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 Dorchester-on-Thames, Site 3

Site number 874

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4032 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4092 4098 4104 4108 4111 4124 4125 4128 4143 4151 4153 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc A post circle lying centrally in the cursus about a quarter of the way along it from the SE terminal. It was an egg-shaped circle of 12 posts with the long axis on that of the cursus. The posts were of oak and some of them had been burnt in situ. There were 6 deposits of scattered fragments of cremated human bone from 4 post holes. In one of these post holes (F2012) a large possible Early Bronze Age potsherd was found with several fragments of unburnt cattle bone and tooth in association with the cremation. Post hole F2009 also had cattle bone fragments associated with the cremation. The cremations were of at least 5 individuals, 1 adolescent and 4 adults or adolescents. They may have arrived where they were found by erosion from the surrounding ground surface, having been placed on the ground initially.

The original structure may have been a post circle, modified later to a cremation cemetery.

RC: from cremations above burnt posts BM-2163R 2120 +/- 130, and BM-2165R 1600 +/- 130, BM-2166R 2080 +/- 130; from outer wood of posts BM-2161R 2110 +/- 110, BM-2162R 2150 +/- 120, BM-2164R 2170 +/- 120

[Order suggested by Whittle et al 1992: Dorchester Site VIII, 1, III, XI, II, I, IV, V, VI, 2, 3, XIV, XII, XIII, 4, VII, IX].

Remains/Period Y4

County Oxfordshire

Region SE

National grid square SU

X coordinate 579

Y coordinate 950

Bibliographic source Chambers 1982, Whittle, Atkinson, Chambers and Thomas 1992, Gibson 1992b

Query

Site name	Dorchester-on-Thames, Site 3
Site number	874
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4032 4041 4048 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4092 4098 4104 4108 4111 4124 4125 4128 4143 4151 4153 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	A post circle lying centrally in the cursus about a quarter of the way along it from the SE terminal. It was an egg-shaped circle of 12 posts with the long axis on that of the cursus. The posts were of oak and some of them had been burnt in situ. There were 6 deposits of scattered fragments of cremated human bone from 4 post holes. In one of these post holes (F2012) a large possible Early Bronze Age potsherd was found with several fragments of unburnt cattle bone and tooth in association with the cremation. Post hole F2009 also had cattle bone fragments associated with the cremation. The cremations were of at least 5 individuals, 1 adolescent and 4 adults or adolescents. They may have arrived where they were found by erosion from the surrounding ground surface, having been placed on the ground initially. The original structure may have been a post circle, modified later to a cremation cemetery. RC: from cremations above burnt posts BM-2163R 2120 +/- 130, and BM-2165R 1600 +/- 130, BM-2166R 2080 +/- 130; from outer wood of posts BM-2161R 2110 +/- 110, BM-2162R 2150 +/- 120, BM-2164R 2170 +/- 120 [Order suggested by Whittle et al 1992: Dorchester Site VIII, 1, III, XI, II, I, IV, V, VI, 2, 3, XIV, XII, XIII, 4, VII, IX].
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Oxfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	579
Y coordinate	950
Bibliographic source	Chambers 1982, Whittle, Atkinson, Chambers and Thomas 1992, Gibson 1992b