Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

Background to the Gazetteer | Table of Contents

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 Barrow Hills Field 4A, Radley

Site number 986

Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4046 4051 4053 4065 4072 4075 4084 4093 4101 4104 4108 4111 4122 4123 4128 4143 4152 4153 4157 4181

2500bc-14/1300bc Two barrows 4 and 4A contained within a single ditch, forming a regular arc at the north east, but straightening on both sides to join a smaller regular arc at the south west, making a pear shape.

Barrow 4A had an earth mound capped with gravel, and a berm stripped of topsoil to make the mound. There was a central burial pit c2.25m x 1.35m x 0.9m deep, oriented EW, and encircled by a trench. The skeleton was that of a male buried lying on his back, head and legs to the left, the legs acutely flexed, right arm across the chest, left arm flexed with hand under the chin. Accompanying the burial were a pair of sheet gold basket type earrings or hair ornaments worn on deposition, a Beaker of Bi type placed by the left foot, and three small barbed and tanged flint arrow heads in the gravel immediately above the skeleton and seemingly placed in the grave at a late stage. A fourth such arrow head, but damaged, had been dropped in the body of the mound. The earrings were incised with decorative lines.

The surrounding trench was V-shaped and cut c0.75m wide and 0.25-3m deep in the old ground surface. On the bottom of the trench south of the pit lay a horn core and a metetarsus of ox, contemporary with the burial deposit. On the top of the infilled trench east of the pit, and deposited before the mound was built, was the inhumation of a child, on its left side, head to E, bent forward, legs slightly flexed. There appeared to be the remains of a coffin above and below the body. There were no grave goods.

Remains/Period Y4

County Oxfordshire

Region SE

National grid square SU

X coordinate 515

Y coordinate 984

Bibliographic source Williams 1948, Hawkes 1961, Sherratt 1986

Query

Site name	Barrow Hills Field 4A, Radley
Site number	986
Burial codes	4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4035 4042 4046 4051 4053 4065 4072 4075 4084 4093 4101 4104 4108 4111 4122 4123 4128 4143 4152 4153 4157 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc	Two barrows 4 and 4A contained within a single ditch, forming a regular arc at the north east, but straightening on both sides to join a smaller regular arc at the south west, making a pear shape. Barrow 4A had an earth mound capped with gravel, and a berm stripped of topsoil to make the mound. There was a central burial pit c2.25m x 1.35m x 0.9m deep, oriented EW, and encircled by a trench. The skeleton was that of a male buried lying on his back, head and legs to the left, the legs acutely flexed, right arm across the chest, left arm flexed with hand under the chin. Accompanying the burial were a pair of sheet gold basket type earrings or hair ornaments worn on deposition, a Beaker of Bi type placed by the left foot, and three small barbed and tanged flint arrow heads in the gravel immediately above the skeleton and seemingly placed in the grave at a late stage. A fourth such arrow head, but damaged, had been dropped in the body of the mound. The earrings were incised with decorative lines. The surrounding trench was V-shaped and cut c0.75m wide and 0.25-3m deep in the old ground surface. On the bottom of the trench south of the pit lay a horn core and a metetarsus of ox, contemporary with the burial deposit. On the top of the infilled trench east of the pit, and deposited before the mound was built, was the inhumation of a child, on its left side, head to E, bent forward, legs slightly flexed. There appeared to be the remains of a coffin above and below the body. There were no grave goods.
Remains/Period	Y4
County	Oxfordshire
Region	SE
National grid square	SU
X coordinate	515
Y coordinate	984
Bibliographic source	Williams 1948, Hawkes 1961, Sherratt 1986