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Description: | PRN 50187
THE SITE OF THE EXTENSIVE BARROW CEMETERY IN STAINFIELD FEN. IT IS CENTRED ON TF 0955 7315. {1}{2}
IN ADVANCE OF THE ALTERATION OF A LINE OF ELECTRICITY POLES A GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT AND AIR PHOTOS WERE COMPUTER PLOTTED. THE EVIDENCE THUS COLLECTED ENABLED ADVICE TO BE GIVEN ON THE POSITIONING OF POLES. A WATCHING BRIEF CARRIED OUT DURING THE ERECTION OF THE POLES BUT NO ARTEFACTS WERE RECOVERED OR ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAYERS IDENTIFIED. {3}
THE WESTERN SCHEDULED AREA CONSISTS OF FOUR BOWL BARROWS (MAXIMUM EXTENT 130 M BY 70 M). THEY ARE VISIBLE UNDER PASTURE AS ROUGHLY CIRCULAR EARTHEN MOUNDS, 3 OF THEM ARE GROUPED CLOSELY TOGETHER AT A DISTANCE OF C55 M TO THE WEST OF THE 4TH. IT IS PROBABLE THAT ALL FOUR MOUNDS ARE ENCIRCLED BY DITCHES WHICH SURVIVE AS BURIED FEATURES, ALTHOUGH NO TRACE OF THESE ARE VISIBLE ON THE SURFACE. BOREHOLE SAMPLES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE GROUND SURFACE ON A LEVEL WITH THE BASE OF THE BARROW MOUNDS TOGETHER WITH THE LOWER PART OF THE MOUNDS THEMSELVES, HAS BEEN COVERED WITH LATER ALLUVIAL DEPOSTITS AND PEAT AND LIES AT A DEPTH OF BETWEEN 0.5 AND 0.7 M BELOW THE PRESENT GROUND SURFACE. THERE IS A FULL DESCRIPTION IN THE SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 20809. {10}
THE EASTERN SCHEDULED AREA (300 M TO THE EAST) INCLUDES 11 ROUND BARROWS OF VARYING TYPE. THE BARROWS AND ALSO THE GROUND SURFACE BROADLY COMTEMPORARY WITH THEIR CONSTRUCTION AND USE, LIKE THOSE IN THE WESTERN AREA, HAVE BEEN PARTLY COVERED BY LATER DEPOSITS OF ALLUVIUM AND PEAT WHICH STILL EXTEND OVER MOST OF THE WESTERN PART OF THE MONUMENT. THE FIELD IN WHICH THEY LIE HAS BEEN UNDER CULTIVATION SINCE 1847. EACH OF THE BARROWS WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH A CENTRAL, CIRCULAR MOUND OF SAND AND GRAVEL WHICH HAS BEEN DEGRADED BY PLOUGHING, EXCEPT WHERE THE LOWER LEVELS ARE STILL PROTECTED BY OVERLYING ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS. THESE EARTHWORKS ARE MARKED BY CIRCULAR AREAS OF LIGHTER SANDY SOIL, SOME OF THEM STILL SLIGHTLY MOUNDED, WHICH ARE VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND AND FROM THE AIR. THE MOUNDS WERE ENCIRCLED BY DITCHES WHICH HAVE BECOME INFILLED BUT SURVIVE AS BURIED FEATURES, MOST OF THEM VISIBLE IN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS AS RINGS OF DARKER SOIL. AT LEAST 3 OF THE BARROWS INCLUDE 2 CONCENTRIC DITCHES. AS A GROUP, THE BARROWS OCCUPY AN AREA WITH MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF 290 M NW - SE BY 150 M NE - SW. THERE IS A FULL DESCRIPTION IN THE SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 21472. {9}
SEE ALSO JOHN EAST AP 276 AND CAMBRIDGE AP BZL61.
Fifteen possible barrows are visible on aerial photographs. {12}
It is suggested that there is a relationship between the barrow cemetery and the nearby conjectured Short Ferry causeway (54780). {13} | Subjects: | General Archaeology | Temporal: | 2200BC - 801BC | Source: | Lincolnshire County Council | Identifier: | http://www.lincstothepast.com/Records/Re... | Go to resource |
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