Week two at Barrow Clump began with an extensive clean of all the trenches. This proved a fruitful exercise, with an additional six graves discovered, taking the total Anglo-Saxon tally to 12. Excavation began on three of these burials, all yielding artefacts, including a pair of saucer brooches, a finger ring and a knife.
The most exciting archaeology of the week however, came from the Early Bronze Age barrow in the form of the two urned cremation burials. Excavation of these showed that both pots (Collared Urns) had been inverted on burial. The first of these was fully excavated and lifted on site, a delicate process involving the quadranting of the contents and regular recording. This patience was rewarded in revealing coiled decoration on the interior of the vessel. Excavation also began on the second of these urned cremation burials, with this vessel being almost complete, a rare discovery that caught everyone’s interest.
As well as our team working on site we were pleased to welcome a group of local English Heritage and National Trust volunteers for a tour, as well as the Salisbury branch of the Young Archaeologists’ Club who were able to do some digging and finds washing. This was a great experience for all involved, being able to see some exciting archaeology in action as well as to contribute to its excavation.
Written by Angus Forshaw