What is recorded here

Twenty people slept together inside a seventy-metre circle before the town existed. They lay east to west, close enough to touch, with small beads beside them. A temporary road nearly broke them open, but the ground gave them back unchanged. Oldtown keeps its dead shallow, patient, and waiting to be seen.

Burials were exposed during the construction of a temporary roadway. Subsequent geophysical survey (Licence no. 03R095) and investigation (Licence no. 03E1080) revealed the burials within an inner enclosure (c. 70m diam.) of a large early medieval enclosure (DU011-144001-) and field system (DU011-144003-). Disarticulated skeletal remains were recovered from the disturbed area representing a minimum of twenty individuals, consisting of eighteen adults and two juveniles (Baker 2004). In order to assess the density of the undisturbed skeletal remains an area of 5m x 5m was investigated and ten in situ burials were discovered aligned E-W within clearly identifiable grave-cuts were identified. A perforated stone bead and bone bead were directly associated with the burials. In order to assess the extent of the burials a second area 52m E of the above was investigated. A further six burials, also aligned E-W, were identified at this location. The burials were identified 0.3m below ground level (Baker 2010). The burial ground has been preserved in situ and is scheduled via the Oldtown LAP for inclusion in an archaeological park. Compiled by: Christine Baker Date of upload: 4 February 2015

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