EDO51 - Bronze Age Cremation Cemetery, Pokesdown; excavation 1926-27

In the autumn of 1926 an urnfield was discovered on the site of the war-time allotment gardens on the southern edge of Littledown Common. On 1 November excavations were begun, the procedure being to clear away the whole of the top soil and then gravel down to the undisturbed sand. Work did not cease until 28 March, by which time the urnfield had been exhausted and the ground cleared for at least 30 ft beyond its limits. 45 burials were unearthed, for the most part they were irregularly placed and conformed to no formal lay-out or plan. Of the burials, 26 were by cremation only, and 18 by cremation in urns. In 2 instances the urns were associated with food vessels. Two sunken roads were discovered evidently earlier in date than the urn-field. No objects were found associated with any of the burials, but in the top soil there were flint implements, including transverse, leaf-shaped, and barbed and tanged arrow heads, and a solitary ochreous palaeolithic flake. To the west of the urnfield a bronze lead-shaped spear-head was unearthed, while farther again to the west was a built up hearth. Classified Late Bronze Age. Many urns in the British Museum. (1)