More information : [Area centred SU 6101 8561] Crop-marks from Allen's air-photos, Nos. A/4, 8/25-26, 4/122, 5/56, North Stoke, Crowmarsh (a) and visible on J.K. St. Joseph air-photos, Nos. AP 9 and 10; CL 002, 4, 5-8; CB 086, DY 002 and 3; ER 026,9.
These crop-marks comprise simple ring-ditches, double and triple concentric ring-ditches, oval ditches and a cursus, etc. (b)
In 1933 Leeds partially examined a double ring-ditch with central spot at SU 61088581 [A] The area within the ditches was 80ft. and 32 ft. in diameter and 11 ft. and 7ft wide respectively. At the centre was a burial of a young person and nearby the skull and jaws of a child, also two contracted burials of children. Among the cremated bones was one fragment which showed a green stain, possibly due to contact with bronze, but no sign of an implement was seen (c)
The S. end of the cursus was excavated by H. J. Case between1950-3. The parallel ditches, which were about 36 ft. wide and from 5-7 1/2ft. deep, led up to a U-shaped ditch, opening at right-angles to them which had been filled in during antiquity - probably when the cursus was made. Finds included large quantities of flint wasters, a pit containing the fragments of a skull of a very young person and a miniature cinerary urn with a well-marked profile. All finds are in the Ashmolean Museum (Urn Acc. No. 1951.461). Also found in the ditch were flints and fragments of Western Neolithic pottery. (d-f)
In 1954 H.W. Catling excavated a small barrow immediately NW. of the S. end of the cursus in advance of gravel digging. [The NGR given is SU 608858 but this does not agree with the physical description of the site which would appear to be the ring-ditch at SU 6107 8565 [B]] It contained a contracted burial with an `A' beaker (g)
RCHM mention these crop-marks but have misidentified those excavated. (h)
Of this large crop-mark complex, four barrows present visible remains as follows:
`C' - SU 6107 8559. Visible as a bump on a hedgerow.
`D' - SU 6119 8566. A low, circular mound, approx. 22.0 m in diameter and 0.6 m in height with no visible ditch, much reduced by cultivation. It is situated in the corner of a field, the W. half lying under the Wallingford-Goring road. When visited in Aug. 60. it was visible as three concentric rings in the crop.
`E' - SU 6097 8541. A low, oval mound, some 37.0 m NE-SW by 31.0 m transversely and 0.8 m in height much spread by ploughing. There is no trace of a ditch.
`F' - SU 6104 8538. A low, circular mound measuring approx. 30.0 m in diameter and 0.6 m in height, much reduced by ploughing. There is no trace of the ditch.
There are no surface indication of the remaining sites. (1)
Reinterpretation of the excavated features include the bank barrow (originally termed a cursus) and the long mortuary enclosure (the circular enclosure at end of bank barrow). Description of artefacts found. (2)
Excavation of scheduled ring ditch eroding into quarry; no evidence of a funerary function. (3)
Excavation of Beaker barrow. (4)
The features described in authorities 1-4 were mapped from air photographs as part of RCHME's Thames Valley NMP project. Details of individual features, which belong to different chronological periods, are given in separate records: mortuary enclosure SU 68 NW 170; bank barrow SU 68 NW 171; round barrows SU 68 NW 176 and SU 68 NW 175. (5) |