Undated unurned cremation at Ashen Road, Ridgewell (EHER 80258)

The most interesting discovery was an unurned cremation burial, as indicated by its charcoal-rich fill and its quantity of cremated human bone. Dated from the prehistoric to early Saxon periods.

March 2019. Trial trenching. The most interesting discovery was an unurned cremation burial, as indicated by its charcoal-rich fill and its quantity of cremated human bone. Given the lack of artefactual dating evidence from this burial, it could be of later prehistoric, Roman or even early Saxon date. It is not uncommon for burials such as this to occur in isolation or in very small clusters in the landscape. The ditches probably constitute parts of the same former boundary that ran across the northeast of the site; however, no such boundary is shown on historic mapping of the site. It is possible that this was a minor boundary or drain which cut across the corner of the field between Ashen Road and Tilbury Road. There were several other undated pits and ditches with no dateable evidence or discernible use. <1>