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 St Mewan 1, Cocksbarrow, Longstone Downs

Site number 229

Burial codes 4001 4005 4021 4024 4025 4028 4030 4032 4041 4045 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4091 4098 4104 4111 4112 4129 4141 4152 4153 4154 4162 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A primary structure of an outer ring cairn mostly built over a double post circle set in pits, with three more posts roughly equidistant within the ring. Further posts may have been set in the stones of the cairn ring. The entrance to the south east was floored with yellow clay on which a fire had been lit. The break in the post circle coincided with this entrance. The inner cairn ring was a single ring of stones leaning up against a 2-3 turf high backing which probably kept its level to the the inside of the outer cairn. There were three pits, one outside the north west outer ring packed with small blocks of white quartz in black soil, the second and third in the inner south east quadrant filled with fine black soil and rab. One contained a granite slab at an angle.

There was a central cremation deposit in a moorstone slab-lined pit. The bones were in a compact mass at the bottom, as if deposited in a bag, clean, unmixed with charcoal or ash, and were of part of an adult individual. A horn ladle rested on peaty black soil near the cremation. Slab shaped granite pieces were placed over the burial. The turf stack covering this deposit contained 21 flints (struck or artefacts), and was built straight after the deposit was made, as the pit upcast was unweathered to the south east where it was thrown out.

The mound was of turves and yellow clay and was built on the old land surface.

Remains/Period Y4

County Cornwall

Region SW

National grid square SW

X coordinate 985

Y coordinate 563

Bibliographic source Miles and Miles 1971, Miles 1975a

Query

Site name	St Mewan 1, Cocksbarrow, Longstone Downs
Site number	229
Burial codes	4001 4005 4021 4024 4025 4028 4030 4032 4041 4045 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4091 4098 4104 4111 4112 4129 4141 4152 4153 4154 4162 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A primary structure of an outer ring cairn mostly built over a double post circle set in pits, with three more posts roughly equidistant within the ring. Further posts may have been set in the stones of the cairn ring. The entrance to the south east was floored with yellow clay on which a fire had been lit. The break in the post circle coincided with this entrance. The inner cairn ring was a single ring of stones leaning up against a 2-3 turf high backing which probably kept its level to the the inside of the outer cairn. There were three pits, one outside the north west outer ring packed with small blocks of white quartz in black soil, the second and third in the inner south east quadrant filled with fine black soil and rab. One contained a granite slab at an angle. There was a central cremation deposit in a moorstone slab-lined pit. The bones were in a compact mass at the bottom, as if deposited in a bag, clean, unmixed with charcoal or ash, and were of part of an adult individual. A horn ladle rested on peaty black soil near the cremation. Slab shaped granite pieces were placed over the burial. The turf stack covering this deposit contained 21 flints (struck or artefacts), and was built straight after the deposit was made, as the pit upcast was unweathered to the south east where it was thrown out. The mound was of turves and yellow clay and was built on the old land surface.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Cornwall
Region	SW
National grid square	SW
X coordinate	985
Y coordinate	563
Bibliographic source	Miles and Miles 1971, Miles 1975a