakes by the knees, one joining with a flint fragment from the south end of the grave. Below the pelvis was a flint strike-a-light with a fragment of marcasite nodule. At the southern end of the grave lay an antler spatula and a number of flint flakes. A Bell Beaker was found in an upright position in the south west corner of the grave behind the body, standing on a thin layer of grave fill containing another flint flake. Against the east side of the Beaker was a tanged copper dagger, point upwards, its sheath surviving only as a soil cast. A layer of chalky soil covered the primary inhumation.

The secondary burial was of an adult male c35-45 in a crouched supine position, head to NW, with knees above and slightly to the east of the chest. A finger nail decorated Beaker lay on its side behind the heels of the body, mouth to NW. Two flint flakes lay in the neck region. There was loose grey soil around the body, which was overlain by the upper chalky fills of the grave.

There appears to have been a short interval between burials.

Remains/Period Y4

County Hampshire

Region S

National grid square SU

X coordinate 397

Y coordinate 396

Bibliographic source Russel 1990

Query

Site name	Chilbolton
Site number	866
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4044 4046 4051 4065 4071 4082 4084 4091 4098 4101 4106 4107 4112 4121 4123 4124 4129 4143 4152 4153 4167 4181 4200
2500bc-14/1300bc	A ring ditch with a central grave containing a primary and secondary burial, and an outer discontinuous ditch, filled with mid-brown clay loam with chalk and flint. The inner ditch like feature was separated from the outer by a narrow chalk berm. It was filled with compact grey-brown silt loam with much chalk, and a secondary deposit of orange-brown silt loam with a few chalk fragments. RC: from hazel nut fragment in outer ditch OxA-2315 1790 +/- 80, primary burial OxA-1072 1790 +/- 80, secondary burial OxA-1073 1830 +/- 80 The central grave was a pit 1.7m x 2.5m x 0.7m deep, with an outer fill of hard packed chalk rubble suggesting backfill between the outer edges of a wooden mortuary chamber (surviving as a soil stain) and the pit wall. The primary burial was of an adult male c20-30 of robust build who had suffered a fractured forearm which had healed. The body was crouched, on its left side, head to N, and the bones were in a very disturbed state, although seemingly complete. The body may have been semi-articulated on burial or in an advanced state of decomposition on transport from elsewhere. It was much disturbed by the secondary burial: bones were moved (some in distinct groups, implying that the primary burial's mortuary chamber was not filled with soil) and replaced by the second grave excavators in the wrong positions. The soil surrounding the body was light grey, silty and friable, with chalk. It was accompanied by adjacent to the head a pair of gold, basket shaped earrings, another smaller pair of gold earrings, a sheet gold tubular bead from the skull region, and 55 flat shale beads (8 grey, 47 brown). There were two flint flakes by the knees, one joining with a flint fragment from the south end of the grave. Below the pelvis was a flint strike-a-light with a fragment of marcasite nodule. At the southern end of the grave lay an antler spatula and a number of flint flakes. A Bell Beaker was found in an upright position in the south west corner of the grave behind the body, standing on a thin layer of grave fill containing another flint flake. Against the east side of the Beaker was a tanged copper dagger, point upwards, its sheath surviving only as a soil cast. A layer of chalky soil covered the primary inhumation. The secondary burial was of an adult male c35-45 in a crouched supine position, head to NW, with knees above and slightly to the east of the chest. A finger nail decorated Beaker lay on its side behind the heels of the body, mouth to NW. Two flint flakes lay in the neck region. There was loose grey soil around the body, which was overlain by the upper chalky fills of the grave. There appears to have been a short interval between burials.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Hampshire
Region	S
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	397
Y coordinate	396
Bibliographic source	Russel 1990