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Description

Excavations at Collingbourne Ducis revealed almost the full extent of a late 5th–7th century cemetery first recorded in 1974, providing one of the largest samples of burial remains from Anglo-Saxon Wiltshire.  The cemetery lies 200 m to the north-east of a broadly contemporaneous settlement on lower lying ground next to the River Bourne. 

Eighty-two inhumations graves and four cremation graves were recorded, in addition to the 33 inhumation graves discovered in 1974.  There was an apparent shift in focus during the 7th century, and notable amongst the later graves was a rare example of a 'bed' burial. 

The cemetery was probably used for several generations of the local community, although there are indications that some individuals or groups originated outside the surrounding area.  General health was on the whole poorer than that of comparable contemporaneous rural populations, and there is evidence for infections such as tuberculosis and leprosy.

Burials were accompanied by weapons and a diversity of jewellery assemblages, though none exhibit a particularly impressive range of wealth. As virtually the entire cemetery appears to have been explored, reliable observations can be made about its establishment, layout and development. 

Details

Published	Published By	Pages	ISBN
Jan. 1, 2016	Wessex Archaeology	190	978-1-911137-02-3
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Copyright © Wessex Archaeology. This work is openly licensed via CC BY-NC-ND 4.0