Description

Summary: 1 food vessel found inside barrow G.25 (11), near Ablington, Figheldean, Wiltshire, excavated by Lt Col G W Hawley, 1932.

Research results

An Early Bronze Age food vessel excavated by Lt. Col. William Hawley probably between 1895 and 1898. The vessel, which probably dates to the period 2200-1900BC, was found with four skeletons, in what appears to be the only primary burial associated with the second phase of barrow construction at Figheldean G25, better known as Barrow Clump. Recent excavations carried out by English Heritage and Operation Nightingale have added further detail to our understanding of the site, showing that this burial belonged to an initial barrow probably constructed c. 2200-1950 BC, and then subsequently enlarged some time later in the following centuries. These excavations also identified a second beaker burial, that of a child.

This vessel was re-examined and illustrated as part of Wessex Archaeology and Operation Nightingale's publication of excavations at Barrow Clump (2003-2014). These excavations revealed a complex, multi-phased site with occupation spanning the Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, which was subsequently reused as the focus of an Early to Middle Anglo-Saxon cemetery.