SECTION 2.2.7:CLAYDON PIKE TRENCH 30BOUNDARY DITCHES/TRACKWAY (2739,2740) ENCLOSURE DITCHES Introduction (Fig. 2.2.25: Trench 30: The late Roman cemetery)Trench 30 measured c 924 m² and lay c 100 metres north-west of Trench
17. Part of a small inhumation cemetery was exposed in this trench along
with a section of the doubled ditched 'trackway' boundary (2739, 2740)
surrounding the large western enclosure. Some of the burials were clearly
associated with two successive enclosure ditches (2737, 2738). Although
the cemetery is undated (a series of radiocarbon dating produced no positive
results) it was probably associated with the adjacent boundary/roadway
ditches dating from the early 2nd to the end of the 3rd century AD, and
possibly later. A single late 3rd century coin came from an unstratified
context along with a small amount of pottery (0.7 kg). Boundary ditches/Trackway (2739, 2740)The northern part of trench 30 revealed a section of a NW-SE aligned double ditch visible on aerial photographs (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). The southern ditch (2739) was 1.2 m wide and 0.4 m in depth, while 4.5 m to the north, ditch 2740 was much more substantial, being over 2 m wide and up to 0.5 m deep. It is likely that the two were contemporary, forming part of the northern boundary to the large western enclosure, and probably also a trackway between the fields. The only find was a piece of worked iron from ditch 2739. Enclosure DitchesEnclosure ditch 2737Ditch 2737 bounded four sides of a rectangular area measuring 6.5 by 5 m, with a possible entrance at the north-east corner. The northern side was very shallow but elsewhere the depth was 0.34 - 0.42 m. The ditch had a flat base and contained a loamy gravel lining (section 250). The fill had eroded from the interior of the enclosure, which may have contained a bank or mound, and this process was advanced when enclosure ditch 2738 was cut into the west side (section 250). Three iron nails and copper alloy bracelet were found in this ditch, along with 0.31 kg of pottery, which included a sherd of samian and amphora. A total of 243 animal bones also came from this enclosure. Enclosure ditch 2738Ditch 2738 represented a three-sided enclosure, open to the north. Its east side was cut along the line of the fill of the west side of 2737 (section 250). Sections excavated across the ditch indicated that it was 0.2 to 0.3 m deep with a rounded base. A small animal bone assemblage (59 fragments) was recovered from the fill. GravesGrave 2741 - Situated within enclosure 2737, parallel with the centre
of its north side (oriented NW-SE) and surviving 0.8 m deep. The grave
contained extended inhumation burial 2771, an individual aged 30-40. Stray human bones were also found in the fills of the north-west terminal
of enclosure ditch 2738, posthole 2742 cut by the north-east terminal
of 2738 and boundary ditch/roadway 2739 to the north of enclosure ditch
2737. DiscussionThe cemetery had several interesting features. There was an absence of grave goods, the only exception being the concentration of hobnails to the right and left of the head end of 2773. Some of the bodies were clearly coffined, as a stain was discernible in 2741, and nails were found in 2748, 2759 and 2760, and grave 2759 also had evidence of stone lining. The bodies in graves 2775 and 2743 had been decapitated and the head placed by the feet, but this is a feature of Roman burials elsewhere (Booth 2002). The small size of this cemetery and its comparative longevity suggest use by a family unit, but the demographic picture argues against this. Though sexing was uncertain, all ten graves contained adults, at least four aged 30-40+. The absence of infants, children and teenagers together with over-representation of older individuals, suggests that a specialist group used the cemetery.
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