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BREAN DOWN

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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.

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(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

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