Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T04:44:05.510Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Late Iron Age Mirror Burial from Latchmere Green, near Silchester, Hampshire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Michael Fulford  and
John Creighton
John Creighton
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, PO Box 218, Reading RG6 6AA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The discovery by Mr David Walsh, a local metal detectorist, of what proved to be a Late Iron Age, decorated bronze mirror was reported to us on its discovery in the autumn of 1994 and led to a small excavation of the context and immediate environs of the find (Figs 1–2). It was made on the south-facing slope of a low hill, at about the 75 m contour, at SU 632 603 in LP 3516 which lies just within the parish of Bramley and at the southern extremities of a Roman settlement that developed around the junction of the Roman roads leading from Silchester to Winchester and Chichester. The findspot is thus some 2 km south-south-west of the walled area of the Roman town which overlies the heart of the Late Iron Age oppidum of Calleva. The overall extent of the site as revealed by the distribution of artefacts in the ploughsoil has been plotted by Corney over an area in excess of 6 ha (1984, 283–5, figs 81–3). Although some Silchester Ware of latest Iron Age and earliest Roman date had been recovered from around the centre of the settlement, the bulk of the pottery suggested occupation lay principally between the late 1st/early 2nd century AD and the late 4th century AD.

Résumé

Cet article décrit la découverte en 1994 d'une inhumation isolée de l'âge du fer tardif près de l'oppidum de Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). L'inhumation comprenait des dépouilles incinérées d'un adulte d'environ 30 ans, aussi d'un enfant de moins de 5 ans, enterrés dans une urne de poterie d'un type bien connu à Calleva. Cette urne contenait aussi des os de cochon incinéré. L'inhumation était accompagnée par des fragments d'au moins deux fibules et par un miroir en bronze très bien décoré pour lequel on ne connaît pas de pareil. L'enterrement date du premier siècle avant notre ère, peut-être avant 50 av. J.-C.

Zusammenfassung

Dieses Referat beschreibt den in 1994 entdeckten Fund eines einzelnen Begräbnisses in der Späteisenzeit in der Nähe des Oppidums aus Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). Dieses Begräbnis enthielt einen eingeäscherten Erwachsenen, ungefähr 30 Jahre alt, mit einem Kind unter 5 Jahren, das sich in einem Töpfergefäß in der Art, die man bei Calleva findet, befand. Das Gefäß enthielt auch eingeäscherte Schweineknochen. Im Begräbnis fand man noch Fragmente von zumindest zwei Wadenbeinen und einen sehr schön verzierten Spiegel aus Bronze. Es gibt keinen anderen, der ihm nur im gerinsten ähnlich sieht. Das Datum des Begräbnisses geht auf das 1. Jahrhunfert v. Chr. zurück, vielleicht vor 50 v. Chr..

Résumen

Este artículo describe el hallazgo, en 1994, de un único enterramiento del Hierro Tardío cerca del oppidum de Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). El enterramiento consistía en los resto incinerados de un adulto de unos treinta años de edad junto con los de un niño de menos de cinco años, contenidos dentro de una jarra de cerámica de un tipo común en Calleva. La jarra también contenía huesos incinerados de cerdo. El enterramiento iba acompañado de los fragmentos de al menos dos fíbulas y de un espejo de bronce delicadamente decorado, para el que no se conocen paralelos cercanos. El enterramiento data del siglo I a.C, posiblemente antes del año 50 a.C.

Type
Shorter contributions
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 64 , January 1998 , pp. 331 - 342
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bass, W.M. 1987. Human Osteology, a Laboratory and Field Guide. Columbia.Google Scholar
Corney, M. 1984. A field survey of the extra-mural region of Silchester. In Fulford, , 1984, 239–92.Google Scholar
Corney, M. forthcoming. The brooches. In Fulford, , forthcoming.Google Scholar
Cunliffe, B. 1991. Iron Age Communities in Britain. London, Routledge & Keegan Paul.Google Scholar
Davis, S. 1989. Animal remains from the Iron Age cemetery. In Stead, & Rigby, , 1989, 250–9.Google Scholar
Farley, M. 1983. A mirror burial at Dorton, Buckinghamshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 49, 269–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzpatrick, A.P. 1996. A lst-century AD Durotrigian inhumation burial with a decorated Iron Age mirror from Portesham, Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History & Archaeological Society 118, 51–70.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, A.P. 1997. Archaeological Excavations on the Route of the A27 West Hampnett Bypass, West Sussex, Vol. 2: the Late Iron Age, Romano-British, and Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology Report 12.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, A.P. & Woodward, P.J. 1995. Fieldwork and excavation at Portesham. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History & Archaeological Society 117, 133, pl. 1.Google Scholar
Fox, C. 1948. Celtic mirror handles in Britain with special reference to the Colchester handle. Archaeologia Cambrensis 100, 24–44.Google Scholar
SirFox, C. 1958. Pattern and Purpose: a survey of early Celtic Art in Britain. Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.Google Scholar
Fox, A. & Pollard, S. 1973. A decorated bronze mirror from an Iron Age settlement at Holcombe, near Uplyme, Devon. Antiquaries journal 53(i), 16–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fulford, M. 1984. Silchester: excavations on the defences 1974-80. London: Britannia Monograph 5.Google Scholar
Fulford, M. 1987. Calleva Atrebatum: an interim report on the excavation of the oppidum, 1980–86. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 53, 271–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fulford, M. 1989. The Silchester Amphitheatre, Excavations of 1979–85. London: Britannia Monograph 10.Google Scholar
Fulford, M. 1993. Silchester: the early development of a civitas capital. In Greep, S. (ed.), Roman Towns: the Wheeler inheritance. A review of 50 years' research, 16–33. York: Council for British Archaeology Research Report 93.Google Scholar
Fulford, M. 1996. Roman Hampshire. In Hinton, D.A. & Hughes, M. (eds), Archaeology in Hampshire: a framework for the future, 31–4. Winchester: Hampshire County Council.Google Scholar
Fulford, M. G. forthcoming. Late Iron Age and Early Roman Silchester: excavations on the Site of the Forum Basilica, Silchester 1977 & 1980–6. London: Britannia Monograph.Google Scholar
Gregory, A. 1991. Excavations in Thetford 1980–82, Fison Way. Vol.1. Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 53.Google Scholar
Hawkes, C.F.C. & Crummy, P. 1995. Colchester Archaeological Report 11: Camulodunum 2. Colchester: Colchester Archaeological Trust.Google Scholar
Jope, E. M. & Jacobstahl, P. forthcoming. Early Celtic Art in the British Isles.Google Scholar
Lowery, P.R., Savage, R.D.A. & Wilkins, R.L. 1976. A technical study of the designs on the British mirror series. Archaeologia 105, 99–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowery, P.R., Savage, R.D.A. & Wilkins, R.L. 1982. The technique of the decoration of the Aston Mirror. In Rook, et al. , 1982, 23–33.Google Scholar
Lowery, P.R., Savage, R.D.A. & Wilkins, R.L. 1983. The technique of the decoration. In Farley, , 1983, 284–8.Google Scholar
Mackreth, D. 1991. Brooches of copper alloy and iron. In Gregory, , 1991, 120–9.Google Scholar
McKinley, J.I. 1989. Cremations: expectations, methodologies and realities. In Roberts, C.A., Lee, F., & Bintliff, J. (eds), Burial Archaeology: current research, methods and development, 65–76. Oxford: British Archaeological Report 211.Google Scholar
McKinley, J.I. 1993. Bone fragment size and weights of bone from modern British cremations and its implications for the interpretation of archaeological cremations. Inter-national Journal of Osteoarchaeology 3, 283–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKinley, J.I. 1997. The cremated human bone from burial and cremation-related contexts. In Fitzpatrick, , 1997, 55–73.Google Scholar
McKinley, J.I., Smith, P. & Fitzpatrick, A.P. 1997. Animal bone from burials and other cremation-related contexts. In Fitzpatrick, , 1997, 73–7.Google Scholar
Mays, M. (ed.). 1995. Allen, D. Catalogue of the Celtic Coins in the British Museum. Vol. III. London: British Museum Press.Google Scholar
Niblett, R. 1993. Verulamium since the Wheelers. In Greep, S. (ed.), Roman Towns: the Wheeler inheritance. A review of 50 years' research, 78–92. York: Council for British Archaeology Research Report 93.Google Scholar
Partridge, C. 1981. Skeleton Green. A Late Iron Age and Romano-British Site. London: Britannia Monograph 2.Google Scholar
Philpott, R. 1991. Burial Practices in Roman Britain: a survey of grave treatment and furnishing AD 43–410. Oxford: British Archaeological Report 219.Google Scholar
Rook, T., Lowery, P.R., Savage, R.D.A. & Wilkins, R.L. 1982. An Iron Age bronze mirror from Aston, Hertfordshire. Antiquaries Journal 62(i), 18–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheers, S. 1977. Traité de numismatique celtique III: la Gaule Belgique. Paris: Annales littéraires de l'Universitaire de Besançon, 195; Centre de recherches d'histoire ancienne, série numismatique, 24.Google Scholar
Spratling, M. 1970. The late pre-Roman Iron Age bronze mirror from Old Warden, Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal 5, 9–16.Google Scholar
Stead, I.M. & Rigby, V. 1986. Baldock: the excavation of a Roman and pre-Roman settlement, 1968–72. London: Britannia Monograph 7.Google Scholar
Stead, I.M. & Rigby, V. 1989. Verulamium: the King Harry Lane site. London: English Heritage Archaeological Report 12.Google Scholar
Stirland, A. 1989. The cremations from the Iron Age cemetery. In Stead, & Rigby, , 1989, 240–44.Google Scholar
Thompson, I. 1982. Grog-tempered ‘Belgic’ pottery of south-eastern England. Oxford: British Archaeological Report 108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Timby, J.R. 1989. The Roman pottery. In Fulford, , 1989, 80–123.Google Scholar
Timby, J.R. forthcoming. The pottery. In Fulford, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Whimster, R. 1981. Burial Practices in Iron Age Britain: a discussion and gazeteer of the evidence c. 700 BC– AD 43. Oxford: British Archaeological Report 90.Google Scholar