List of Anglo-Saxon cemeteries

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Anglo-Saxon cemeteries have been found in England, Wales and Scotland. The burial sites date primarily from the fifth century to the seventh century AD, before the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England. Later Anglo-Saxon period cemeteries have been found with graves dating from the 9th to the 11th century. Burials include both inhumation and cremation. Inhumation burials before the late seventh century when pagan funerary rituals were the norm, often consisted of rectangular graves, with coffins or were lined with stones. High status burials, often held burial furniture, predominantly burial beds. Grave goods were often placed with the body, and included jewellery, especially Anglo-Saxon brooches, weapons, tools, and household items.

Contents

List of Anglo Saxon Cemeteries

This is a partial list of Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries.

Cemetery NameLocationTime period of burialsNo of burialsDiscoveryNotes
Abingdon Abingdon, Oxfordshire 5th to early 6th centuries CE2041934 Bronze Age barrow discovered on cemetery site. Seventy-three inhumations had grave goods, including brooches, buckles, spears and knives. [1]
Barnstaple Barnstaple, Devon 10th centuries CE1051970s [2]
Bergh Apton Bergh Apton, Norfolk late 5th to late 6th centuries CE631973Burial finds, including fragments of a lyre are held at the Norwich Castle Museum [3]
Berinsfield Berinsfield, South Oxfordshire 5th to early 7th centuries CE1181974Multiple brooches and a variety of brooch types found in female graves. [4] [5]
Blacknall Field Pewsey, Wiltshire late 5th century to mid 6th centuries CE110197050 graves contained metalwork, including swords, scabbards, spears, hilts, knives, belts, buckles, bowls, jewellery [6]
Bowl Hole Bamburgh, Northumberland 6th to 7th centuries CE100+1997Final phase burial ground, cist burials [7]
Buckland Dover, Kent late 5th to mid 8th centuries CE4201951 and 1994Graves included examples of both pagan and Early Christian burial rituals. Later excavations found more burials a short distance away. [8] [9]
Caister-on-Sea Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk ??1954, 1979 excavationAnglian cemetery with boat burials. [10]
Cleatham Cleatham, North Lincolnshire 5th to early 7th centuries CE15081984–1989 excavation1204 cremation urns [11] [12] [13]
Collingbourne Ducis Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire 5th to 7th centuries CE1201974The largest number of burial remains in Anglo-Saxon Wiltshire. Includes a bed burial [14]
ElshamNorth Lincolnshire5th to early 7th centuries CE5521975–1976 excavation552 cremation burials containing 564 individuals (due to multiple burials). Seven early medieval inhumations and two Bronze Age inhumations. [12] [13]
Edix Hill Barrington, Cambridgeshire mid 6th to early 7th centuries CE3001989–1991 excavationUnusual furnished bed burial/skeleton determined to have leprous changes [4]
Finglesham Sandwich, Kent 6th to 8th centuries CE2011928Burial mound cemetery [15]
Fordcroft Orpington, London 5th to 6th centuries CE711965Site of mixed cremations and inhumations. Evidence of Romano-British occupation at site. [16] [17]
Great Chesterford Great Chesterford, Essex 1611952An unusually large number of children's graves [18]
Great Ryburgh Great Ryburgh, Norfolk 7th to 9th centuries CE89201681 rare hollowed out tree trunk coffins and 8 plank lined graves [19] [20]
Harford FarmMarkshall, Norfolk late 7th century461932Multiple period site, multiple burials with grave goods. [4] [21] [22]
Illington Illington, Norfolk 6th to 7th centuries CE2031949Largely cremation cemetery with three inhumations. [23]
Jarrow Monastery Jarrow, Northumbria 7th to 11th centuries CE1321963–1969 ExcavationPredominantly male burials. [24]
Lovedon Hill Loveden, Lincolnshire 5th to 7th centuries CE32+ inhumations, 1297+ cremations1925Glass claw beakers, bronze hanging bowls, coptic bowl [25]
Lower Farm Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire 6th century CE261969One grave contained a snaffle bit, rare in an Anglo-Saxon context. [26]
Mill Hill Deal, Kent 7th century CE112+1940 inhumation only cemetery. [4]
Mucking Mucking, Essex 5th to early 7th centuries CE8001965–1978 excavationThe cemetery is on the same site as Romano-British settlement. [27]
Norton-on-Tees Norton-on-Tees, County Durham 6th to early 7th centuries CE1201982In 2012, the skeletal remains from the burial site were loaned to the University of York for stable isotope analysis to determine the origin of the individuals. [28]
Overstone Overstone, Northamptonshire 5th to 11th centuries CE1542019Over 3000 grave goods found including jewellery , weapons and household items. The remains of an Anglo-Saxon settlement was also uncovered. [29]
Ozengell Monkton, Thanet, Kent 5th to 11th centuries CE941846Several graves included post holes, which indicate timber structures related to the burials. [30]
Polhill Sevenoaks, Kent 7th to 8th centuries CE200–2201984–1986 excavationSee Polhill Anglo-Saxon cemetery
Raunds Furnells Northamptonshire 10th century CE3631975Christian burial rituals, no grave goods [31]
Saltwood Tunnel Saltwood, Kent 6th to 7th centuries CE217Three separate inhumation cemeteries [32]
Sancton I Sancton, East Yorkshire 5th to 7th centuries CE3651976–80Largely cremations, with one inhumation found. [33]
Sancton II Sancton, East Yorkshire 6th century CEMixed rite cemetery, 1.5 km away from Sancton I. [33]
Sarre Sarre, Kent 5th to 7th centuries CE4001860Site part of earlier Iron Age settlement. Sarre brooch. [34]
Scremby Skegness, Lincolnshire 5th to 6th centuries CE492018–2019Furnished graves [35]
Sedgeford Sedgeford, Norfolk 7th to 9th centuries CE400+1957–2007Cemetery first discovered in the early 20th century, with further excavations 1957–60. More extensive excavations by Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project found the bulk of the remains between 1996–2007. Burials follow a broadly Christian rite, buried in an east-west alignment with no grave goods. [36]
Sewerby Sewerby, East Yorkshire 5th to 7th centuries CE50+1959 and 1974Contained a supine individual, buried with arms and legs splayed, thought to have been buried live possibly as a sacrifice. [37]
Shrubland Hall Quarry, Coddenham, Suffolk 7th century CE501999Multiple bed burials [38]
Snape Aldeburgh, Suffolk 6th to 7th centuries CE1824–1992Boat Burial, Snape Ring. [39]
Spong Hill North Elmham, Norfolk 5th century CE26001970's excavationThe largest early Anglo-Saxon burial site excavated in England. [40]
Stanton Ixworth, Suffolk 5th to 7th centuries CE702013Cemetery built on earlier site of Bronze Age round barrow. [41]
Street House Loftus, North Yorkshire Mid to late 7th century CE1092005–2007 excavationThe cemetery included a female bed burial, which contained cabochon pendants and a gold shield-shaped pendant. [42]
Stretton-on-Fosse Stretton-on-Fosse, Warwickshire Late fifth to sixth centuries CE531968—1970 excavationThe cemetery included a variety of brooches in different styles, amber and glass beads, spears, and shield bosses [43]
Sutton Hoo Woodbridge, Suffolk 6th to early 7th centuries CEUnknownShip uncovered in 1939Burial site contains undisturbed ship burial, execution burials, multiple important artifacts. See Sutton Hoo
Swallowcliffe Down Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire 7th century CE?1966Archaeologists discovered the richest and most complex female grave, bed burial ever discovered in England [4]
Tranmer House Bromeswell, Suffolk 5th to 6th centuries CE34+2000Partially excavated mixed rite cemetery, dates immediately prior to Sutton Hoo [44]
Trumpington Trumpington, Cambridgeshire Mid 7th centuries CE42011Bed burial of teenage girl, which included a rare gold pectoral cross inlaid with garnets, the three other burials were all females. [45]
Updown (Eastry III) Eastry, Kent 7th century CEc.3001973Excavated in 1976 and 1989, investigating 78 burials – all inhumations. The site measures approximated 150 by 80 metres (490 by 260 ft). [46]
Walkington Wold Walkington, Yorkshire 121967Execution cemetery [4] [47]
Wasperton Wasperton, Warwickshire 5th century CE1401980Roman/Anglo Saxon Cemetery. 116 inhumations and 24 cremations were determined to be Anglo-Saxon. 40 inhumations have been determined to be Roman, 44 inhumations could not be dated. The graves included spears, shields, knives, brooches and beads. [48] [49]
Wendover Wendover, Buckinghamshire 5th to 6th centuries CE1412021138 graves uncovered, with 141 inhumation burials and 5 cremation burials. The graves included a silver zoomorphic ring, iron spearhead, male skeleton with an iron spear point lodged in his spine, copper alloy tweezers. [50] [51]
Wolverton Wolverton, Buckinghamshire Late 6th to 7th century CE762007-2008Seventy-six graves were excavated, containing eighty inhumation burials: five empty graves, two urned cremations and two possible disturbed cremations were also recorded [52]
Worthy Park Kings Worthy, Hampshire 7th century CE140excavation 1961–196246 urned cremation burials which included primarily combs and grooming tools [4]

See also

Further reading

Worthy Park

Berinsfield

References

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