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 Whitehawk

Site number 108

Burial codes 5005 5009 5021 5023 5025 5028 5030 5035 5036 5037 5042 5047 5051 5065 5072 5074 5084 5092 5097 5101 5102 5105 5106 5107 5108 5109 5110 5125 5127 5128 5130 5143 5151 5153 5171 5181 5200

3500bc - 2500bc Causewayed enclosure, the ditches silted with chalk rubble, and a 'central filling of black mould' which contained charcoal and vegetable debris - virtually all finds being contained within this filling. In or below this were 9 fragments of human skeletal material, 2 of a child.

In the earlier Ditch III was a dark band of possibly domestic refuse yielding most finds of pottery and other matter. In Ditch III/Cutting II was a female skeleton c25-30 semi-prone on left side, head oriented NW, legs flexed, deposited in the open ditch and not buried in a sunk grave, a fossil echinocorys scutatus in association. There was a second female skeleton head oriented S, age c20-25 buried in a definite grave of elongated oval shape oriented S, and surrounded by 10 large chalk blocks and a few small ones, soil covering the body to the level of the top of the blocks, and then a charcoal layer spread over. The body was semi-prone on its right side, lightly flexed. There had been some bone disarrangement probably by animals. There was also an infant skeleton, possibly a foetus in utero. The burial was accompanied by perforated chalk, 2 fossils and part of an ox radius. Most of the Neolithic pottery was over this burial.

In Ditch III/Cutting IV was a hearth and associated charred skull fragments of at least two individuals, and Windmill Hill pottery. All Cuttings in Ditch III except VIII produced skull fragments representing at least 5 individuals (three young adults and two children c6 and 11-12). The pottery showed some hybridity with Peterborough ware.

Between the line of the inner ditch and the edge of the second ditch was the burial of a middle aged male, contracted, head to E, face and limbs to N, in association with three Neolithic sherds and a considerable number of land molluscs, and 2-3 mussel shells near the head. It was lying on the surface of the undisturbed chalk.

Hole 51 was on the southern edge of the causeway of Ditch III, cut 1.3m deep into the natural chalk, and 0.85m in diameter. It was accompanied by a small post hole situated on a ledge on its south side. Hole 51 contained the skeleton of a child c7, head to S, face and limbs to E, curled up 0.85m above the bottom of the hole which had a fine grey chalky filling. There was associated with it 3-4 sherds of Neolithic pottery, and c6-8cm above the burial was a piece of chalk bearing incised lines. It was uncertain whether this was a grave per se, or a deposit in the hole for a tall post set at the causeway entrance.

RC: I-ll 846 2750 +/- 130, I-ll 847 2695 +/- 95

Remains/Period Y5

County Sussex

Region SE

National grid square TQ

X coordinate 331

Y coordinate 48

Bibliographic source Williamson 1930, Curwen 1931b, 1934a, 1936, 1954, Kinnes 1979

Query

Site name	Whitehawk
Site number	108
Burial codes	5005 5009 5021 5023 5025 5028 5030 5035 5036 5037 5042 5047 5051 5065 5072 5074 5084 5092 5097 5101 5102 5105 5106 5107 5108 5109 5110 5125 5127 5128 5130 5143 5151 5153 5171 5181 5200
3500bc - 2500bc	Causewayed enclosure, the ditches silted with chalk rubble, and a 'central filling of black mould' which contained charcoal and vegetable debris - virtually all finds being contained within this filling. In or below this were 9 fragments of human skeletal material, 2 of a child. In the earlier Ditch III was a dark band of possibly domestic refuse yielding most finds of pottery and other matter. In Ditch III/Cutting II was a female skeleton c25-30 semi-prone on left side, head oriented NW, legs flexed, deposited in the open ditch and not buried in a sunk grave, a fossil echinocorys scutatus in association. There was a second female skeleton head oriented S, age c20-25 buried in a definite grave of elongated oval shape oriented S, and surrounded by 10 large chalk blocks and a few small ones, soil covering the body to the level of the top of the blocks, and then a charcoal layer spread over. The body was semi-prone on its right side, lightly flexed. There had been some bone disarrangement probably by animals. There was also an infant skeleton, possibly a foetus in utero. The burial was accompanied by perforated chalk, 2 fossils and part of an ox radius. Most of the Neolithic pottery was over this burial. In Ditch III/Cutting IV was a hearth and associated charred skull fragments of at least two individuals, and Windmill Hill pottery. All Cuttings in Ditch III except VIII produced skull fragments representing at least 5 individuals (three young adults and two children c6 and 11-12). The pottery showed some hybridity with Peterborough ware. Between the line of the inner ditch and the edge of the second ditch was the burial of a middle aged male, contracted, head to E, face and limbs to N, in association with three Neolithic sherds and a considerable number of land molluscs, and 2-3 mussel shells near the head. It was lying on the surface of the undisturbed chalk. Hole 51 was on the southern edge of the causeway of Ditch III, cut 1.3m deep into the natural chalk, and 0.85m in diameter. It was accompanied by a small post hole situated on a ledge on its south side. Hole 51 contained the skeleton of a child c7, head to S, face and limbs to E, curled up 0.85m above the bottom of the hole which had a fine grey chalky filling. There was associated with it 3-4 sherds of Neolithic pottery, and c6-8cm above the burial was a piece of chalk bearing incised lines. It was uncertain whether this was a grave per se, or a deposit in the hole for a tall post set at the causeway entrance. RC: I-ll 846 2750 +/- 130, I-ll 847 2695 +/- 95
Remains/Period	Y5
County	Sussex
Region	SE
National grid square	TQ
X coordinate	331
Y coordinate	48
Bibliographic source	Williamson 1930, Curwen 1931b, 1934a, 1936, 1954, Kinnes 1979