Monument record MDO8785 - Round barrow, Hurn Airfield, Christchurch

A Bronze Age turf round barrow, which survived 3 ft high before World War 2. It was excavated in 1941, in advance of the construction of RAF Hurn. A central pit was found, but no human remains recovered - most likely they were destroyed by the acid soil conditions, which suggests the primary burial was an inhumation. No grave goods were recovered. A secondary cremation burial was found in the northwest part of the mound, but had been badly disturbed by root action.

(SZ 11779797) Tumulus 28 paces by 3 ft high, surface not essentially undisturbed. <1>

An old pit was found almost in the centre of the barrow, fitted with clean gravelly sand like the natural sub-soil. In the acid soil it is not suprising that no skeletal remains were discovered, and one can only safely infer that the burial must have been by inhumation rather than by cremation. No Grave Goods of any description, nor any flakes or potsherds were discovered in the grave filling. A cremated secondary burial was found at a depth of 2 ft in the NW sector. The fragments of bone had been much disturbed by roots and were in a bad condition, probably inserted in the mound in the Late Bronze Age. <2>

No visible remains. Site now built over by Hurn Airport. <3>

<1> Crawford, O G S, Annotated record map 6 inch (Map). SWX7265.

<2> Piggott, C M, 1943, 'Three turf barrows at Hurn, near Christchurch' Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club (Article in serial). SDO13064.

<3> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 28-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1955 (Map). SWX1197.

SZ 11789797 Tumulus (NR) (Site of)

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, ME000998 (Index). SDO14738.

Ordnance Survey plan SZ 1197: Showing archaeological site SZ 19 NW8 (round barrow). Ordnance Survey plan annotated with ink.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458390 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 6 2023 1:46PM