A Conversion-Period Cemetery at Woodlands, Adwick-le-Street, South Yorkshire^*

^*With contributions by Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy and Andrew Millard with Geoff Nowell, and illustrations by Rob Goller.

Abstract

Excavations by Archaeological Research and Consultancy University of Sheffield in 2007–8 revealed the remains of an Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery at North Ridge Community School, Woodlands, Doncaster. Forty graves were excavated, thirty-seven of which contained in situ burial remains. Radiocarbon samples from five graves gave an overall date range extending from the late seventh to late eight centuries AD. The latter is commensurate with that suggested by the limited range of grave goods recovered from two of the graves. The majority of the burials were made supine and extended within graves predominantly arranged in two rows, and the demographic profile suggests it served a domestic population. There were occasional deviations from the ‘norm’ in burial position and orientation, and one adult female appears to have suffered a violent death. Strontium and Oxygen (Sr/O) isotope analysis of seven individuals showed mixed origins including local, regional/national migrants and two long-distance migrants.

Keywords:

• Anglo-Saxon
• graves
• inhumation burials
• radiocarbon dates
• Sr/O isotope analysis

Acknowledgements

The archaeological investigations were commissioned by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. The fieldwork was managed on behalf of Archaeological Research and Consultancy University of Sheffield (ARCUS) by Richard O’Neill and Duncan Alexander directed the excavations. The post-excavation analysis was managed on behalf of Wessex Archaeology by Andrea Burgess and Lorraine Mepham. Information on various finds categories have been integrated by the writer from initial comments P. Buckland (stone), Ben Chan (flint), C. G. Cumberpatch (pottery) and Kevin Leahy (metalwork). Helen Geake is gratefully acknowledged for her comments and guidance regarding the grave goods. The radiocarbon results were calibrated and interpreted by Alistair J. Barclay and Michael J. Grant. Andrew Millard would like to thank Janet Montgomery for useful discussions, and Christophe Lécuyer who performed the oxygen isotope measurements. This report was edited by Philippa Bradley. The archive is currently held by Wessex Archaeology under the ARCUS site code 1063/Wessex Archaeology project code 83520, and will deposited with Doncaster Museum in due course.

Notes

^* With contributions by Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy and Andrew Millard with Geoff Nowell, and illustrations by Rob Goller.