Probable Iron Age cremation cemetery at Upper Brambleshot Field, Great Chesterford (EHER 4858)

A series of finds since 1856 have been interpreted as indicating the site of a probable Iron Age cremation cemetery with rich grave goods in the Aylesford-Swarling type (see EHER 4921). The first discovery took place in 1856 during ditch-cutting, whereby at least two furnished burials were discovered. Some of the grave goods from the burials were given to the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1869 and displayed to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society in 1970. Other burials are also described as coming from an adjacent site but which is not further specified in the sources. A bronze mirror was found in the parish in 1960 and had been tentatively ascribed to the site, but has since been proven to have been found some 1.6km to the south-east (see EHER 4873). Together, the evidence has been considered to represent the site of an Iron Age cremation cemetery. In 1978, the Great Chesterford Archaeology Group conducted fieldwalking to locate the findspot of Neville's Brambleshot artefacts and successfully confirmed the site.

1856. Chance find. In 1856 ditch-cutting in Bramble Shot Field revealed two burials. Lord Braybrooke (also known as Hon R.C. Neville) recorded the finds. One burial consisted of a pedestal urn containing burnt bone. The second burial, located 6.1m away, comprised two Kimmeridge shale vessels, fragments of two pedestal urns, two pairs of bow-shaped silver brooches of La Tène III type (each pair being linked by a silver plaited chain), and two hafts for iron knives. The area between the two burials was searched but no further finds were made. The Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology holds the fragments of the bronze binding for a wooden bucket of La Tène III type (EHER 4921), which is recorded as having come from Bramble Shot Field and having been donated by Mr Octavius Green (the Green estate solicitor) to the museum in 1869. The two catalogue cards that accompany this find also record an amphora (Dressel 1b) having been given by O. Green to Braybrooke. In 1870, a Mr Carter presented to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society portions of a bucket from Great Chesterford, consisting of the bronze handle, the fastenings and joints of which were ornamented and showed traces of red enamel, and portions of three hoops and fragments of the wooden staves. With this was found parts of the mouth of a bronze vessel and a small bronze handle. It is thought that this was the same bucket as the one Octavius Green had given to the museum, and that the ‘presentation’ was a demonstration rather than a gift. <1> The OS card states the location of the site is at NGR TL 5142 and interprets the finds, alongside some other local discoveries (see EHER records referenced below) as a La Tene III and IV Aylesford type cremation cemetery at Great Chesterford: "In 1856 Neville discovered two 'interments' in Brambleshot Field east of the Roman town, where finds included a cremation urn, two tazzas, two earthenware vases, two pairs of silver fibulae and the hafts of two iron knives. Other 'interments' possibly from an adjacent site associated with earthenware tazzas with feet are recorded, also a pedestalled urn, an Iron Age urn found in a Roman pit (EHER 4859) and a bronze mirror found in 1960 (EHER 4873), possibly from a grave. Further evidence for cremation burial is a burnt fragment of a bronze fibula in one of the vases, and a cremation was also found in at least one of a number of barrel-shaped cordoned urns found by Neville." <2> <3> <4> Note: The bronze mirror found in 1960 (EHER 4873) was found at 'Home Field' and has been disproven as originating in 'Brambleshot Field', see EHER 4873 for further details. 1978. Fieldwalking. In 1978, the Great Chesterford Archaeology Group organised fieldwalking to try and establish the provenance for the Belgic Grave good group found during the cutting of a drainage ditch (in 1856) and presented to the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (now Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) by Octavius Green (the Green estate solicitor) in 1869. The principle problem in finding the site was the existence of Upper and Lower Bramble Shot which between them covered a large area. Research into the 19th century landowners and 1804 enclosure map strongly suggested Upper Bramble Shot as the most likely candidate. The site was successfully established by fieldwalking. Fieldwalking before and after ploughing recovered 320 Iron Age pottery sherds (1.3Kgms), two pieces of cremated bone, one oyster shell, two pot boilers and several pieces of worked flint. The vast majority of finds were found within an area of 20x15m which later showed up as an oval soil mark. Odd sherds occur elsewhere. The pottery recovered can be sorted into five broad types and suggest a strong Aylesford-Swarling type association. From this, it is probable that the assemblage is contemporary with Neville's 1856 finds, and the cremated bone makes it well-suited to a burial context. The site would seem to be in poor condition, but the lower portions of graves may still be in tact. <1> <5> The 1978 investigations describe an 'oval shaped cropmark' at the site of the concentration of pottery sherds. This cropmark may be the dark irregular shape seen in the north-centre of the field on Google Earth imagery from 2007, 2015 and 2017. The shape is most clearly defined in the 2007 image, and measures approximately 40m east-west. In the imagery from 2017, the north, west and south sides of a possible a square feature measure 30m by 30m appear to be visible as a cropmark approximately 90m to the south-west and may have archaeological origin. <7> <8> <9> Site Assessment: Present condition may be poor. Chalk rock on the surface where ploughing cuts into the bed rock. NRHE data transfer, 374319: Staves and the bronze mounts of an Early Iron Age wooden bucket from Great Chesterford are in the Cambridge Museum. The typical La Tene design on the handles dates it to 1st century AD. <3> Note: The find has been incorrectly attributed to the Early Iron Age instead of the Late Iron Age. NRHE data transfer, 374315: See also <10>.