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 Dorchester-on-Thames, Site I

Site number 138

Burial codes 5005 5009 5021 5024 5025 5028 5030 5031 5043 5046 5048 5051 5065 5075 5084 5092 5101 5104 5107 5108 5111 5128 5129 5143 5153 5181

3500bc - 2500bc A rectangular ditch enclosing an oval ditch with the long axis oriented NE, which in turn within an internal bank enclosed a concentric 13 oval pit ring. The pit sizes varied from 1.2m x 0.85m to 4.5m x 1.1m. Inside the entrance gap of the ring on the west side was a crouched adult male skeleton on its left side, facing into the ring, with no accompanying goods. Western Neolithic pottery (Abingdon ware) was associated with all features. 4 of the oval pits in the ring (8, 9, 11 and 13) had single cremations in or beside them, 2 of which were accompanied by fragmentary bone skewer pins. They had been set down after the filling in of the pit holes. They were of a middle aged adult, an adolescent c14-17, an adult and another adult. The pit fillings were fine, close grained dark soil, almost black in colour, with some mixed with patches of gravelly loam or gravel. There were 4-5 depressions or holes to the NW and W of the centre of the post hole ring.

The oval ditch was enlarged slightly at a later time, and contained Abingdon sherds in the primary and secondary fill, a grooved ware rim and a polished stone axe fragment (not precisely located). The 4 pit cremations may have belonged to this phase.

The square ditch's diagonal axis was aligned with that of the oval ring. It contained some Abingdon sherds in primary silting.

[Order suggested by Whittle et al 1992: Dorchester Site VIII, 1, III, XI, II, I, IV, V, VI, 2, 3, XIV, XII, XIII, 4, VII, IX].

Remains/Period Y5

County Oxfordshire

Region SE

National grid square SU

X coordinate 569

Y coordinate 958

Bibliographic source Atkinson 1951a, Atkinson, Piggott and Sanders 1951, Kinnes 1979

Query

Site name	Dorchester-on-Thames, Site I
Site number	138
Burial codes	5005 5009 5021 5024 5025 5028 5030 5031 5043 5046 5048 5051 5065 5075 5084 5092 5101 5104 5107 5108 5111 5128 5129 5143 5153 5181
3500bc - 2500bc	A rectangular ditch enclosing an oval ditch with the long axis oriented NE, which in turn within an internal bank enclosed a concentric 13 oval pit ring. The pit sizes varied from 1.2m x 0.85m to 4.5m x 1.1m. Inside the entrance gap of the ring on the west side was a crouched adult male skeleton on its left side, facing into the ring, with no accompanying goods. Western Neolithic pottery (Abingdon ware) was associated with all features. 4 of the oval pits in the ring (8, 9, 11 and 13) had single cremations in or beside them, 2 of which were accompanied by fragmentary bone skewer pins. They had been set down after the filling in of the pit holes. They were of a middle aged adult, an adolescent c14-17, an adult and another adult. The pit fillings were fine, close grained dark soil, almost black in colour, with some mixed with patches of gravelly loam or gravel. There were 4-5 depressions or holes to the NW and W of the centre of the post hole ring. The oval ditch was enlarged slightly at a later time, and contained Abingdon sherds in the primary and secondary fill, a grooved ware rim and a polished stone axe fragment (not precisely located). The 4 pit cremations may have belonged to this phase. The square ditch's diagonal axis was aligned with that of the oval ring. It contained some Abingdon sherds in primary silting. [Order suggested by Whittle et al 1992: Dorchester Site VIII, 1, III, XI, II, I, IV, V, VI, 2, 3, XIV, XII, XIII, 4, VII, IX].
Remains/Period	Y5
County	Oxfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	569
Y coordinate	958
Bibliographic source	Atkinson 1951a, Atkinson, Piggott and Sanders 1951, Kinnes 1979