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 Bredon Hill Camp

Site number 1136

Burial codes 2003 2004 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2042 2047 2051 2053 2065 2075 2084 2092 2098 2102 2104 2108 2109 2110 2111 2128 2143 2151 2153 2181 1004 1009 1022 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1036 1042 1047 1051 1053 1065 1075 1084 1092 1098 1101 1104 1106 1112 1122 1127 1128 1143 1151 1153 1181 1182

8/700bc-100bc A hill fort occupied from the Mid to Late Iron Age. Site I linked the occupation area with the NE arm of the inner rampart. In Pit D of a hut built behind the tail of the inner rampart in Site I were found portions of an infant's skull. In the top filling of a post hole was the upper jaw of a child c4.5-5. An adult mandible and part of an adult human skull were found in the loose filling immediately above the original floor level.

There was an infant burial in a post hole in the bronze working site, and the inhumation of a female in the rampart, covered by flint blocks, but disturbed by scavenging animals. There was another inhumation fragmented in the rampart, also disturbed by animal activity.

100bc-AD43 At the inner entrance of the refortified hill fort, on the last paving level were the remains of at least 50 (possibly 64) individuals, where identifiable young adult males, in the age range c25-35. The bodies were concentrated immediately outside the the actual gateway and spread out about 3.6m down the corridor to the exterior. The position of the bodies and parts of bodies did not indicate burial: they were left where they had fallen or been thrown down. They were extensively mutilated, probably immediately after capture of the fort: trunks without hands, legs or feet, limbs thrown 2m away from their bodies, and mandibles but few associated crania. The last suggests the heads may have been carried away. Some heads were set up on the actual gate which was then fired: a line of broken skull tops was found lying on and in the debris of the paving level exactly across the line of the gate. Intermingled with these remains were iron spears, bronze dagger chapes, javelin heads and small hammers. The forms of these were considered late by the excavators, and to set the fall of the fort at 'around the early part of the first century AD'. This suggestion is supported by the other finds associated with the bodies with late parallels elsewhere: bronze rings, a bone cheek piece, bronze hinges, and belt studs and bracelets. [Avery, however, dates the massacre at 'a decade or so after AD43' on pottery evidence].

A 'parcel of bones' consisting of two adult skeletons and three mandibles was also found in a post hole in the main gateway.

Site H was c4m east of Site D and linked the occupation area with the SW arm of the inner rampart thus paralleling Site I. In the later occupation phase a paved hearth had been built behind the rampart but abandoned, and the covering final occupation debris contained animal bones and human remains, including a portion of a skull and mandible.

Remains/Period Y2 Y1

County Gloucestershire

Region SW

National grid square SO

X coordinate 958

Y coordinate 400

Bibliographic source Hencken 1938, Wilson 1981, Avery 1993

Query

Site name	Bredon Hill Camp
Site number	1136
Burial codes	2003 2004 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2042 2047 2051 2053 2065 2075 2084 2092 2098 2102 2104 2108 2109 2110 2111 2128 2143 2151 2153 2181 1004 1009 1022 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1036 1042 1047 1051 1053 1065 1075 1084 1092 1098 1101 1104 1106 1112 1122 1127 1128 1143 1151 1153 1181 1182
8/700bc-100bc	A hill fort occupied from the Mid to Late Iron Age. Site I linked the occupation area with the NE arm of the inner rampart. In Pit D of a hut built behind the tail of the inner rampart in Site I were found portions of an infant's skull. In the top filling of a post hole was the upper jaw of a child c4.5-5. An adult mandible and part of an adult human skull were found in the loose filling immediately above the original floor level. There was an infant burial in a post hole in the bronze working site, and the inhumation of a female in the rampart, covered by flint blocks, but disturbed by scavenging animals. There was another inhumation fragmented in the rampart, also disturbed by animal activity.
100bc-AD43	At the inner entrance of the refortified hill fort, on the last paving level were the remains of at least 50 (possibly 64) individuals, where identifiable young adult males, in the age range c25-35. The bodies were concentrated immediately outside the the actual gateway and spread out about 3.6m down the corridor to the exterior. The position of the bodies and parts of bodies did not indicate burial: they were left where they had fallen or been thrown down. They were extensively mutilated, probably immediately after capture of the fort: trunks without hands, legs or feet, limbs thrown 2m away from their bodies, and mandibles but few associated crania. The last suggests the heads may have been carried away. Some heads were set up on the actual gate which was then fired: a line of broken skull tops was found lying on and in the debris of the paving level exactly across the line of the gate. Intermingled with these remains were iron spears, bronze dagger chapes, javelin heads and small hammers. The forms of these were considered late by the excavators, and to set the fall of the fort at 'around the early part of the first century AD'. This suggestion is supported by the other finds associated with the bodies with late parallels elsewhere: bronze rings, a bone cheek piece, bronze hinges, and belt studs and bracelets. [Avery, however, dates the massacre at 'a decade or so after AD43' on pottery evidence]. A 'parcel of bones' consisting of two adult skeletons and three mandibles was also found in a post hole in the main gateway. Site H was c4m east of Site D and linked the occupation area with the SW arm of the inner rampart thus paralleling Site I. In the later occupation phase a paved hearth had been built behind the rampart but abandoned, and the covering final occupation debris contained animal bones and human remains, including a portion of a skull and mandible.
Remains/Period	Y2 Y1
County	Gloucestershire
Region	SW
National grid square	SO
X coordinate	958
Y coordinate	400
Bibliographic source	Hencken 1938, Wilson 1981, Avery 1993