ANGLO-SAXON OXFORDSHIRE

HARWELL - A SMALL ANGLO-SAXON CEMETERY

During the construction of a house in 1955, construction workers discovered a number of bones at Harwell. This discovery led to Mr and Mrs K. Marshall organising excavations on behalf of the Ashmolean Museum, during which six inhumations were found.

Gilt copper alloy small square-headed brooch (AN1955.468) found in grave 1 with an applied brooch, buckle, spearhead and knife during 1955 excavations

The finds from this site included saucer and square-headed brooches from two superimposed burials. All the finds indicated this cemetery was in use from the fifth to the seventh centuries.

In 1975 further excavations were conducted by P.D.C. Brown. Two more inhumation burials were uncovered, consisting of a warrior grave with a sword and bucket, and a female grave with 2 disc brooches.

Bucket with copper alloy mounts (AN1992-164-166) and copper alloy scraper (AN1992.161) found during 1976 excavations

The finds from this cemetery can now be found in the Ashmolean Museum.

REFERENCES:

J.R. Kirk and K. Marshall (1956) "A Saxon Cemetery near the Village of Harwell, Berkshire", Oxoniensia, XXI, p22-34.

A. MacGregor and E. Bolick (1993) Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non- Ferrous Metals), BAR British Series 230.