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 Trevassaborough, Davidstow Moor, Site I(1)

Site number 200

Burial codes 4001 4005 4021 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4045 4052 4053 4065 4075 4085 4093 4104 4111 4128 4142 4152 4154 4169 4181 4200

2500bc-14/1300bc An undisturbed circular platform mound 25.8m in diameter and 0.9m high, of clay and turf, built on the old land surface.There was no burial deposit from the full excavation, but on the floor at the centre was a small deposit of organic matter covered by a laminated dome of white clay and turves. The floor as a whole disclosed considerable evidence of a ritual in which fire and wooden objects played prominent parts. For the first time in Cornwall there was found a ring of stakes within which were the remains of several fires, and a large heap of charcoal. On the outer surface of the mound a light wooden fence at the shoulder enclosed the flat crown. On this surface were found traces of further fires and parts of a pot. Some groups of quartz stones may be remains of a central cairn. Wooden objects were half-moon shaped 15cm x 10cm, club shaped 65cm x 23cm x 5cm, in the shape of an equilateral triangle 18cm x 18cm x 15cm, charcoal traces of a possible plank, and a piece of hockey stick shaped timber. The report suggests that some fragments of human skeletal material were found on the platform floor.

Stage I was the single stake circle, with fires, some human skeletal material and the wooden objects. Stage II was the platform mound, fires lit and pottery broken. Stage III was an upper layer of earth extending out to the single stake circle. The double stake circle was set into the edge of this mound. There was later activity attested by pottery associated with two low mounds on the east side. One (from soil analysis) could have contained an inhumation wrapped or laid in organic material, or in a coffin.

RC: HAR-6634 1570 +/- 70

Remains/Period Y4

County Cornwall

Region SW

National grid square SX

X coordinate 148

Y coordinate 884

Bibliographic source Christie 1988

Query

Site name	Trevassaborough, Davidstow Moor, Site I(1)
Site number	200
Burial codes	4001 4005 4021 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4045 4052 4053 4065 4075 4085 4093 4104 4111 4128 4142 4152 4154 4169 4181 4200
2500bc-14/1300bc	An undisturbed circular platform mound 25.8m in diameter and 0.9m high, of clay and turf, built on the old land surface.There was no burial deposit from the full excavation, but on the floor at the centre was a small deposit of organic matter covered by a laminated dome of white clay and turves. The floor as a whole disclosed considerable evidence of a ritual in which fire and wooden objects played prominent parts. For the first time in Cornwall there was found a ring of stakes within which were the remains of several fires, and a large heap of charcoal. On the outer surface of the mound a light wooden fence at the shoulder enclosed the flat crown. On this surface were found traces of further fires and parts of a pot. Some groups of quartz stones may be remains of a central cairn. Wooden objects were half-moon shaped 15cm x 10cm, club shaped 65cm x 23cm x 5cm, in the shape of an equilateral triangle 18cm x 18cm x 15cm, charcoal traces of a possible plank, and a piece of hockey stick shaped timber. The report suggests that some fragments of human skeletal material were found on the platform floor. Stage I was the single stake circle, with fires, some human skeletal material and the wooden objects. Stage II was the platform mound, fires lit and pottery broken. Stage III was an upper layer of earth extending out to the single stake circle. The double stake circle was set into the edge of this mound. There was later activity attested by pottery associated with two low mounds on the east side. One (from soil analysis) could have contained an inhumation wrapped or laid in organic material, or in a coffin. RC: HAR-6634 1570 +/- 70
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Cornwall
Region	SW
National grid square	SX
X coordinate	148
Y coordinate	884
Bibliographic source	Christie 1988