Information for record number MWA7953:
Bronze Age Cemetery and other features at Coton Park Rugby

Summary The site of a Bronze Age cremation cemetery reavealed during excavation. The site is located 500m south of Coton House.
What Is It?  
Type: Pit, Cremation Cemetery
Period: Middle Bronze Age (1600 BC - 1201 BC)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Churchover
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 51 78
(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 Archaeological evaluation at Coton Park, Rugby carried out by Thames Valley Archaeological Services revealed Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze/early Iron Age activity on the site. The evidence, however, was fairly sparse and consisted of two or three pits and a shallow ditch. Associated with these features were small quantities of pottery. There were no other features which could be dated with any degree of certainty to these periods.
2 Further excavation on the site of the DMV recorded the cremation cemetery and other Bronze Age features at this site, with its Deverel-Rimbury assemblage. The cemetery was probably in use between 1400 and 1200 BC. None of the cremations were urned, although in one instance a small bowl was used as an accessory vessel. It can be compared with the possibly contemporary site at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, although the lack of dating evidence makes a definite statement concerning any regional or chronological trends difficult.
3,
4 Residual flint and stone denote activity of Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date. The earliest cut features are a pit group, containing Deverel-Rimbury pottery assemblage of middle Bronze Age date, and a cremation cemetery, which has been radiocarbon dated to the Middle Bronze Age.
5 Verbal communication.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Excavation of the Deserted Medieval Village of Coton at Coton Park, Rugby
Author/originator: Maull, A
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Excavation of the DMV of Coton: Illustrations and Appendices
Author/originator: Maull, A
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Excavation of the DMV at Coton Park: Assessment Report and Updated Research Design
Author/originator: Maull, A
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Coton Park Rugby:An Archaeological Evaluation
Author/originator: J Saunders
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Aggregates Assessment
Author/originator: Stuart Palmer
Date: 2006
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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period Neolithic About 4000 BC to 2351 BC

The word ‘Neolithic’ means ‘New Stone Age’. Archaeologists split up the Neolithic period into three phases; early, middle and late. The Neolithic period comes after the Mesolithic period and before the Bronze Age.

People in the Neolithic period hunted and gathered food as their ancestors had but they were also began to farm. They kept animals and grew crops. This meant that they were able to settle more permanently in one location instead of constantly moving from place to place to look for food.
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period Bronze Age About 2500 BC to 700 BC

The Bronze Age comes after the Neolithic period and before the Iron Age.

The day to day life of people in the Bronze Age probably changed little from how their ancestors had lived during the Neolithic period. They still lived in farmsteads, growing crops and rearing animals.

During the Bronze Age people discovered how to use bronze, an alloy of tin and copper (hence the name that has given to this era). They used it to make their tools and other objects, although they continued to use flint and a range of organic materials as well. A range of bronze axes, palstaves and spears has been found in Warwickshire.
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period Iron Age About 800 BC to 43 AD

The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
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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 CREMATION CEMETERY * A cemetery comprising exclusively cremated human remains, some or all of which may be contained within pottery vessels. back
monument CREMATION * A funeral rite in which the human body is burnt, usually on a pyre, leaving fragmentary charred or completely combusted remains. Often found buried, occasionally in a container associated with grave goods. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument VILLAGE * A collection of dwelling-houses and other buildings, usually larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a simpler organisation and administration than the latter. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument PARK * An enclosed piece of land, generally large in area, used for hunting, the cultivation of trees, for grazing sheep and cattle or visual enjoyment. Use more specific type where known. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument CEMETERY * An area of ground, set apart for the burial of the dead. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record