| Summary : A possible oval or short long barrow, excavated by William Cunnington and Richard 'Colt' Hoare in 1803 and 1807, and originally recorded as Upton Lovell 2e by Goddard. The excavations located a primary cremation and a secondary cremation or cremations which had grave goods including gold beads, a rectangular gold plate, two small gold cones, over 1,000 amber beads and some space plates, a tonged bronze awl, grape cup, small flat bronze dagger. Some of these finds are present in Devizes Museum accession number 225-33. It was thought that it was a round barrow but Cunnington later suggested it wasn't and his measurements suggest a low oval mound. Hoare's description was less detailed than Cunnington's and led to it being described as a round barrow by the Ordnance Survey. In 1956 the barrow was thought to be visible as a slight mound, 18 inches high, surrounded by a ditch. However field investigations in 1968 located no visible remains of the barrow. |
More information : (ST 9443 4013) GOLDEN BARROW (GT) (site of) (1)
Golden Barrow, Upton Lovell, a bowl barrow, excavated by Colt Hoare
in 1803 and 1807. An unaccompanied primary cremation in an oblong cist was found and a secondary cremation or cremations. Near the latter were 13 drum-shaped gold beads, a rectangular gold plate, 2 small gold cones, over 1,000 amber beads and some space plates, a tonged bronze awl, grape cup, small flat bronze dagger and a large MBA Collared Urn containing a smaller urn. The finds led to the invention of the barrow's name(2).
It is described as 'high' and 19 paces by 13 paces(4). but also as
destroyed in recent years(3). In 1956, however, it is said to be
visible as a slight mound, 18 inches high and surrounded by a
ditch (5). (2-5)
There are now no visible remains of this barrow. (6)
Barrow originally recorded as Upton Lovell 2e by Goddard. (7)
Some of the grave goods from the secondary cremations are present in Devizes Museum (DM acc. No. 225-33) (8). The amber beads have been identified as types 1B, 6, 7c and 16 (Beck and Shennan) (9). The collared urn is typical of Longworth's Secondary Series form (No. 1710) Its relationship to the other finds is uncertain as it was recovered from the barrow 5 years later (10).
The gold objects have been included in two catalogues (11) (12). The dagger, a flat riveted knife-dagger, is also catalogued (13).
William Cunnington, who was involved in the excavations and provides a more detailed account than Richard Hoare, suggests that it may have been a short long barrow. It was thought that it was a round barrow but Cunnington later suggested it wasn't and his measurements suggest a low oval mound. Hoare's description was less detailed than Cunnington's and led to it being described as a round barrow by the Ordnance Survey.
The area had been cultivated in the early 19th century when Cunnington and Hoare were investigating the mound. It sat in an area now covered in post medieval water meadows and the construction of these would have curtailed or levelled any surviving mound material. No trace of the Golden Barrow has been found on aerial photographs at the location given by the Ordnance Survey. However, there are several round barrows, visible as ring ditches, in the same field.
(14) |