Monument record MDO8727 - Bargates, Christchurch (site X17); Pagan Saxon Cemetery

Excavation at Bargates, Christchurch, during 1977 (site X17), revealed two Bronze Age ring ditches re-used as a focus for a late 6th or 7th century AD pagan Saxon cemetery. This cemetery contained at least 30 inhumations and four cremations in urns. A large area of this cemetery was excavated. There were 11 male burials with grave-goods which included spearheads and shield bosses.

K Jarvis directed an excavation at Bargates, Christchurch, during 1977-8 (site X17) in advance of development. The results were subsequently published in DNHAS monograph 5 (Jarvis 1983).

The excavations revealed a large area of a late 6th-7th century pagan Saxon cemetery containing at least 30 inhumations and four cremations. The cemetery was situated around two Bronze-Age round barrows and were not formally organised, although two compass alignments predominate; SSE-NNW and SW-NE. The richer graves included four [5, 8, 14, 28] which contained a spearhead and shield boss whilst one grave [23] contained a shield boss and two spearheads. 23 graves contained knives the cemetery is unusual due to the high proportion of armed male graves and the rarity of female ornament. The finds from the cemetery do not include any brooches and there is only 1 bead.

Bone survived only as stains or concretions and only three graves contained complete stains.

The date of the cemetery is based on the grave metalwork and the cremation pottery and suggests a date range in the late 6th-7th century. The four cremation vessels included one with comb impression decoration (a late 6th-7th century trait). The metalwork is of a similar period and includes 8 shield bosses and nine spearheads. There were no decorated finds that might have given a more precise dating.

Keen, L, 1977, Christchurch; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 120 (Article in serial). SDO10167.

Jarvis, K S, 1983, Excavations in Christchurch 1969-80 (Monograph). SWX4028.

Record last edited

Oct 29 2024 4:11PM