| Print

BREAN DOWN

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Excavations revealed the presence of an Early to Middle Bronze Age settlement. The site consisted of a midden, domestic debris, hearths and two possible huts also with evidence for bone and leather working and small scale salt production. Possible field systems were examined but provided little evidence for cultivation and it is thought they were instead representative of animal enclosures.

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

(ST 29565871) Middle Bronze Age occupation site present in an exposed sand cliff on the south side of Brean Down. Finds mainly in Taunton Museum. (1-2)

The cliff at this site has receded to ST 29575872 and although the stratified occupation layers are still visible no finds were made. (3)

(The structure of the record has been changed from that shown on the record card and this is now the parent record for the Bronze Age features excavated on Brean Down)

The excavations carried out in the 1980s by Martin Bell recorded additional Bronze age features to those previously recorded by Apsimon. This, combined with the reassessment of the pottery assemblage from the earlier excavations, has identified both Early and Middle Bronze Age phases of settlement with evidence of bone and leather working and small scale salt production. The evidence for Later Bronze Age occupation was derived from a midden and included domestic debris, hearths and parts of possible domestic structures. Also of a later Bronze Age date are two gold bracelets, which, it was suggested, appeared to be deliberately concealed perhaps representing a dedicatory hoard. The presence of gold scrap with them may also indicate a founders hoard, if this is likely, there is the possible implication of gold being worked on site.

No actual human burials of this period were located, however, the fragmentary remains of a skull were identified.

The examination of an associated field system showed that there was limited evidence for cultivation. It is more likely these enclosures were used for stock control. (4)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Proceedings of the University of Bristol Speleological Society

9:2 Page(s)67

(2) Annotated Record Map

Corr 6" H S L Dewar 1953

(3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GHP 13-JAN-64

(4) by Martin Bell et al 1990 Brean Down : excavations 1983-1987

English Heritage archaeological reportsNo.1 (1985) - no.24 (1994) 15 Page(s)19-71

RELATED MONUMENTS

+ / -

Monument Name/No

Resources

Description

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Romano-British pottery of 2nd to 4th century date and a probable field system were found here, however there was no evidence for settlement.

MONUMENT NO. 617280
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

A Saxon inhumation cemetery, comprising at least 18 inhumations, on Brean Down close to the cliff edge. Most of the burials were orientated east-west,...

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

An Iron Age settlement was reportedly discovered by Apsimon in 1961 although subsequent redating of the pottery led to the conclusion that it was Bron...

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Remains of a building were originally identified in 1961 and rediscovered during excavation in the 1980s. Among deposits of charcoal and shale was a l...

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Palaeolithic bone implements

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

A curving gully was excavated in the early 1980s and yielded a leaf-shaped arrowhead, a flake, and Grooved and Peterborough wares, suggesting a possib...

BREAN DOWN
BREAN

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Brean Down exhibits extant archaeological features and sub surface deposits dating back to at least the Late Neolithic. This period was represented by...

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting Archive Services, through the Historic England website.

HE Archives
HE Prints
Historic England
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
National Heritage List for England
ViewFinder