Skip to main content

Tarrant Launceston: Survey and excavation of a long barrow with secondary burial at Race Down.

Manley, H.P., Evans, D., Hewitt, I., Phurphy, P., Russell, M. and Welham, K., 2017. Tarrant Launceston: Survey and excavation of a long barrow with secondary burial at Race Down. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 138.

Full text available as:

[img]
Preview
PDF
Manley et al Race Down long barrow.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

846kB

Abstract

In March 2003, it was noted that rabbit burrowing had uncovered possible human remains close to the centre of Race Down long barrow. In order to determine whether the bones were human and/or of forensic interest, the School of Conservation Sciences (now the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology & Forensic Science), Bournemouth University, carried out a limited investigation on behalf of Dorset Police and the landowner, Defence Estates. The spoil heap of the rabbit burrow was excavated and this process revealed other displaced human bones, including long bones. A human osteologist examined the recovered bones and determined that the burial was ancient. Based upon results of the initial investigation, Dorset Police concluded that, although the remains were human, they would not be carrying out a criminal investigation due to the antiquity of the remains. In March 2004, a small excavation team from Bournemouth University returned to the site to fully recover any in situ human remains, together with recording the burial context and stratigraphy. A wider topographic survey of the long barrow was also carried out. This paper reports on the results of this field survey and excavation.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0070-7112
Uncontrolled Keywords:neolithic, long barrow, Dorset, early medieval, Anglo-Saxon, Saxon, Bruce Eagles
Group:Faculty of Science & Technology
ID Code:29476
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:19 Jul 2017 13:56
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:05

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...
Repository Staff Only -