| Aston Valley Barrow Cemetery | |
| Alternate Name: | Ashton Valley Barrow Cemetery |
| Map Type: | Wiltshire |
| Region: | Southern England |
| Coordinates: | 51.1853°N -2.0301°W |
| Type: | Barrow cemetery |
| Material: | Chalk |
| Epochs: | Bronze Age |
| Archaeologists: | Sir Richard Colt Hoare, W.F.Cunnington, L.Grinsell, Rev.E.H.Steele |
The Aston Valley Barrow Cemetery, or Ashton Valley Barrow Cemetery, is a group of Bronze Age bowl barrow and bell barrow tumuli on the south facing edge of Codford Down on the west side of the valley of the Chitterne Brook, within the civil parish of Codford, in Wiltshire, England. There were originally ten bowl barrows and a single bell barrow, but some of these have now been ploughed out: only the bell barrow and five bowl barrows survive. The site is a scheduled monument.
The site lies in close proximity to Codford Circle, an Iron Age hillfort or enclosure some 2km (01miles) to the southeast, and Knook Castle, an Iron Age hillfort a similar distance to the northwest.
Excavations at the barrows have revealed many Bronze Age and some possible Saxon urned cremations and other interments. The barrows were originally excavated by W.F. Cunnington in 1801, and recorded by Sir R. Colt-Hoare, with later excavations by the Reverend E.H. Steele in 1957; and with further correlations by Leslie Grinsell, also in 1957. Some burials and items were left in place by Cunnington, but others are now preserved at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes.
The excavations by Colt-Hoare and Cunnington in the 1800s revealed most of the finds and interments. However, as the three-age system had not yet been introduced, and they were unable to properly date their finds, they were at a disadvantage when trying to interpret them.
The following table includes details for the eleven barrows and associated finds:
| Location | Type | Size | NMR number | Description and finds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow A Monument no.887655 | Bowl barrow | 23.5m (77.1feet) wide by 2.2m (07.2feet) high | ST 94 SE 54 | The largest barrow in the cemetery. Finds included cremated remains of a primary burial within a large urn and other secondary remains including nine smaller cremation urns, sherds and burnt bones. | ||
| Barrow B Monument no.887681 | Bowl barrow | 20m (70feet) wide by 1m (03feet) high | ST 94 SE 55 | Contained a probable Bronze Age cremation. | ||
| Barrow C Monument no.887692 | Bowl barrow | 15.5m (50.9feet) wide by 0.3m (01feet) high | ST 94 SE 56 | No finds. | ||
| Barrow D Monument no.887703 | Bell barrow | 22.5m (73.8feet) wide by 2.8m (09.2feet) high | ST 94 SE 57 | Surrounding quarry ditch 5m (16feet) wide and 0.5m (01.6feet) deep. Contained a cremation beneath an inverted Bronze Age urn along with a perforated dolerite battle-axe or hammer. | ||
| Barrow E Monument no.887709 | Bowl barrow | 21m (69feet) wide by 0.4m (01.3feet) high | ST 94 SE 58 | Contained a primary cremation along with a granodiorite battle axe and a bone point. | ||
| Barrow F Monument no.887713 | Bowl barrow | 30m (100feet) wide by 1m (03feet) high | ST 94 SE 59, ST 94 SE 60 | Contained a primary cremation and a later Saxon inhumation along with a fir-wood bucket bound with bronze, and a possible sword or spearhead. | ||
| Barrow G Monument no.887718 | Bowl barrow | now ploughed out | ST 94 SE 61 | Contained a circular shaft with a nearby possible cremation, and other secondary cremations with urn fragments. | ||
| Barrow H Monument no.887751 | Bowl barrow | now ploughed out | ST 94 SE 62 | Contained a human burial in a wooden coffin. | ||
| Barrow J Monument no.887757 | Bowl barrow | now ploughed out | ST 94 SE 63 | Contained a cremation within a crushed urn. | ||
| Barrow K Monument no.888063 | Bowl barrow | now ploughed out | ST 94 SE 64 | Contained a cremation (possibly two) within urns. | ||
| Barrow L Monument no.888065 | Bowl barrow | now ploughed out | ST 94 SE 65 | Contained a cremation within a crushed urn. |