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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
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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

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