Two Cemeteries in Bristol’s Northern Suburbs

This volume present the results of two cemeteries of differing dates: a later Iron Age cemetery at Henbury School, Bristol, and a post-Roman cemetery at Filton, South Gloucestershire. Despite their difference in date, the two cemeteries at Henbury and Filton have some common attributes. Both feature a predominant (although differing) burial attitude and grave orientation, and neither was rich in grave goods. The juxtaposition of some graves and the (rare) intercutting of others at both cemeteries may well reflect family associations. That such attributes also relate to modern burial grounds reminds us of the very human nature of this type of archaeological resource. It is not just the informational value of human remains that makes their study so rewarding but also their associative value, which enables us to identify more closely with and better understand our forebears, both in life and in death.

Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Report No. 4.