| Abstract: |
Destruction by commercial gravel-digging in the fields north-west of the Roman town in 1952 produced evidence of AS graves near the known position of one of the Roman cemeteries surrounding the town. As a result of subsequent excavation on behalf of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments 161 inhumation graves, 33 cremation graves, 2 horse graves and 2 dog burials were uncovered, and the positioning of some of the graves, together with other evidence, indicated the earlier presence of tumuli. The adult female graves were well furnished with a variety of jewellery. Some of the men were provided with weapons as usual, but a large percentage of the graves were without weapons, and as some of these graves contained other items of some interest the identity of these men comes into question. There was an unusually large percentage of children's graves, probably reflecting a more accurate picture than usual of the normal mortality rate in AS times.There are specialist reports on `Bronze-bound buckets' by Jean M Cook (22-4), `The human remains' by Tony Waldron (52-64) including `Appendix 1: catalogue of skeletons from Great Chesterford' (59-63) and `Appendix 2: catalogue of pathological findings in human remains from Great Chesterford' (63-4). `The animal bones' by Dale Serjeantson (66-70) and `A possible identification of the bird portrayed by the brooch 68/1' by Dale Serjeantson (70-1) are followed by `Textiles' by Elisabeth Crowfoot (71-6) including `Appendix: fibre identification' (72). `Examination and analysis of the glass beads' by Michael Heyworth (77-80), `The petrology of the pottery' by D F Williams (81-2) `The Romano-British material' by C J Going (82-6), `Roman coins (1)' by R A G Carson (86), `Roman coins (2)' by John Kent (87), and `Roman coins (3)' by Roger Bland (87) are followed by `The Roman glass' by Jennifer Price (87-9). `X-ray fluorescence analysis of three pieces of Anglo-Saxon metalwork' by D R Hook (89) is followed by a `Catalogue' (90-121), `Bibliography' (122-7), tables providing `Concordance: Great Chesterford catalogue numbers and British Museum registration numbers' (128-34), many illustrations and plates. Au & IH |
