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 Bishopstone, Rookery Hill

Site number 110

Burial codes 5003 5021 5023 5025 5028 5030 5035 5036 5184 5200 2003 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2036 2042 2046 2051 2065 2071 2072 2075 2084 2092 2098 2103 2104 2105 2107 2109 2110 2122 2127 2128 2129 2143 2153 2168 2181

3500bc - 2500bc A settlement not rich in pottery or food debris, except pit 357 which contained 153 sherds from at least 32 vessels, compared with 17 sherds from the rest of the Neolithic features. The pottery compares with that of Whitehawk (Site 108) and The Trundle (Site 112).

RC: from charcoal from Layers 4-7 HAR-1662 2510 +/- 70

8/700bc-100bc A grave was dug partly into the fill of the Early Iron Age settlement enclosure ditch at the south corner, c1.6m x 0.6m x 0.58m deep, oriented EW, with the head of the burial at the east end. The interment was of a female c17 and a baby of less than three months, the bones of the latter being scattered in the grave but mostly by the woman's head. The body had the arms drawn up to the shoulders, the legs drawn up and resting against the side of the grave. Near the feet were half a chalk spindle whorl and a perforated long bone. Soil covered the bodies, and at the top were large chalk blocks and some large flints. Some animal bones were in the grave fill. Stratification dated the grave to the later end of the Early Iron Age settlement, c3rd Century BC.

There was a second burial in an oval pit No 66 1.3m x 1.1m x 0.72m deep in the Iron Age settlement, of an adult male c30-40, oriented N/S, head to N. The pit was originally for storage, the burial lying 20cm above the floor on a layer of chalk rubble. The posture of the body was cramped (possibly bound?), the skull resting on the pit wall, the knees lying against one side, the feet pressed against the end of the pit, the arms across the chest as if folded. The body had been covered with a little chalk rubble, then a chalk and soil fill with fire cracked flints and small amounts of domestic debris. The pot sherds were mostly of the type found associated with the enclosure ditch, and therefore the burial was dated as associated with the earlier phases of the later unenclosed settlement.

Neither inhumation was disposed of with much concern for arrangement or possible ceremony.

Remains/Period Y2 N5

County Sussex

Region SE

National grid square TQ

X coordinate 467

Y coordinate 7

Bibliographic source Bell 1975, 1976, 1977, Wilson 1981, Wait 1985

Query

Site name	Bishopstone, Rookery Hill
Site number	110
Burial codes	5003 5021 5023 5025 5028 5030 5035 5036 5184 5200 2003 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2036 2042 2046 2051 2065 2071 2072 2075 2084 2092 2098 2103 2104 2105 2107 2109 2110 2122 2127 2128 2129 2143 2153 2168 2181
3500bc - 2500bc	A settlement not rich in pottery or food debris, except pit 357 which contained 153 sherds from at least 32 vessels, compared with 17 sherds from the rest of the Neolithic features. The pottery compares with that of Whitehawk (Site 108) and The Trundle (Site 112). RC: from charcoal from Layers 4-7 HAR-1662 2510 +/- 70
8/700bc-100bc	A grave was dug partly into the fill of the Early Iron Age settlement enclosure ditch at the south corner, c1.6m x 0.6m x 0.58m deep, oriented EW, with the head of the burial at the east end. The interment was of a female c17 and a baby of less than three months, the bones of the latter being scattered in the grave but mostly by the woman's head. The body had the arms drawn up to the shoulders, the legs drawn up and resting against the side of the grave. Near the feet were half a chalk spindle whorl and a perforated long bone. Soil covered the bodies, and at the top were large chalk blocks and some large flints. Some animal bones were in the grave fill. Stratification dated the grave to the later end of the Early Iron Age settlement, c3rd Century BC. There was a second burial in an oval pit No 66 1.3m x 1.1m x 0.72m deep in the Iron Age settlement, of an adult male c30-40, oriented N/S, head to N. The pit was originally for storage, the burial lying 20cm above the floor on a layer of chalk rubble. The posture of the body was cramped (possibly bound?), the skull resting on the pit wall, the knees lying against one side, the feet pressed against the end of the pit, the arms across the chest as if folded. The body had been covered with a little chalk rubble, then a chalk and soil fill with fire cracked flints and small amounts of domestic debris. The pot sherds were mostly of the type found associated with the enclosure ditch, and therefore the burial was dated as associated with the earlier phases of the later unenclosed settlement. Neither inhumation was disposed of with much concern for arrangement or possible ceremony.
Remains/Period	Y2 N5
County	Sussex
Region	SE
National grid square	TQ
X coordinate	467
Y coordinate	7
Bibliographic source	Bell 1975, 1976, 1977, Wilson 1981, Wait 1985