APRIL GRACZ #11212645 ANTH 230 REPTON BARROW STRATIGRAPHY
The Repton Long Barrow sits between the parish church and the River Esk in Repton, Bluffshire, U.K. Last summer, I examined evidence for previous disturbance(s) of the site and assessed the extent to which the original Neolithic burial mound remained intact. I excavated two different sites on the mound, one on the east end and another on the west end of the barrow. While excavating and cleaning each of the sections, I recovered artifacts and human bones. I was also able to draw a stratigraphic profile of each excavation site. Using documentary sources pertaining to the Repton Long Barrow site to assist in my interpretation of the history, I was able to reconstruct the…show more content… The layers of 11 and 12 are filled with black soil with wood fragments. Based on this information, we can conclude that these “pits” were some sort of fire pits for ceremonial purposes. On top of layer 5 is layer 4. This layer covers 5 and is part of the original burial mound. This is concluded because of this layer being made up of piles of turves, as well as the stone axe I found, which would have been used to create the burial mound. The layer 3 in each figure is made up of the same materials. They are both sterile chalk rubble and flint nodules. We can conclude by the chalk rubble in this layer that they are from the digging of the ditches. Based on the order of the layers, it seems the ditches were dug after the burial mound was created. Finally, we come to the top layer of each section. Each top layer is labeled 1 and they are the same modern top soil, which tells us there has been no recent, major excavation that would have disrupted the terrain. In conclusion, by examining the artifacts and different layers of strata on each end of the Repton Barrow, we were able to determine and reconstruct the processes and events that occurred in order for us to see it as we do today. Because of different excavations or changes done to each end, we can see similarities and differences that these occurrences caused to the burial mound and how it affected each side of the barrow. I found it
