McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research annual report 2018-19

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Dave Webb
Vertical composite-photograph of Middle Bronze Age
fishing weirs, Over.
in the Cam Valley north of Cambridge, at Gravel
Diggers Farm/Mitchell Hill, where Early–Middle
Iron Age settlement has been exposed. The most
‘headline’ quarry results have, though, been from
this year’s work at Hanson’s Needingworth Quarry,
across the floodplain east of the River Great Ouse
and north of Over. There, involving two of the river’s
palaeochannels, within a small side channel of one
of them was a mass of preserved timber. Although
having only very few artefacts as such, this would
appear to be a series of oft-reset Middle Bronze Age
fishing weirs. Also excavated there was a small Early
Bronze Age barrow with a central pit-pyre cremation
and a secondary interment consisting of a ‘cocktailshaker’-like
arrangement of Collared Urns together
holding what were the transported burnt remains of
a mature female.
A second round barrow, much larger and of Neolithic
date, was also dug at Over (the monument’s dating
coming from a cache of worked flint within the top
of its mound). Six inhumations were recovered in
total. The primary interment was unaccompanied,
whereas a secondary child’s burial cut into the
surrounding ditch contained two fineware Beakers.
The other burials—all without grave goods or
personal ornaments—occurred within the mound’s
upper profile and only their radiocarbon dating will
determine if they are Neolithic or Bronze Age.
Dave Webb
Over’s in situ Early Bronze Age pit-pyre cremation.
(Below, left) The Bronze Age barrow at Over under
excavation.
(Below) Collared Urn ‘cocktail-shaker’ arrangement
for the transportation of cremated human remains.
Dave Webb
Dave Webb
Archaeology at Cambridge 2018–2019 5