Site Event/Activity record ECH5764 - Training Excavation at The Seven Lows Barrow Cemetery, Fishpool Lane, Delamere, Cheshire

An excavation was undertaken on barrow 7 of the Seven Lows Barrow Cemetery, in August 2012, using a team of supervised volunteers. This study formed part of the 'Habitats and Hillforts Project', a wider archaeological study focusing on the hillforts of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. Very few of the barrows in this area have been previously excavated using modern analytical techniques and, accordingly, agreement was reached to sample excavate a de-scheduled barrow site (barrow 7) located within the Seven Lows barrow cemetery, south of Fishpool Lane Farm, near Delamere. Although heavily denuded through repeat ploughing, barrow 7 was identifiable as a slight earthwork on LIDAR survey produced for the area as part of the wider project. Subsequent geophysical survey (ECH5752) in April 2012 confirmed the presence of a ring earthwork. A single east-west evaluation trench, 50m by 2m, was excavated across the centre of the ring detected during the earlier geophysical survey. The ring was found to relate to natural subsoil forming a low bank around the outside of a broad, shallow ditch with an external diameter of circa 30m. The ditch defined a central platform about 10m in diameter. The specific form of barrow is thought to be a 'saucer' barrow. Initial investigations on the central platform recovered fragments of burnt, bone, prehistoric pottery and part of a large pit. The trench was widened to expose the full extent of the pit and in doing so two intact cremation urns were exposed. The trench was subsequently widened further to an area of about 10mx 10m and another two urned cremations were found. All four cremation urns appeared to have been deposited during a secondary use of the central platform. Primary use of the platform appeared to have involved the excavation of four large pits, none of which contained an intact burial although all produced small sherds of collared vessels and fragments of cremated bone. One of the pits had a complete saddle quern stone buried adjacent to in it. Perhaps the most unique find was a small piece of worked bone (toe bone from a sheep/goat) which had been made in to an object with perforation which resembled a toggle or bead, although other suggestions have included a shepherds whistle. (1-3)