Information for record number MWA12459:
Possible extent of graveyard of St. Peter's Church, Mancetter

Summary At least seven graves were recorded during fieldwork at Gramer House, Mancetter. Pottery from one grave was dated to the medieval period. It is suggested that this represents a shift of the graveyard boundary. The remains of a wall bisecting the trench could have been this boundary in the 19th century.
What Is It?  
Type: Cemetery
Period: Medieval - Industrial (1066 AD - 1913 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Mancetter
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 32 96
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 At least seven graves were recorded during fieldwork at Gramer House, Mancetter. Pottery from one grave was dated to the medieval period. It is suggested that this represents a shift of the graveyard boundary. The remains of a wall bisecting the trench could have been this boundary in the 19th century. The acidic soil had led to poor preservation.
2 Final report on work carried out
1. Severn features interpreted as being graves were recorded in trench 1. A disarticulated skill suggests further graves were present. The graves were dated to between the 13th and 16th cemeteries based on a single sherd of medieval pottery from the fill of one of the graves. The graves were aligned east to west with the head at the west end, typical of Christian medieval burials. Only one skeleton was subject to osteo-archaeological analysis, due to the poor preservation. The retrieval of holly seeds from environmental samples taken from the fills of the graves has been suggested to represent the placing of wreaths of holly upon the bodies during internment, a ritual now recognised as being common from around the country from various periods. The presence of human remains on the site dating from the medieval period suggests that the western boundary of the cemetery associated with St Peters church included some or all of the area excavated (trench 1). The wall recorded may actually have been the cemetery boundary for some time during the late 19th century.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief at Gramer House, Mancetter
Author/originator: J Milward
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: West Midlands Archaeology vol 48
Author/originator: S Watt (ed.)
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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technique Environmental Sample Plant and animal remains, such as fish bones, seeds, snails and even beetles, are organic materials. They can survive in the ground for hundreds of years given the right conditions. Archaeologists collect these environmental remains from archaeological sites to find out about the past environment and activities such as farming.

Seeds, pollen, insects and wood all survive well in waterlogged soil, whilst shell and bone survive well in chalky soil. If seeds get accidentally burned, for example in an oven, they will survive for hundreds of years. It is difficult to spot these tiny remains in the soil so archaeologists take soil samples from archaeological sites. The soil particles are then washed in a special tank so that they can be separated from any seeds, pollen and insect remains. The environmental remains are kept in glass tubes and are taken to the laboratory to be identified and analysed.
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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument YARD * A paved area, generally found at the back of a house. back
monument FIELDWORK * A usually temporary earthwork or fortification, the latter constructed by military forces operating in the field. Use more specific type where known. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument BOUNDARY * The limit to an area as defined on a map or by a marker of some form, eg. BOUNDARY WALL. Use specific type where known. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument GRAVE * A place of burial. Use more specific type where known. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument INDUSTRIAL * This is the top term for the class. See INDUSTRIAL Class List for narrow terms. back
monument CEMETERY * An area of ground, set apart for the burial of the dead. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument BURIAL * An interment of human or animal remains. Use specific type where known. If component use with wider site type. Use FUNERARY SITE for optimum retrieval in searches. back
monument HUMAN REMAINS * The unarticulated remains of the body of a human being. If articulated use inhumation. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record