Monument record MDO8440 - Bronze Age cremation cemetery, Pokesdown, Bournemouth

A Bronze Age cremation cemetery was discovered in 1926 in Pokesdown. Forty-five cremations were excavated in 1926-7, of which eighteen were in urns.

In the autumn of 1926 an urnfield was discovered on the site of the war-time allotment gardens on the southern edge of Littledown Common. On the 1 November excavations were begun, the procedure being to clear away the whole of the top soil and then gravel down to the undisturbed sand. Work did not cease until 28 March, by which time the urnfield had been exhausted and the ground cleared for at least 30 ft beyond its limits.

45 burials were unearthed, for the most part they were irregularly placed and conformed to no formal lay-out or plan.

Of the burials, 26 were by cremation only, and 18 by cremation in urns. In 2 instances the urns were associated with food vessels. Two sunken roads were discovered evidently earlier in date than the urn-field. No objects were found associated with any of the burials, but in the top soil there were flint implements, including transverse, leaf-shaped, and barbed and tanged arrow heads, and a solitary ochreous palaeolithic flake. To the west of the urnfield a bronze lead-shaped spear-head was unearthed, while farther again to the west was a built up hearth. Classified Late Bronze Age. Many urns in the British Museum. <1>

As there has been some confusion about the situation of this urnfield "I went over the site in 1937 with Mr W E S Young", foreman i/c Dr Clay's excavations. There is no doubt tht the majority of the urns were found on the land between Durrington Place and Harewood Avenue. Mr F W Robins FSA confirms this identification.

The official excavations revealed 18 cremations in urns, whilst a further 26 small holes contained ashes only. The combined evidence from the Holmewood collection from Druitts diaries and other sources, gives proof for another 26 urns, with 6 more probables, making a total of at least 70 burials. We must also bear in mind that in the part of the cemetery excavated under skilled supervision, Dr Clay found 3 simple cremations for every 2 urns, so it is reasonable to infer that there were between 30-40 plain cremations in the rest of the cemetery. Thus we arrive at a total of over 100 cremations in all. The urns with 2 exceptions were all normal LBA type. <2>

I have perambulated the site of this urnfield with F W Robins FSA and the siting symbol at SZ 12589297 has been surveyed on the
ground.

Mr Robins holds two urns from this site (both LBA) and a representative collection of worked flints. He has no information relating to the distribution of the other finds. Site now completely built over. <5>

A rep. collection of urns from this site are on show in Christchurch Museum, others are crated and, as yet, uncatalogued. <6>

<1> Clay, R C C, 1927, A Late Bronze Age Urn-field at Pokesdown, Hants. The Antiquaries Journal, 7 (4), pp 465-484 (Article in serial). SDO20315.

<2> Bournemouth Natural Science Society, 1926-27, Proceedings of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society 19 (Serial). SWX3827.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1941 (Map). SWX1197.

(SZ 1258 9297) Site of Bronze Age Urnfield found AD 1926

<4> Bournemouth Natural Science Society, 1951, Proceedings of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society 40, 79-88 (Serial). SDO16927.

<5> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 16-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<6> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F2 FDC 29-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<6.1> Lavender, J, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: J Lavender, Curator Red House Museum Christchurch. (Verbal communication). SWX8261.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458818 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 24 2023 8:08PM