Excavations at the Viking Barrow Cemetery at Heath Wood, Ingleby, Derbyshire, 1998-2000
Julian D Richards, 2004. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000188. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Prof Julian D Richards, J McKinley, F Worley unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Primary contact
Prof
Julian D
Richards
Department of Archaeology
University of York
King's Manor
Exhibition Square
York
YO1 7EP
England
Tel: 01904 433901
Fax: 01904 433902
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 369
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000188
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
Background and previous work
The Scandinavian barrow cemetery known as Ingleby (SK 342259) comprises 59 mounds in four clusters. It is set within a small woodland block called Heath Wood on the western edge of Ingleby parish in Derbyshire. The site is Scheduled Ancient Monument number .Derbyshire 101.. Heath Wood is currently owned by the Church Commissioners, although leased to the Forestry Agency.
There have been three previous recorded investigations of the barrows in Heath Wood: Thomas Bateman in 1855, Camden Clarke and William Fraser from 1941-8, and Merrick Posnansky in 1955. These have resulted in the partial or complete excavation of twenty mounds. In 1992 English Heritage asked RCHME to conduct an earthwork survey of the cemetery in advance of proposed tree-thinning operations by the Forestry Commission. The survey was carried out at a scale of 1:1000 between February and March 1993.
Excavations 1998-2000
Aims
Scheduled Monument Consent was granted to enable an evaluation of the site. Permission was granted to excavate three trenches:
- 10 x 20m: Complete open area excavation of Mounds 50 and 56 in the main group (Figure 16), to establish their stratigraphic relationship and to test the hypothesis that cenotaph and cremation mounds could be distinguished on the basis of their earthwork form.
- 2 x 20m: Slit trench to examine a V-shaped ditch recorded by Posnansky and recover pottery and/or radiocarbon samples which would establish whether it was prehistoric or Viking Age.
- c.5 x 10m trench across Mound 21 in the north-eastern group to establish if this group was contemporary with the other sections of the cemetery or if these were prehistoric .foundation. barrows.
In addition, it was hoped that the excavation would throw light on the degree of animal and root disturbance of the barrows, and their general state of preservation.
Methodology
Excavation took place over three seasons: 6-24 July 1998 (site code HW98), 4-24 July 1999 (site code HW99), and 10-29 July 2000 (site code HW00), under the auspices of the Department of Archaeology, University of York, directed by Julian D Richards and Marcus Jecock, with funding from the Derbyshire Archaeological Advisory Committee, the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the University of York.
All sites were excavated using a combination of light and heavy tools, with sample sieving of mound make-up to 10mm. A standard context recording pro-forma was completed for each layer or cut feature. Context numbers were allocated in blocks to each area of the site, with the first digit(s) of the context number also reflecting the area number. Plans were drawn at 1:20 and sections at 1:10. A full black and white and colour photographic record was also maintained.
Over the first two seasons all four quadrants of Mound 50 were excavated, designated Areas 1-4. Baulks were initially maintained between each quadrant, leaving excavated areas which measured c.7 x 7m, 6.5 x 7m , 5 x 6.5m, and 5.5 x 7m respectively. Areas 3 and 4 were coterminous with Areas 5 and 6 of Mound 56, providing a continuous section line running north-east / south-west across the centres of both mounds. Within the mound the cremation hearth was split into sub-contexts, each 0.5m square, in order to facilitate sieving and analysis.
Three quadrants of Mound 56 were examined over three seasons, designated Areas 5-7. Again baulks were maintained, giving excavated areas which measured c.4 x 4m, 5 x 5.5m, and 4 x 5m respectively; the fourth quadrant (Area 8) was left undisturbed, not least because of the presence of a tree growing on it.
The V-shaped ditch was examined over two seasons. In May 1998 a geophysical line survey was conducted across the area between Mounds 9 and 12 in an effort to pinpoint the ditch. This failed to reveal any linear features, probably because of a combination of the effects of tree root systems, light sandy soils and (it later transpired) the depth of the feature. In July 1998 a trench 1m wide x c.20m in length was excavated on an east-west alignment across the area between the approximate positions of Mounds 9 and 12. This was designated as Area 9. It was extended to be 2m wide along a 5m length once the location of the ditch, running perpendicular cross the trench, was established. In 2000 an adjacent area, 6 x 8m, was excavated as Area 10. Posnansky.s 1955 trench, c.1.5 x 3m, was located within this area and was re-excavated until the ditch was bottomed; two further sections, each 2m wide, were also cut across the ditch within Area 10.
In the 2000 season, Mound 21 was examined by means of two trenches, 2 x 7.25m and 2 x 6m, located so as to provide a 13.25m long section running south-east / north-west across the approximate centre of the mound. The north-west trench was designated Area 11; that to the south-east was Area 14 (leaving Areas 12 and 13 for any future investigation of the other quadrants). A number of areas were also cleared of forest debris and topsoil in order to investigate the line of earlier field boundaries and clarify their influence on the development of the cemetery (Areas 14E, 15 and 16).
The archive
The finds from the 1941-49 and 1955 excavations went originally to Burton-on-Trent Museum, but have since been transferred to Derby Museum, accession number DBYMU: 1985-225; the two sword blade fragments are catalogued separately as DBYMU: 1987-590/1-2. However, some of the finds have gone missing since they were published, notably parts of the swords. Derby Museum does retain the pottery, flints and other metal objects, as well as some samples of cremated bone. Correspondence relating to the excavations of the 1940s, including sketch plans of Mounds 1-6 redrawn for this report, is held in the archive of Repton School. The physical archive of the 1998-2000 project has been deposited with Derby Museum, accession number DBYMU:2004-311
The digital archive comprises the following elements:
- The stratigraphic sequence: full archive report, by J D Richards
- Cremated human bone archive report, by J McKinley
- Cremated animal bone report, by J Bond & F Worley
This archive should be used in conjunction with the published report:
J.D. Richards .Excavations at the Viking Barrow Cemetery at Heath Wood, Ingleby, Derbyshire., Antiquaries Journal 84, 2004, pp.23-116
