In 2007, our team uncovered something extremely rare whilst excavating an Anglo-Saxon cemetery…a medieval ‘burial bed’. At some point during the 7th century, the community living in what is now Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire, chose to bury one of their dead in a very unusual way - lying in a bed. This bed had been partially dismantled to fit into the grave. There are very few examples of this type of burial in the UK and, unlike those found in Europe, they are almost exclusively associated with women in the South of England. The bed was constructed with planks of ash, a cover made of oak and iron fittings. The headboard could be fixed into an upright position, which might have been important for the comfort of someone with health problems. It is very likely there would have been covers and pillows, though in this instance no textiles survived. Unlike many bed burials, our team noted the curious lack of grave goods save one metal disc with a cross design. It’s possible the bed itself may have been decorated with carvings or even painted, increasing the luxuriousness of the burial. It’s likely this ritual was reserved for elite members of the community, since most people at this time would have slept on straw or skins, rather than a wooden framed bed. The motivation behind this burial practice is still a source of on-going debate amongst archaeologists. Read more over on our Open Library: https://ow.ly/AtAn50Wholu (fb)

Recent evidence has securely tied the construction of Sheffield Castle’s motte to the Norman period, all thanks to the remains of a fire. But how did archaeologists go about dating a patch of burnt ground? Enter the mind-boggling world of archaeomagnetic dating... Whilst radiocarbon dating uses the decay of carbon in archaeological remains, archaeomagnetic dating looks at their magnetic properties. When we burn materials, the iron content reorients itself towards magnetic North. Since we know that magnetic north has moved over time, this allows us to work out the time that has elapsed since the materials were burnt. Catherine and Mark from Museum of London Archaeology took 25 samples from site which enabled the University of Bradford to undertake archaeomagnetic dating. They concluded that the patch of burnt ground cooled during the medieval period, specifically between AD 896 – 1173. This burnt patch forms part of the motte and is the only dateable evidence that can be securely tied to the construction of the Norman castle. Sheffield City Council | Aureos (fb)