Information on Loughborough

LEICESTERSHIRE BURIAL MOUNDS REVEAL ANCESTRAL INSIGHTS

Posted on 10/06/08

archaeology

Researchers from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) have recently completed work on the results of three closely related Bronze Age round barrows excavated at Cossington, Leicestershire.

Their excavations revealed a variety of burial practices from Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Anglo Saxon times, showing how the three barrows were used in repeated ceremonies to honour the dead. They offer the first definite example of an Anglo Saxon cemetery sited on an earlier monument to be found in Leicestershire.

One of the barrows included the crouched burial of a child of around eight years, who lay with grave offerings including two pots, a stone bowl and three flint knives. One of the knives had been made from a much earlier object, perhaps making a physical link to past ancestors.

The findings have been published in Monument, Memory, and Myth, by University of Leicester archaeologist John Thomas, offering an important addition to understanding how burial monuments were used, not only by the people who built them in the Bronze Age, but also by later generations living close to the monuments.

The research project, funded by English Heritage through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, has brought together the results of three separate excavations undertaken in advance of gravel extraction at Cossington Quarry.

The three barrows form part of a small cemetery located at the confluence of the Rivers Soar and Wreake. This may have been an important location where Bronze Age people met up at certain times of the year to trade, foster relationships, forge alliances and swap stories. The formation of the cemetery is likely to have been due to the importance of this part of the landscape to the people who lived in it.

John Thomas explained the significance of the finds: The three barrows are likely to have been built as community projects, with different families pooling resources to create monuments for wider kinship use. Evidence for the careful maintenance and re-building of the barrows shows that they were not built for single use, but had a long history and were used and re-used many times.

A cremation burial close to the childs grave also had broken pieces of Beaker style pottery that must have been quite ancient even before they were placed in the grave so it is possible that these were also treated as a link to the past almost as heirlooms or antiques with ancestral connections.

Another burial, probably of a woman, was accompanied by a remarkable composite bead necklace. This was made of jet, shale, amber and faience beads and is a remarkable find for the region. Although the sandy soils had destroyed the bone evidence, the necklace still lay in the order that the beads had been strung, allowing it to be reconstructed.

It is thought that such necklaces, fairly common in burials from the Wessex area, were made at the graveside from beads taken from other necklaces before being buried with the deceased. In this way they can also be seen as having been charged with the power of the ancestors, as well as giving a link to the wider family network to which the deceased belonged.

The style of the necklace (associated with Wessex) and the origins of the material for the original beads also show links with wider areas, perhaps through trade or other social networks.

After their original period of use the three barrows continued to attract attention. A small cremation cemetery developed on the edge of one of the barrows, which probably represented the burial ground of a single family group. The location of the burials suggests that this family wished to be associated with the barrow and those buried in it.

Later still, one of the barrows, which survived as a low earthwork mound, apparently became a meeting place for people making flint tools. They left over a thousand waste pieces behind, suggesting that this was a regular meeting spot.

The earthwork monument also became the focus for activity during much later periods. In the Iron Age a settlement grew nearby and the significance of the barrow is shown by a number of pots (perhaps once containing offerings) that were buried in the barrow mound. This practice continued into the Roman period when more whole pots were buried.

Finally the barrow mound became the setting for a small Anglo-Saxon cemetery. This association between Saxon burials and earlier monuments is a recognised phenomenon nationally but the first definite example from Leicestershire. No bone survived but iron spears, knives, buckles and brooches indicated that at least five people had been buried there. A small settlement also existed nearby.

John Thomas added: The re-use of the barrow by Iron Age, Roman and Anglo Saxon people is very interesting. These people could not have had any knowledge of the original use and meaning attached to the monument but it survived as a prominent landmark in a fairly flat landscape and became the focus for settlement in these periods. It was perhaps imagined to contain the ancestral spirits of the land and by associating themselves with the long dead, the living could make claims to be their successors and heirs giving them a right to live there.

"The results of this project have shown how the three barrows were used repeatedly, resulting in a long history and providing a remarkable insight into how these burial monuments were used by local communities living in the surrounding landscape.

Rather than seeing these barrows as single use monuments it is clear that through their repeated use they became rich in memory and myth, even during the Early Bronze Age, and that their significance endured, influencing later settlers wishing to stake a claim on the surrounding landscape.

There will be a book launch for Monument, Memory and Myth on Thursday June 12th at Charnwood Museum, Granby Street, Loughborough starting at 7.30pm. An exhibition of finds from the excavations will be on display at Charnwood Museum from 12 June.

Latest News

Launceston Road junction improvements begin

Leicestershire,Loughborough

Highways, Transportation & Waste Management20 November 2009Launceston Road junction improvements beginWork on a new road layout to ease traffic congestion is starting at a key junction in Wigston next week. The £60,000 improvements to the junction of Station Road and Launceston Road include a new mini roundabout and an extension to the on-pavement cycle lane.... 21 Nov 2009 Launceston Road junction improvements begin

Accident-reducing road improvements in Hinckley

Leicestershire,Loughborough

Highways, Transportation & Waste Management20 November 2009Accident-reducing road improvements in HinckleyWork is starting on the second phase of a £110,000 road improvement scheme to reduce accidents along a key route in Hinckley. The work on Dodwells Road and Normandy Way, which is being carried out by Leicestershire County Council, is due to start on Monday.... 21 Nov 2009 Accident-reducing road improvements in Hinckley

Seven schools receive £16 million revamp

Leicestershire,Loughborough

20 November 2009Seven schools receive. .... 21 Nov 2009 Seven schools receive £16 million revamp

Interactive event to challenge views on museum culture

Latest News

University of Leicester PhD organise 'Materiality and Intangibility: Contested Zones', an event for researchers and artists working with museums... 20 Nov 2009 Interactive event to challenge views on museum culture

An audience with Apollo 16 Astronaut Charlie Duke

Latest News

10th Man to walk on the moon to lecture at the University of Leicester in a filled-to-capacity public event... 20 Nov 2009 An audience with Apollo 16 Astronaut Charlie Duke

Related News

Digging the Dead at Donington le Heath Manor House

burial

5000 years of death and burial in Leicestershire and Rutland will be featured in an exhibition opening on 13th June at Donington le Heath Manor House.... 10 Jun 2008 Digging the Dead at Donington le Heath Manor House

Roman cemetery revealed in Enderby

grave

A small Roman rural cemetery containing six skeletons has been discovered at an archaeological dig in Enderby. ... 18 Sep 2008 Roman cemetery revealed in Enderby

Anglo Saxon heritage revealed in annual lecture

News

Centre for Local History hosts W G Hoskins Lecture at the University of Leicester on Saturday 16th May at 2.30pm ... 27 Apr 2009 Anglo Saxon heritage revealed in annual lecture

University of Leicester geologists demonstrate extent of ancient ice age

News

University of Leicester research team investigates the climate of Planet Earth 440 million years ago... 16 Jun 2009 University of Leicester geologists demonstrate extent of ancient ice age

A chance to see new finds from the past at Donington le Heath

Leicestershire,Loughborough

Community Services13 July 2009A chance to see new finds from the past at Donington le HeathThe Festival of Leicestershire Archaeology which has over 50 events around the County will be celebrated at Donington le Heath Manor House with 4 events. The highlight will be Before the Romans on Sunday 26th July.... 14 Jul 2009 A chance to see new finds from the past at Donington le Heath

Relevant News

Record the oldest trees in Leicestershire and Rutland

A project to record the oldest trees in Leicestershire and Rutland is appealing for more recorders to join its tree hunt.... 07 Jul 2007 Record the oldest trees in Leicestershire and Rutland

grants available

information board at quarry

Community groups and environmental projects in Leicestershire can benefit from a 286,000 pound grant scheme. Leicestershire County Council is seeking bids for the FLAG Grants Scheme, which over the... 24 Jul 2007 grants available

Digging the Dead at Donington le Heath Manor House

burial

5000 years of death and burial in Leicestershire and Rutland will be featured in an exhibition opening on 13th June at Donington le Heath Manor House.... 10 Jun 2008 Digging the Dead at Donington le Heath Manor House

Knives and Gas

knife

Trading Standards officers are running an undercover operation to check if traders are selling two of the most dangerous age-restricted products available to children.... 01 Aug 2008 Knives and Gas

Roman cemetery revealed in Enderby

grave

A small Roman rural cemetery containing six skeletons has been discovered at an archaeological dig in Enderby. ... 18 Sep 2008 Roman cemetery revealed in Enderby

Most Read News (today)

Graffiti Workshops in Loughborough and Charnwood

graffiti

A SERIES of free graffiti workshops could help creative youngsters avoid a brush with the law. Charnwood Community Safety Partnership, of which Charnwood Borough Council is a partner, is staging the six-week programme of graffiti workshops in three neighbourhoods to give 11 to 16-year-olds an alternative means of expression rather than daubing slogans and images on buildings throughout the Borough.... 18 Jul 2008 Graffiti Workshops in Loughborough and Charnwood

Loughborough MP Announces Free Chess Sets for Schools

chess pieces and board

Andy Reed MP today announced the giving away of chess sets to schools. The chess sets are available for schools as part of a scheme to provide a quarter of a million chess sets into the school network. Negotiations with manufacturers and distributors means that ten sets and boards can be offered to every school in England. ... 13 Feb 2008 Loughborough MP Announces Free Chess Sets for Schools

Mini moto campaign in Loughborough is a crushing success.

police officer

14 motorbikes and mini-motos have been crushed after they were confiscated by police in Loughborough during a crack down on young people who drive dangerously and inconsiderately on roads, parks and public places.... 02 Jul 2008 Mini moto campaign in Loughborough is a crushing success.

The Carbon Benefits Project

Latest News

Dr Eleanor Milne to speak about this timely work on Thursday 19 November at the University of Leicester ... 20 Nov 2009 The Carbon Benefits Project

Robot in Loughborough Town Centre

robot

Reports are coming in that Loughborough Town Centre was yesterday infiltrated by a giant robot. The robot which some eye witnesses say they saw in Market Place and Market Street at various times yesterday afternoon stood some 8ft tall, was metallic in colour, had blue glowing eyes and spoke in sound bites.... 27 May 2008 Robot in Loughborough Town Centre

Most Read News (this month)

Leicestershire County Council reveals results of groundbreaking archaeology survey

Leicestershire,Loughborough

Community Services29 October 2009Leicestershire County Council reveals results of groundbreaking archaeology surveyLeicestershire County Council today held a press conference at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre to announce the conclusion of a groundbreaking three year archaeological survey to locate the battle of Bosworth, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund grant. Battlefields Trust archaeologist, Glenn Foard, revealed an exciting collection of finds from the Battle of Bosworth of international archaeological significance.... 30 Oct 2009 Leicestershire County Council reveals results of groundbreaking archaeology survey

Loughborough Fair

News

The popular, annual Charnwood Borough Council-organised event will open at 6pm on Wednesday, November 11th and run until Saturday, November 14th 2009.... 03 Nov 2009 Loughborough Fair

Police searching for missing man have found a body

police,constabulary,leicestershire police

Police searching for missing man have found a bodyPolice searching for a 77 year old man from Loughborough, who has been missing since yesterday evening, have found the body of a man. Ernest Sanham from Park Road in Loughborough, was admitted to the Leicester General Hospital on Thursday 22nd October 2009 suffering from confusion.... 26 Oct 2009 Police searching for missing man have found a body

Loughborough shoppers to benefit from Bonfire Night Advice

News

Information about being safe on Bonfire Night will be available for shoppers who visit Loughborough town centre on Wednesday.... 03 Nov 2009 Loughborough shoppers to benefit from Bonfire Night Advice

GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY RAISES TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS FOR CHARITY

News

Street children in the third world and some of the most endangered animals on the planet are set to benefit from generous visitors the Great Central Railway. The award winning Leicestershire heritage line teamed up with two charities to raise money at special gala events.... 26 Oct 2009 GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY RAISES TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS FOR CHARITY

Most Read News (alltime)

Graffiti Workshops in Loughborough and Charnwood

graffiti

A SERIES of free graffiti workshops could help creative youngsters avoid a brush with the law. Charnwood Community Safety Partnership, of which Charnwood Borough Council is a partner, is staging the six-week programme of graffiti workshops in three neighbourhoods to give 11 to 16-year-olds an alternative means of expression rather than daubing slogans and images on buildings throughout the Borough.... 18 Jul 2008 Graffiti Workshops in Loughborough and Charnwood

Loughborough MP Announces Free Chess Sets for Schools

chess pieces and board

Andy Reed MP today announced the giving away of chess sets to schools. The chess sets are available for schools as part of a scheme to provide a quarter of a million chess sets into the school network. Negotiations with manufacturers and distributors means that ten sets and boards can be offered to every school in England. ... 13 Feb 2008 Loughborough MP Announces Free Chess Sets for Schools

Robot in Loughborough Town Centre

robot

Reports are coming in that Loughborough Town Centre was yesterday infiltrated by a giant robot. The robot which some eye witnesses say they saw in Market Place and Market Street at various times yesterday afternoon stood some 8ft tall, was metallic in colour, had blue glowing eyes and spoke in sound bites.... 27 May 2008 Robot in Loughborough Town Centre

Mini moto campaign in Loughborough is a crushing success.

police officer

14 motorbikes and mini-motos have been crushed after they were confiscated by police in Loughborough during a crack down on young people who drive dangerously and inconsiderately on roads, parks and public places.... 02 Jul 2008 Mini moto campaign in Loughborough is a crushing success.

Radical plans to personalise social care in Leicestershire

social care

Radical changes to social care in Leicestershire will be outlined at a meeting next week. The County Council wants to personalise its social care and will update the Cabinet on the plans next Tuesday (29th July).... 22 Jul 2008 Radical plans to personalise social care in Leicestershire