Site Event/Activity record ECH2830 - Excavation of Bronze Age Barrows at Church Lawton 1981

Rescue excavations were undertaken in 1981 by Roberta McNeil, University of Liverpool, at Church Lawton North and Church Lawton South barrows. A large percentage of each barrow was excavated partly explaining why both barrows were later considered not suitable for scheduling. The north barrow proved to be built in two phases comprising a simple mound with surrounding ditch. At the centre of the phase 1 barrow there was a boat-shaped pit covered with a wooden lid; there was no burial inside. 18 cremation pits were dug into the mound, most of these were un-urned, although four urns/urn fragments were recovered, although only one contained an intact cremation. Two cremations had been buried in a sack placed in a pit and both were accompanied with a stone tool, one a flint knife, the other a fine picrite battle-axe which accompanied the cremation of a female. In phase 2, the barrow mound was extended, only one possible cremation was found along with three probable fire pits used to cremate the bodies. The south barrow was also of two phases. The first comprised a peristalith/stone circle comprising 9 glacial erratics, 2 standing and 7 recumbant; at the centre of the circle was a turf structure interpreted as a mortuary house. A mound was then constructed over the mortuary house extending to the stones, retaining them as a boundary to the barrow. 15 palaeoenvironmental samples were taken, 8 from the north barrow, 7 from the south barrow. The data revealed that the pre-construction environment for both barrows appears to have been of a damp, natural glade within deciduous woodland, with no evidence for cultivation near to the site prior to or during the building phase. There is evidence of a clearance horizon in the mid Bronze Age. Eight charcoal samples produced radio-carbon dates. Six samples were from the north barrow including samples from two fire pits, the ditch, the lid of the primary burial, an urn and its pit. Two samples were taken from the south barrow including samples from the burnt wood in the mortuary house and the ground surface below the mound of the barrow.