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 Roxton Ring Ditch C

Site number 920

Burial codes 4005 4009 4022 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4044 4047 4052 4053 4065 4072 4075 4084 4093 4098 4103 4104 4105 4108 4110 4111 4124 4125 4128 4129 4141 4143 4152 4153 4161 4167 4181 4200 3005 3009 3022 3024 3025 3028 3030 3035 3041 3048 3052 3053 3065 3075 3081 3084 3093 3098 3103 3104 3108 3110 3111 3129 3141 3151 3152 3153 3154 3161 3181 3200

2500bc-14/1300bc Ring ditch C in a group of five, probably a saucer barrow, sub-circular, with an outer bank, and with the ring ditch profile modified at the north east to take a burial cairn. To the west of the ring ditch a post structure surrounded burial B7. There were primary and secondary burials, and some evidence that the secondary burials involved a complex exhumation, redeposition and secondary interment sequence including barrow restructuring.

The primary central burial had been disturbed during re-excavation of the central pit for the secondary burials. Consequently the primary cremation (B5) was found redeposited in the backfill of the secondary central burial pit, and below the secondary burial, the remains (b5) being predominantly of an adult male, but one fragment being of a child c4-6, accompanied by fragments of collared urn of the Early Bronze Age. A cleaned out hearth was associated with the central burial pit and provided a few bones (b4) probably also from the redeposited primary cremation. Associated with these were a broken bone toggle, more pieces from the collared urn, and large timbers of oak charcoal (i).

There were other depositions of cremated bone from the redeposited primary cremation recovered from the backfill and from the tipline above the initial backfill and associated infill layers (b6-7). These were respectively the remains of an adult male and a female or child accompanied by some charcoal (ii), and those of a possible adult male, a possible adult female, and a child. There were fragments of pig and sheep bone with the last, broken sherds of the collared urn referred to above and some charcoal (iii).

RC: from oak charcoal (i) HAR-1002 1670 +/- 80, charcoal (ii) HAR-1000 1710 +/- 80, charcoal (iii) HAR-999 1850 +/- 130 from robbed primary burial, burial.

Outside the ring ditch was a flexed inhumation (B7), head to NE, probably of a male c25 accompanied by broken flint flakes, in an ovate pit with paired post holes, and an arc of post pits to the north. This was dated on burial characteristics to the Early Bronze Age. This may have been the foundation burial of the site.

14/1300bc-8/700bc Ring ditch C in a group of five (see 2500-14/1300 bc). There was a central secondary cremation (B5) in a circular hollow with an associated hearth and stake set within a central pit. There was a discrete concentration of cremated bones (b3) in the pit which was cut into redeposited mound material. The remains were of two persons, one male the other possibly female, accompanied by a pair of bone toggles and charcoal (i).

There was a secondary cremation (B6) in the ring ditch in the remains of a stone cairn inserted through the turf line into the primary ditch fill, causing modification to the ditch profile. There were three deposits (b8-10), one of cremated bones of a child c6-9 in an upturned urn with no grave goods, one of cremated bone in the cairn with charcoal (ii), and one of cremated bone in the burial cutting with charcoal. Both of the last could be part of the first deposit.

RC: from charcoal (i) in circular hollow HAR-1001 1180 +/- 60, from charcoal (ii) in the ring ditch HAR-1003 1250 +/- 50

Remains/Period Y4 Y3

County Bedfordshire

Region SE

National grid square TL

X coordinate 157

Y coordinate 535

Bibliographic source Taylor and Woodward 1985

Query

Site name	Roxton Ring Ditch C
Site number	920
Burial codes	4005 4009 4022 4024 4025 4028 4030 4035 4043 4044 4047 4052 4053 4065 4072 4075 4084 4093 4098 4103 4104 4105 4108 4110 4111 4124 4125 4128 4129 4141 4143 4152 4153 4161 4167 4181 4200 3005 3009 3022 3024 3025 3028 3030 3035 3041 3048 3052 3053 3065 3075 3081 3084 3093 3098 3103 3104 3108 3110 3111 3129 3141 3151 3152 3153 3154 3161 3181 3200
2500bc-14/1300bc	Ring ditch C in a group of five, probably a saucer barrow, sub-circular, with an outer bank, and with the ring ditch profile modified at the north east to take a burial cairn. To the west of the ring ditch a post structure surrounded burial B7. There were primary and secondary burials, and some evidence that the secondary burials involved a complex exhumation, redeposition and secondary interment sequence including barrow restructuring. The primary central burial had been disturbed during re-excavation of the central pit for the secondary burials. Consequently the primary cremation (B5) was found redeposited in the backfill of the secondary central burial pit, and below the secondary burial, the remains (b5) being predominantly of an adult male, but one fragment being of a child c4-6, accompanied by fragments of collared urn of the Early Bronze Age. A cleaned out hearth was associated with the central burial pit and provided a few bones (b4) probably also from the redeposited primary cremation. Associated with these were a broken bone toggle, more pieces from the collared urn, and large timbers of oak charcoal (i). There were other depositions of cremated bone from the redeposited primary cremation recovered from the backfill and from the tipline above the initial backfill and associated infill layers (b6-7). These were respectively the remains of an adult male and a female or child accompanied by some charcoal (ii), and those of a possible adult male, a possible adult female, and a child. There were fragments of pig and sheep bone with the last, broken sherds of the collared urn referred to above and some charcoal (iii). RC: from oak charcoal (i) HAR-1002 1670 +/- 80, charcoal (ii) HAR-1000 1710 +/- 80, charcoal (iii) HAR-999 1850 +/- 130 from robbed primary burial, burial. Outside the ring ditch was a flexed inhumation (B7), head to NE, probably of a male c25 accompanied by broken flint flakes, in an ovate pit with paired post holes, and an arc of post pits to the north. This was dated on burial characteristics to the Early Bronze Age. This may have been the foundation burial of the site.
14/1300bc-8/700bc	Ring ditch C in a group of five (see 2500-14/1300 bc). There was a central secondary cremation (B5) in a circular hollow with an associated hearth and stake set within a central pit. There was a discrete concentration of cremated bones (b3) in the pit which was cut into redeposited mound material. The remains were of two persons, one male the other possibly female, accompanied by a pair of bone toggles and charcoal (i). There was a secondary cremation (B6) in the ring ditch in the remains of a stone cairn inserted through the turf line into the primary ditch fill, causing modification to the ditch profile. There were three deposits (b8-10), one of cremated bones of a child c6-9 in an upturned urn with no grave goods, one of cremated bone in the cairn with charcoal (ii), and one of cremated bone in the burial cutting with charcoal. Both of the last could be part of the first deposit. RC: from charcoal (i) in circular hollow HAR-1001 1180 +/- 60, from charcoal (ii) in the ring ditch HAR-1003 1250 +/- 50
Remains/Period	Y4 Y3
County	Bedfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	TL
X coordinate	157
Y coordinate	535
Bibliographic source	Taylor and Woodward 1985