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Site name Marlborough Grange, Llanblethian
Site number 390
Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4041 4048 4051 4065 4075 4084 4093 4098 4104 4108 4111 4128 4129 4143 4152 4153 4156 4164 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc A round barrow of clay and turf structure surrounded by a drystone revetment wall and an irregular quarry ditch. An oval pit 0.8m x 0.5m x 0.3m deep was filled with three layers of clay (yellow, blue grey and yellow), and was empty of flints. It was covered by an oval mound of yellow clay oriented N/S, 18m x 10m, and on this was a 6.5m diameter dome of blue clay. Neither feature was concentric with the other or with the revetment wall. A primary burial was placed on the south slope of the dome: burnt human skeletal material of an adult and 2 juveniles, accompanied by a pygmy cup, and a heap of charcoal from the pyre which extended down the slope south east to the yellow clay mound, on which lay 4 pieces of timber. The turf mound was then superimposed, and the revetment wall constructed. Possibly the human skeletal material had been placed in a wooden box, as there was charred material surrounding it.

Two secondary cremation burials were inserted without gravegoods. One was partly sealed by stone slabs, was of an adult, mixed with charcoal and reddened clay, and in the south east quadrant. The other was very disturbed by the plough, was of an adult, and inserted into the turf mound. A pit was cut into the line of the revetment wall at the north east, and had first been filled with charred grain, charred earth and animal bones, charcoal, orange clay, and had been deposited when hot. It had been recut twice, and refilled with similar matter. It was hard to date, and may have belonged to the Iron Age. There was an Iron Age occupation deposit with scattered charcoal, potsherds (Iron Age A type), and burnt bone fragments, across the north of the quarry ditch on the south side.
Remains/Period Y4
County South Glamorgan
Region SW
National grid square SS
X coordinate 974
Y coordinate 736
Bibliographic source Savory 1967, 1969


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