Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age beaker burial, Barrington's Farm, Orsett Cock (EHER 5218)

Small pit containing pottery of the Beaker period. Possibly a burial but no bones survived in the acid gravels.

Small pit containing pottery of the Beaker period. Possibly a burial but no bones survived in the acid gravels. <1> November 1983. Watching brief and archaeological excavation. Watching brief on topsoil stripping for the new A13 trunk road. Cropmarks in the area had been revealed by aerial photographs. Some were located and excavated. Two pits were excavated. One may be a natural feature, the other contained three Beaker vessels. No trace of bone or body or coffin stains were found, due to the well-drained acid soil. No other prehistoric features were found. The vessels consisted of two beakers and a bowl. The beakers belonged to the East Anglian style and a date between 2500BC-2000BC seems likely. The bowl is unusual. The fact that the vessels were complete, the lack of contemporary features nearby, indications of immediate back filling, suggest it was a burial. The shape and dimensions of the pit are comparable to a crouched, coffined burial at Mucking. Beaker burials are not common in Essex and are rare in excavated contexts. <2> - <5> Finds in Thurrock Museum. <6> Two aerial photographs in record. <7> <8> Photo of section through Beaker pit in EHER. <9> Site Assessment = Accession numbers? Aerial photographs: <10> <11>. See also <12>. No new information from the NRHE.