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 Amesbury 85, Boscombe Down West

Site number 495

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4047 4051 4065 4071 4084 4093 4098 4101 4104 4107 4111 4121 4122 4123 4143 4152 4153 4157 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A bell barrow with a chalk capped mound formed of reddish compact soil with clay and flints. A central pit oriented NW/SE measuring 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.4m deep into the chalk had been disturbed c1400 AD (medieval pottery) and had probably contained a cremation accompanied by a worked flint flake, cut antler fragments, 2 ogival bronze daggers and 2 whetstones.

A second pit oriented NW/SE was sited 4.5m to the south west of the first, and was undisturbed. It measured 2.4m x 1.35m x 1.2m deep into the chalk, and had smooth sides and rounded corners. It contained a contracted skeleton of a male c50 on its left side, head to NW, facing NE by E, with arms bent upwards and inwards to the face. Carbonised wood was found on all four sides of the pit, evidence of a coffin or of a wooden lining (or possibly a mortuary house). Behind the head was an ogival flat bronze knife dagger, and between it and the skull was a flint end scraper. These had been packed in moss and yew leaves. Other holes were found in the barrow floor but were presumed natural. The second pit appears to have contained the earlier artefacts, but its position is not central to the barrow.

Remains/Period Y4

County Wiltshire

Region S

National grid square SU

X coordinate 178

Y coordinate 401

Bibliographic source Newall 1931

Query

Site name	Amesbury 85, Boscombe Down West
Site number	495
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4047 4051 4065 4071 4084 4093 4098 4101 4104 4107 4111 4121 4122 4123 4143 4152 4153 4157 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A bell barrow with a chalk capped mound formed of reddish compact soil with clay and flints. A central pit oriented NW/SE measuring 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.4m deep into the chalk had been disturbed c1400 AD (medieval pottery) and had probably contained a cremation accompanied by a worked flint flake, cut antler fragments, 2 ogival bronze daggers and 2 whetstones. A second pit oriented NW/SE was sited 4.5m to the south west of the first, and was undisturbed. It measured 2.4m x 1.35m x 1.2m deep into the chalk, and had smooth sides and rounded corners. It contained a contracted skeleton of a male c50 on its left side, head to NW, facing NE by E, with arms bent upwards and inwards to the face. Carbonised wood was found on all four sides of the pit, evidence of a coffin or of a wooden lining (or possibly a mortuary house). Behind the head was an ogival flat bronze knife dagger, and between it and the skull was a flint end scraper. These had been packed in moss and yew leaves. Other holes were found in the barrow floor but were presumed natural. The second pit appears to have contained the earlier artefacts, but its position is not central to the barrow.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Wiltshire
Region	S
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	178
Y coordinate	401
Bibliographic source	Newall 1931