Largest Bronze Age barrow cemetery unearthed in southwest England
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Archaeologists have discovered one of the biggest Bronze Age burial mound cemeteries in southwest England.
The findings were made at a construction site on Netherhampton Road in Salisbury's southern suburbs.
Cotswold Archaeology researchers who led this excavation said the cemetery is likely 4,400 years old. Furthermore, the mounds are about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Stonehenge.
Despite its near vicinity to Stonehenge, the team emphasized that the site is unrelated to it because no proof has been documented connecting the two. However, the barrows and center phases of Stonehenge were most likely constructed in the same period.
Findings from the cemetery
This cemetery depicts around 20 circular mounds known as barrows that were probably created between 2400 and 1500 B.C.
The barrows were discovered to be of diverse sizes, ranging from around 33 feet (10 meters) wide to about 165 feet (50 meters). The majority of them are 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 meters) wide.
Archaeologists revealed that one of the barrows was initially surrounded by an oval-shaped ditch, but it was subsequently replaced with a round ditch.
“Round barrows were first constructed in the Neolithic period, although most were built during the Beaker and Early Bronze Age (2400 – 1500 BC), and usually consist of a central burial, a mound, and an enclosing ditch,” said the press release.
Another interesting find was the recovery of red deer (Cervus elaphus) antlers from one of the barrows. It was probably highly valued in the Neolithic periods for creating a variety of objects, such as tools, artifacts, and other items like pins and combs. The team will look for traces of fracture to see if they were used to build tools or not.
During the excavation work, the remnants of nine burials and three antique objects from tombs were recovered in the vicinity of the barrows. It was likely a mass grave as it contained skeletal remains of adults and children.
Among the burial items were earthenware "beakers." The discovery of these round-shaped drinking containers indicates that the individuals buried here belonged to the Bronze Age "Bell Beaker culture," which was prevalent in Britain after around 2450 B.C.
“This barrow also cut Neolithic pits containing a type of Late Neolithic pottery called Grooved Ware, which originated in various settlements on Orkney, around 3000 BC, before its wider adoption across Britain and Ireland,” added the release.
Up next, the team plans to conduct a scientific examination of the excavated material.
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