Death, Burial and Identity: 3,000 Years of Death in the Vale of Mowbray

With contributions from Jonathan Baines, Richard Brickstock, Steve Collison, H. E. M. Cool, Alexandra Croom, Chris Cumberpatch, David W. Fell, Elizabeth M. Foulds, Frederick W. F. Foulds, Lynne F. Gardiner, Alex Gibson, Margarita Gleba, David G. Griffiths, Derek Hamilton, Katie Keefe, Ruth Leary, Tessi Löffelmann, Gwladys Monteil, Joanna Moore, Sophie Newman, Stuart Ross, Hannah Russ, David Starley, Alan Teasdale and Elizabeth Wright. Over 300 human burials were discovered during a major programme of archaeological investigation undertaken as an integral part of the construction scheme to widen the A1 trunk road between Leeming and Barton in North Yorkshire. The evidence recovered dates between the Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon periods, presenting evidence for 3000 years of death, burial and identity within the Vale of Mowbray. This monograph presents the results and discussion of the excavations and analysis of the artefactual, environmental and human remains from across 14 different sites along the A1 scheme. The volume divides the discussion of the burials according to site, including prehistoric burials from across the scheme, the large Roman cemetery at Bainesse, burial within the town of Cataractonium, and those at other sites, such as Scotch Corner and Scurragh House. These sections are accompanied by detailed grave catalogues and plans. A comprehensive synthesis of the pottery, small finds and environmental data is also included, and the volume concludes by providing a synthesis of the evidence in terms of what it can reveal about the identities of the people who were buried in this area over such a long a period of time. The volume is accompanied by figures and a series of appendices that provided all of the raw data behind the monograph with the aim that this can be queried for future research. Summary Résumé Zusammenfassung Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction Project backround Project aims This volume Structure of the monograph Locations of burials on the A1 scheme Background information The landscape Archaeological and historical background to the scheme Prehistoric Roman Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dere Street: continuity of use Previous archaeological investigations Previous evidence for human burial Earlier prehistoric Iron Age Roman Anglian Later Anglo-Saxon and medieval Fieldwork methodology Post-excavation strategy Terminology Types/locations of burial areas Grave catalogues Location of the archives Chapter 2: The prehistoric burials Introduction Killerby Scotch Corner Catterick Racecourse Bowbridge Lane Summary of the A1 prehistoric cremation assemblages Grave Goods Bone Selection Pyre Debris Prehistoric burial in the northern Vale of Mowbray Chapter 3: Burial at Bainesse Cemetery and its surrounding area Introduction Archaeological background Bainesse Cemetery (Field 163C) Dating and phasing The ring ditch Grave catalogue The inhumations The grave cuts Orientation Re-opened or ‘stacked’ graves Position Decapitated burials Grave furniture Coffins Cists Artefacts from inhumations Nailed footwear Placed ceramic vessels Redeposited ceramic vessels Smashed ceramic vessels Personal adornment Other possible grave goods Animal remains Redeposited human bone Graves containing cremated bone Grave cutting the enclosure ditches Possible grave markers The early medieval inhumation The cremation burials The cremation burial pits Urned cremation burials Artefacts from cremation burials Fragmented ceramic vessels Nailed footwear Personal adornment Cremated animal bone Other possible grave/pyre goods Penannular gully Stratigraphic relationships between cremation burials and other features Field 163E Field 159A The grave cuts Orientation Posture Grave Furniture Coffins Cists Artefacts from graves Field 157 Discussion Dating Bainesse Cemetery Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modelling Unfurnished graves Further chronological modelling Method The beginning of the cemetery Development of the cemetery Spatial modelling Cremation vs inhumation The ring ditch and its role in the cemetery Grave structure Coffins Cists Roofing slabs in cists Intercutting burials and grave marking Grave markers Deliberate recutting: ‘stacked’ burials Skeletal position Alternative and unusual inhumations Flexed burials Prone burials Decapitation Grave goods Pottery Nailed footwear Items of personal adornment Animal remains Plant remains Cremations The penannular gully Redeposited cremated remains in other burials The burial population Variation of burial practice within the cemetery Localised burial practices Early post-Roman burials The Anglo-Saxon burial Conclusion Chapter 4: Burials at Cataractonium Introduction Archaeological background The burials Burial during the early 2nd centuryBurial during the late 2nd century Perinatal/neonatal burials Brough Park (Field 172) cremation cemetery Burial during the 3rd century Neonatal burials interred in domestic contexts Burial during the late 3rd and 4th centuries Back plot inhumation burials Group burial Cremation burial Disarticulated human remains Discussion Spatial and chronological distribution of burials at Cataractonium Inhumations Infant burials Minority burial customs Group burials Finds from inhumation burials Fish-hooks Coins Nailed footwear Cremation burials Cremation Grave 20106 Brough Park (Field 172) cremation cemetery Disarticulated human remains Conclusion Chapter 5: Late Iron Age, Roman and early medieval burials outside Bainesse and Cataractonium Introduction Low Street (Field 261) Discussion Grave catalogue Discussion Graves with stakeholes ‘Back plot’ inhumations Summary Scotch Corner (Fields 228 and 265) Background Late Iron Age/Early Roman Anglo-Saxon Site description Grave catalogue Discussion Chapter 6: Human remains Introduction Methods Preservation Minimum number of individuals Assessment of age Sex determination Ancestry Metric analysis Non-metric traits Skeletal pathology Dental pathology Comparative populations Prehistoric burials Bowbridge Lane Killerby Catterick Racecourse Scotch Corner Discussion of the prehistoric burials Bainesse Cemetery and surrounding area Bainesse Cemetery Field 163E Field 159A The Marching Camp (Field 157) Discussion of the human remains from Bainesse Cemetery and surrounding areas Inhumations Demography Metric analyses Non-metric traits Pathology Congenital conditions Metabolic disease Trauma Infectious disease Joint disease Neoplastic conditions Miscellaneous pathology Dental health Disarticulated human remains from Bainesse Cemetery Cremation burials from Bainesse Cemetery Burials at Cataractonium Discussion of the human remains from Cataractonium Inhumations Demography Metrical analyses Non-metric traits Pathology Congenital conditions Metabolic disease Trauma Infectious disease Joint disease Neoplastic conditions Miscellaneous pathology Dental health Disarticulated human remains Cremation burials Burials at other sites Low Street (Field 261) Scurragh House (Fields 209–211) Inhumations Inhumation summary Cremation burials Cremation burial summary Scotch Corner (Fields 228 and 265) Discussion of early medieval burials Comparison of the Roman dataset with contemporary data Inhumations Preservation Demography Metrical analysis Ancestry Roman health Childhood stress Infectious disease Trauma Age-related conditions Roman oral health Roman cremation burials Chapter 7: The pottery Introduction Report structure Prehistoric Burials Bowbridge Lane (Field 145) Discussion Roman Burials Bainesse Cemetery and surrounding areas (Fields 163C, 163E and 159A) Pottery wares and vessels associated with funerary activity BB1 and related wares Grey wares Hand-built pottery (CC) Fine wares (samian by GM) Oxidised wares Bainesse chronology Inhumations and ancillary vessels from Bainesse Cemetery Vessel types and size Samian and funerary rites at Bainesse (GM) Numbers of vessels in graves Position of vessels in graves Broken and incomplete pots and other conditions Cremation urns and pyre goods Ring ditch/penannular gully groups Cemetery-related vessels in other features Cemetery pottery by grave Inhumations Cremation burials Cemetery related pottery from other features Penannular gully 12353/12332 Ring ditch 12500 Pottery from settlement features at Bainesse Enclosure ditch Burials at Cataractonium (Fields 172–179) Cataractonium chronology Cremation urns and pyre goods Cataractonium (Fields 172–179) pottery by grave Burials at Scurragh House (Fields 209–11) Scurragh House chronology Scurragh House cemetery pottery by grave Inhumations Other vessels of interest Conclusions Other pottery from the fills of graves and other cemetery related contexts Samian from the fills of graves and other cemetery-related features (GM) Coarse Pottery from the fills of graves and other cemetery related features (RL) Coarse pottery found in context with disarticulated human remains Hand-built Later Prehistoric and Roman period pottery from Bainesse Cemetery (CC) Features with disarticulated human remains Pottery Catalogue Bowbridge Lane Bainesse Cemetery Cataractonium Scurragh House Chapter 8: Grave goods and furniture Introduction Finds catalogue Prehistoric burials Catalogue Roman burials Introduction Coins Catalogue Dress and personal adornment Brooch Bracelets, armlets and anklets Bracelets Armlet Anklets Finger-rings and loops Amulets Beads and bead strands Buckle Catalogue Footwear Catalogue Equipment Pin Whetstones and polisher Fish-hooks Horse equipment Metal objects of uncertain function Discussion Catalogue Organic finds Club moss string Leather Catalogue Inhumation grave furniture Stone lining Wooden coffins Other grave structures Catalogue Finds from cremation burials Brooch Bracelet Footwear Pipe-clay figurine Nails, funerary bed, and other structural fittings Other pyre goods Discussion Catalogue Summary of Roman grave goods Inhumations Worn items Unworn items Items placed on body or coffin Grave 20476 discussion Cremation Burials Personal adornment Grave goods in male graves Amulets Late Roman/Anglo-Saxon burials Introduction Dress and Personal adornment Footwear Inhumation grave furniture Uncertain function Discussion Catalogue Other artefacts from grave backfills Small finds in various materials Beads Vessel glass Querns Lithics Ceramic building material Discussion Conclusion Chapter 9: Environmental remains Animal remains Mammals, birds and amphibians Introduction Methodology Results Prehistoric burials Roman burials Discussion Marine shellfish Introduction and method Results Discussion Botanical remains Introduction and method Results Prehistoric burials Bainesse Cemetery and surrounding area Burials at Cataractonium Burials at other sites Depositional processes Conclusion Chapter 10: Scientific analyses Introduction Stable light isotope analyses A1 scheme human carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses Roman burials Anglian burials Dietary differences Genetic analysis: Potential and future research Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modelling of Bainesse Cemetery Reservoirs and age offsets Methodological approach Results Conclusions Chapter 11: Death, burial, identity and beyond Introduction Roman Burial in the North of England Previous evidence from Catterick Taphonomy Preservation biases Disarticulated Human remains New Roman and early medieval burials in the Vale of Mowbray Bainesse Cemetery Cataractonium Other sites Funerary Patterns in the Vale of Mowbray Burial type Cremation burial Inhumations Orientation Position Grave goods: provision and variability Artefacts in Cremation Burials Grave goods in inhumations Comparisons with Roman Britain Identity Individual identity Occupation Burial location (cemetery vs backplot) Grave markers and intercutting burials Family Groupings Minority burial customs Origins and culture Where did people come from? Where did their material culture come from? Can living groups be identified in death? Do Burial Practices reflect religion and beliefs? Infant burial or disposal? Magic nails? ‘Ritual killing’ of objects Paying the ferryman The inclusion of food Light, sound and scent Can we identify Christian burials? Continuity and change Wider patterns across Roman Catterick Transition from ‘Late Roman’ to ‘Anglo-Saxon’ burials Beyond Reactions to death in the Vale of Mowbray Future research References Appendix A: Data resources Appendix B: A1 scheme site locations and concordance Index of Graves Index