| | Area: South | | | | Dug in Year: 2004 | | Feature Type: burial | | | | Location: center of north platform space 112 | | | | Grid X: 911.9 Grid Y: 981.5 | | | Feature 1702 is a double burial feature located in the center of the north platform of space 112. Due to a variety of reasons the level from which the feature was dug can no longer be established, but the cut was visible directly after the removal of the isolated weathered patches of floors, unit 10806, left in the 1960s.
The feature is disturbed by later burials 1709; 1710; and 1711, and post retrieval pit 1705.
The cut of 1702, u. 10811 is of a very large size. The nature of this cut only became clear when the double burial at the bottom of the feature was encountered. In the south a male adult was interred - unit 10840, which was oriented east-west (head in west), legs flexed before chest. With this person we found a large worked bird bone (x1 10840), a large flint object and a bone point (x2,x3 10842). On the skeleton some red paint was sprinkled. On the chest there was a white substance that may be plaster and behind the neck there was a gold-brown matrix that may be an organic residue (samples 2 and 3 10842).
Above the fill surrounding 10840, unit 10842, there was a brown interface with phytoliths upon which the matrix broke evenly (sample 1 10838). This interface slopes down considerably to the north, and it is on top of this that a complete sheep skeleton, unit 10839, was found. This sheep, which is not yet mature (NR), lay on its back. The hind legs were extended at an angle of about 30 degrees. The front legs were sticking up vertically (removed as cluster 10828). Given this odd position of 10839 it has been posited (NR) that the front legs were held while feature 1702 was infilled (fill units 10838 and 10812).
Although f. 1702 was disturbed by several later burials it seems that some knowledge of f. 1702 influenced these burials. First, the northern area, with the upsticking sheep front legs was avoided. Perhaps this area was not considered fit for humans. Second two of the skeletons (10814 of f 1711) and (10813 of f 1709) were in exactly the same location and burial position as 10840. | | | | In situ Conservation: No | | Lifted: No | | | | Feature Relationships: | | cut by: (Click to view the record) 1705, 1709, 1710, 1711 | | | | Number of Related Diary Entries: 12 | | | | Conservation Recorded: No | | Related Photos: 193 (Opens as a group in a new window) | Buildings: (Click to view the record)
| Spaces: (Click to view the record)
| | No. Of Units in this Feature: 6 (Click here to view unit list) |
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