Information for record number MWA8822:
Middle Bronze Age human cremation burial

Summary Archaeological investigation discovered a cremation pit, contianing a cremated buried of Middle Bronze Age date. The site is located 400m south west of Harbury Field.
What Is It?  
Type: Cremation Pit, Cremation
Period: Middle Bronze Age (1600 BC - 1201 BC)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Harbury
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 35 61
(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 A pit containing a human cremation burial was found close to an Early Neolithic pit (20mS.W.), so the burial is likely to be Prehistoric.
2 Cremations not identified prior to BA.
3 Radiocarbon dated to between 1530 and 1320 BC
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon excavations on the Transco Churchover to Newbold Pacey gas pipeline in 1999
Author/originator: S C Palmer
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 0611
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Archaeological excavation Churchover/Newbold Pacey pipeline, Interim report
Author/originator: Stuart Palmer
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Pers. Comm. Magnus Alexander
Author/originator: Magnus Alexander
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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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 Prehistoric About 500,000 BC to 42 AD

The Prehistoric period covers all the periods from the Palaeolithic to the end of the Iron Age.
This is a time when people did not write anything down so there is no documentary evidence for archaeologists to look at. Instead, the archaeologists look at the material culture belonging to the people and the places where they lived for clues about their way of life.

The Prehistoric period is divided into the Early Prehistoric and Later Prehistoric.
The Early Prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods.
The Later Prehistoric period covers Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age times.
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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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monument CREMATION PIT * A pit over which a corpse has been cremated on a pyre into which the remains and debris, and sometime grave goods, collapse and are buried. Generally confined to the Roman period. 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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument CREMATION BURIAL * The site of the formal burial of cremated bone, sometimes 'urned' in a vessel or casket of glass, wood or, more commonly, ceramic. 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 FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. 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 PIPELINE * A conduit or pipes, used primarily for conveying petroleum from oil wells to a refinery, or for supplying water to a town or district, etc. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record