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 Buckskin II Barrow, Basingstoke

Site number 1701

Burial codes 4002 4005 4006 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4092 4098 4104 4108 4111 4122 4128 4141 4152 4153 4159 4181 4200

2500bc-14/1300bc A poorly preserved bell barrow and ditch, with an unremarkable structure, and relatively artefact-poor finds. It provided material useful to environmental analysis, and to cultural interpretation. It demonstrated, in the view of the interpreters of the evidence, that 'the function of some barrows was complex, and need not necessarily have been primarily for interment' (Allen etc 1995, 157), since ritual activity appears to have been carried on unassociated with visible contemporary burial.

On the pre-barrow surface there was a cremation pit F3 dated by a Late Neolithic oblique arrow head from the primary fills. This occurred in a period of localised deciduous woodland clearance.

In the Early Bronze Age two concentric stake circles were erected on the site, possibly with a central marker post. Evidence of activity within the stake rings included an episode of burning (from cooking, thought the interpreters), and the deposition of animal bones mostly of high meat yielding parts of cattle and sheep or goat. The stakes were loosely spaced. There were two small post holes to the north of the outer ring. There were also several stake-arcs and peripheral stake holes in the SW part of the barrow which did not appear to relate to othe recorded features. The stakes appear to have been removed rather than left in to decay.

The outer stake ring was present at the formation of the platform of soil made as the barrow floor, since the platform edge terminates abruptly at the stake circle edge. Immediately outside the outer stake circle was an aureole of very burnt material. The central post hole was cut into the hollow of a tree hole. The pre-mound platform contained burnt, reddened soil and large fragments of charcoal, and in association many sherds of collared urn. These sherds also appeared outside the platform circle, on the old land surface.

The mound was constructed over the central area, and a complete quern and rubber were placed in the ditch immediately after the monument was completed. Chalk rubble capped the barrow, and a small amount of human bone came from this layer (possibly transported in from ploughing, however). The ditch was cut in five straight segments.

There was a secondary cremation pit containing the remains of a child c2-3. There was another empty pit between this cremation and the chalk mound cap.

RC: from pre-mound platform HAR-8374 2410 +/- 90, from burnt (?post) layer over central post hole HAR-8370 1640 +/- 100, from secondary cremation charcoal HAR-8371 1250 +/- 80, HAR-8372 1270 +/- 130.

Remains/Period Y4

County Hampshire

Region S

National grid square SU

X coordinate 604

Y coordinate 512

Bibliographic source Allen, Morris and Clark 1995, Allen and Applin 1996

Query

Site name	Buckskin II Barrow, Basingstoke
Site number	1701
Burial codes	4002 4005 4006 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4092 4098 4104 4108 4111 4122 4128 4141 4152 4153 4159 4181 4200
2500bc-14/1300bc	A poorly preserved bell barrow and ditch, with an unremarkable structure, and relatively artefact-poor finds. It provided material useful to environmental analysis, and to cultural interpretation. It demonstrated, in the view of the interpreters of the evidence, that 'the function of some barrows was complex, and need not necessarily have been primarily for interment' (Allen etc 1995, 157), since ritual activity appears to have been carried on unassociated with visible contemporary burial. On the pre-barrow surface there was a cremation pit F3 dated by a Late Neolithic oblique arrow head from the primary fills. This occurred in a period of localised deciduous woodland clearance. In the Early Bronze Age two concentric stake circles were erected on the site, possibly with a central marker post. Evidence of activity within the stake rings included an episode of burning (from cooking, thought the interpreters), and the deposition of animal bones mostly of high meat yielding parts of cattle and sheep or goat. The stakes were loosely spaced. There were two small post holes to the north of the outer ring. There were also several stake-arcs and peripheral stake holes in the SW part of the barrow which did not appear to relate to othe recorded features. The stakes appear to have been removed rather than left in to decay. The outer stake ring was present at the formation of the platform of soil made as the barrow floor, since the platform edge terminates abruptly at the stake circle edge. Immediately outside the outer stake circle was an aureole of very burnt material. The central post hole was cut into the hollow of a tree hole. The pre-mound platform contained burnt, reddened soil and large fragments of charcoal, and in association many sherds of collared urn. These sherds also appeared outside the platform circle, on the old land surface. The mound was constructed over the central area, and a complete quern and rubber were placed in the ditch immediately after the monument was completed. Chalk rubble capped the barrow, and a small amount of human bone came from this layer (possibly transported in from ploughing, however). The ditch was cut in five straight segments. There was a secondary cremation pit containing the remains of a child c2-3. There was another empty pit between this cremation and the chalk mound cap. RC: from pre-mound platform HAR-8374 2410 +/- 90, from burnt (?post) layer over central post hole HAR-8370 1640 +/- 100, from secondary cremation charcoal HAR-8371 1250 +/- 80, HAR-8372 1270 +/- 130.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Hampshire
Region	S
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	604
Y coordinate	512
Bibliographic source	Allen, Morris and Clark 1995, Allen and Applin 1996