Monument record MDO2401 - Fosters School, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne; possible middle Bronze Age cremation cemetery

An archaeological evaluation at the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane provided evidence for middle Bronze Age activity with a possible funerary function over a large part of the east central area of the site. This comprises a series of pit-like features containing MBA material with the presence of cremated bone in several contexts. However, a subsequent excavation produced no evidence for cremated human bone and the site is no longer considered to be that of a cremation cemetery.

AC Archaeology conducted an archaeological desk based assessment, earthwork and geophysical survey and trench evaluation during 1995 of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne.

The evaluation by ten machine trenches provided evidence for both Neolithic and middle Bronze Age activity over a large part of the east central area of the site. Several pit-like features were examined and thought to be of middle Bronze Age date, with a possible funerary function revealed by the presence of cremated bone in several contexts. The majority of these features were located adjacent to and cutting into earlier, Neolithic deposits within Trenches 5 and 7. it was thought that they represented part of a dispersed cemetery or urnfield [1]. However, no attempt was made to securely identify the burnt bone as human.

A second stage of evaluation was subsequently carried out in order to clarify the extent and density of activity. This produced no further prehistoric deposits suggesting that the area of the cemetery was relatively restricted. [2]

Exeter Archaeology subsequently conducted a large scale excavation on the site, which produced very large amounts of Late Bronze Age pottery. However, only a single infant burial was recorded during the excavation, dating to the Neolithic, and no cremated human bone. Instead extensive evidence for Middle-Late Bronze Age pottery production was recorded [3]. In the light of this it seems likely that there was never a Middle Bronze Age Cremation cemetery at Tinney's Lane. It is possible that the burnt bone was animal bone incorporated into domestic or industrial fires and then deposited within pits as part of extensive ash deposits across the site. The area has since been developed for housing and playing fields.

<1> Valentin, J , Chandler, J and Geophysical Surveys of Bradford, 1995, The archaeological assessment and evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10359.

<2> Valentin, J, 1995, Further archaeological evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10361.

<3> Best, J, 2008, A Late Bronze Age Pottery Production Site and Settlement at Foster's Field, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10587.

Record last edited

Jul 8 2008 9:40AM