Monument record ERL 046 - Lakenheath Airfield; Skills Centre

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Summary

ESax cemetery, including ring ditches and horse burial.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 7301 8027 (50m by 50m)
Map sheet TL78SW
Civil Parish ERISWELL, FOREST HEATH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

May 1979 (?): three inhumations with Anglo Saxon grave goods, found during excavation of a pipe trench. Finds include:- annular brooches, square head brooch, beads (amber, glass & crystal), wrist clasp, shield boss, with gilded stud rings (S1). Three partial skeletons and grave goods, including annular brooches, a square-headed brooch, beads, a wrist clasp and a shield boss, were recovered from a building trench on the fringe of a known Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery (S3).
Probably an extension of ERL 008 & ERL 058. Full details in site report of September (?) 1981 - stolen Autumn 1981.
1999: Excavation of part of cemetery area prior to re-development located 59 further burials plus ring ditches, one containing a horse burial (and adult male with sword). Summary in PSIAH 39 (2000), 520-521. Details to follow see backlog to be HER'd(S2).

2005 PXA: The site lies within an area where Early Saxon burials were found during trench works in 1980 and between the known Early Saxon cemetery sites of ERL 104 and ERL 008. Excavation revealed 59 Anglo-Saxon graves primiarily in the western half of the site. The grave layout of ERL 114 around a Bronze Age mound suggests this cemetery is separate. Almost all graves were E-W alligned with the head at the west and in a supine extended of flexed position (one was prone and two crouched). Wealthier burials were concentrated to the west end of the site. There were 2 small ring ditches on the site each surrounding a pair of graves, and adult male and a child. The larger ring ditch also contained a horse burial in the adult male grave who was buried with a sword, spear and shield. Other grave goods from across the site included beads, brooches, knives, finger rings and girdle hangers, and further swords, spears and shields.

The PXA forms an assessment of the potential for analysis for 3 important Early Saxon cemeteries: ERL 046 ERL 114 ERL 104. In total, 426 inhumations and 17 cremations have been excavated and current evidence suggests that most were buried between c.475AD and 625AD. Many of the burials are furnished with personal items characteristic of the period; spears and shields with the men, beads and brooches with the women. As well as a profusion of material representing typical day-to-day life, more spectacular finds include two horses, one adorned with a splendid gilded bridle, four swords, shears, buckets and imported brooches. These sites represent the largest and best preserved Anglo-Saxon cemetery group available for modern analysis. Local geological conditions ensured that more that half the burials had good preservation of the skeletal remains and the sheer quantity and quality of artefacts recovered suggests that these people belonged to a thriving settlement. (S4)

Sources/Archives (5)

  • <S1> (No record type): SAU (Carr R D), Site Report, ERL 046, September 1981.
  • <M1> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files. Parish file: site report, conservation list.
  • <S2> Finds Report: Plouviez, J.. 1995. SCCAS Finds Record:. SAU, Caruth J, August 1999.
  • <S3> Article in serial: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. PSIAH, 35 (2), 1982, 160.
  • <S4> Unpublished document: Caruth, J. and Anderson, S.. 2005. Archaeological Assessment Report: RAF Lakenheath, Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries ERL 104, ERL 046 and ERL 114. A Report on the Archaeological Excavations, 1997-2002.

Finds (10)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Nov 16 2022 2:57PM

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