Middle to Late Bronze Age round barrow and cremation burials at Elms Farm, Heybridge (EHER 81912)

Archaeological excavation in 1993 and 1994-1995 recorded two phases of activity: Middle and Late Bronze Age. The principal feature recorded was a small ring ditch, around 8m diameter with a single definite cremation burial in an inverted urn of Middle Bronze Age date within. Two pits also contained small amounts of cremated human bone. There were a series of post holes around the ring ditch, which may have had an internal mount or perhaps a bank. Collectively, these features were interpreted as the remains of a Middle Bronze Age round barrow. Following the initial erosion of the postulated mound, the ring ditch appears to have been allowed to silt up gradually. The upper fills of the ring ditch yielded small amounts of cremated bone. Late Bronze Age pottery was also recovered from the ring ditch fills. A pit to the west of the ring ditch contained a small quantity of burnt human bone and two large sherds of a Late Bronze Age jar. This may be the remains of another cremation burial.

1993 and 1994-1995. Archaeological excavations. Middle Bronze Age. The principal feature recorded was a small ring ditch, around 8m diameter. It occupied the relatively high ground of the north end of the 1993 site, though still only at around 4.0m OD. Within the interior of the ring ditch was a single definite cremation burial in an inverted urn of Middle Bronze Age date. Four other heavily truncated features contained dark, charcoal-rich fills; two of these yielded small amounts of cremated human bone. One of the heavily truncated features seems to have been a primary cremation burial alongside that in the urn, whilst the other interior features are more likely to be ‘formalised [cremated] deposits in an intentionally cut feature’. There was a general scatter of post holes across the 1993 site, with a slight concentration in the vicinity of the ring-ditch. Of these, six post-holes and one unexcavated feature appear to be the remnants of a circle around the ring ditch, the eastern part having been removed by a Roman ditch. The ditch sections indicate the presence of an internal mound or perhaps a bank. The poor survival of features within the ring ditch interior may suggest that cremations and other features were inserted into a mound. A further possible cremation burial was found some 44m north-east of the ring ditch. Although severely truncated by ploughing, it included the substantial lower-part of a globular urn but which did not contain cremated bone. On the 1994 site, the Middle Bronze Age was represented by a group of five substantial post holes below what became the site of Late Iron Age shrines and a Roman temple. These averaged 0.6m in diameter and 0.5m depth and possibly formed part of a circular structure, which occupied a slight gravel rise on the terrace before the step down, into marshland alongside the Chelmer river. Late Bronze Age. Following the initial erosion of the postulated mound, the ring ditch appears to have been allowed to silt up gradually. The upper fills of the ring ditch yielded small amounts of cremated bone. Late Bronze Age pottery was also recovered from the ring ditch fills. In addition, feature 2513 contained a small quantity of burnt human bone in its charcoal-rich fill and lay less than 4m to the west of the ring ditch. Two large sherds of a Late Bronze Age jar were recovered from this feature, but it is not clear whether this assemblage represents a cremation burial. Regardless of their precise function, these features demonstrate a degree of continuity in ritual/funerary use of this monument and its vicinity between the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. <1> See aerial photograph <2>. See newspaper articles <3> - <7>. See also <8> - <13>. Note: Middle to Late Bronze Age occupation was also recorded at Langford Road (EHER 81881) to the north of the Elms Farm site, and scattered discrete features from this period were recorded at the Crescent Road excavations (EHER 7793 and EHER 81891).