Bronze Age burial chamber uncovered at Dartmoor!

Archaeologists from the Dartmoor National Park Authority have made a significant discovery on Cut Hill, an isolated area within the park. They’ve uncovered a Bronze Age burial chamber, known as a cist, which could offer new insights into life on Dartmoor nearly 4,000 years ago.

Discovering the Ancient Burial Chamber

The cist, constructed from stone slabs, was revealed after reports surfaced about a feature becoming visible in the peat. Led by archaeologist Dr. Lee Bray, the excavation team was awestruck when they opened the chamber. "We were all pretty speechless when we lifted the capstone and looked inside," Dr. Bray recounted. "Not only is the cist bigger than we expected, but it also contained several pieces of wood that seem to have been deliberately shaped and cut. This raises intriguing questions—was the wood part of an object that was dismantled and carefully placed inside the grave? If so, what was it, and who did it belong to?"

Measuring approximately one metre square, the burial chamber was topped with three large granite capstones. Inside, alongside the wooden fragments, archaeologists found various other materials that are still being identified. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal found within the cist indicates that it dates back to around 1800 BCE, making it nearly 3,900 years old.

Photo Credit: Alec Collyer

Parallels with Past Discoveries

This discovery shares striking similarities with a 2011 excavation at Whitehorse Hill, another site on Dartmoor. The Whitehorse Hill cist contained the cremated remains of a young adult along with an array of artefacts, including a bearskin pelt, textiles, and a necklace made of beads crafted from materials like clay, shale, tin, and amber.

Like the Whitehorse Hill cist, the Cut Hill chamber was located in a boggy area. These waterlogged conditions are excellent for preserving organic materials. As Ralph Fyfe, a Professor in Geospatial Information at the University of Plymouth who has been involved in both excavations, explained, "Bogs are oxygen-free, and their tannin-rich environment prevents decay, making them ideal for preserving ancient remains."

What’s Next for the Cut Hill Cist?

The Cut Hill cist is more than twice the size of the one found at Whitehorse Hill, which suggests the possibility of uncovering even more artefacts. Dr. Bray highlighted the careful approach needed for the excavation: "The volume of material under the wood reaches a depth of about 30cm, so there’s every chance it contains objects or artefacts we can’t see yet. The next stage involves micro-excavations to determine what’s in there. It’s very detailed work that’ll take time to complete, but we’re all very excited about it."

This discovery is part of a larger collaborative project involving experts from various institutions, including the Cornwall Archaeological Unit, the University of Leicester, and the University of Plymouth. The cist has been moved to the Wiltshire Conservation and Museums Advisory Service, where further analyses will be conducted. Andy Jones from the Cornwall Archaeological Unit expressed optimism about the future findings: "The current excavations have the potential to yield similarly exciting results, which will help us understand how people lived and died on Dartmoor nearly 4,000 years ago."

This exciting discovery not only deepens our understanding of Bronze Age life on Dartmoor but also sets the stage for future explorations that may reveal even more about the ancient people who once inhabited this area.