Site Event/Activity record ESF22193 - Excavation, Blood Hill, Bramford

Monitoring of the soil strip in advance of gravel extraction on Blood Hill, Bramford, during April 2006 revealed a number of archaeological features comprising pits, ditches and at least five graves containing a total of seven inhumations. The pits were located on the east and south facing slopes of the hill. Pottery from these features indicated they dated from the Early Neolithic, Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age periods. No positive dating evidence was recovered from the ditches but they are believed to relate to the late prehistoric/Roman periods. The graves fell into two distinct phases, the earliest of which were two Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age burials. Both contained fragmentary remains of skeletons in crouched positions. A complete Beaker was recovered from one of the graves and the substantial remains of two more were recovered from the other. Similarities in style suggest they are broadly contemporary and perhaps related. A nearby pit type feature containing a large fragment of human skull is believed to be of a similar period. The second phase of burials comprised three graves in a tight group, which have been identified as Roman and dated to the Late 4th Century AD. Two of the graves contained single inhumations identified as mature males, one of which was accompanied but numerous iron nails suggesting the body had been placed in a coffin. Another grave contained three inhumations, an adult woman and two juveniles, with accompanying goods comprising numerous jet and glass beads, a complete pottery vessel, a finger ring, a bracelet and two anklets. Skeletal evidence indicated that the adult women and the older of the two juveniles had suffered a vicious attack that had led to their deaths as testified by a number of unhealed sword or knife cuts to the skull. A fourth probable grave was also excavated. No bone was present but comparison of soil samples revealed elevated phosphate levels within the cut suggesting the possible presence of a burial