In the Shadow of Segsbury

The H380 Childrey Warren Water Pipeline ran under the shadow of Segsbury Camp, an Iron Age hillfort that sits atop the Ridgeway. Ephemeral traces of Mesolithic and Neolithic activity were found, including a possible Neolithic timber structure. The remains of a probable Late Bronze Age pit alignment, small Iron Age settlements comprising roundhouses, pits and other structures, and burials were also revealed. One burial had been subjected to unusual treatment with the removal of the individual’s feet after death.

A small, Late Roman cemetery included males, females and infants, some of whom were accompanied by a range of artefacts. The finds included coins, brooches, a bracelet and rings, as well as an unusual double-sided bone or antler comb with a horse motif and ring-and-dot decoration. The small cemetery was originally believed to be either of Roman or post-Roman date. However, radiocarbon dating with Bayesian modelling revealed some unaccompanied burials to be of late 7th or early 8th-century AD date. Innovative scientific techniques including aDNA and isotope analysis further revealed important details of familial relationships.