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Summary

An inhumation burial and grave goods

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO48023

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• INHUMATION (Late, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

On 6 June 1993 Malcolm Todd (Dept of Archaeology, Exeter University) was told by CID officers based at Paignton Police Station that a skelton had been found by Mr. Simon Oaff, who had cleared an area of his garden at 1a Venford Close, Hookhills, Goodrington in order to lay a patio. On June 7th Todd examined the site and excavated the remaining skeletal remains: the cranium was shattered during discovery and much of the right side of the body had been damaged by other agencies, probably ploughing.

The inhumation lay north-east/south-west with the head to NE; there was no trace of a grave cut, the body being laid on a thin land-surface of dark humus 4-10cm thick above bedrock.

A flint arrowhead was laid on the rib-cage. A sherd of pottery was found by the skeleton, probably within the original grave. Initial examination suggests that the burial is of an adolescent or young adult, probably male, dating from the Neolithic.[1] Source: in Parish file. The arrowhead was lost after the police investigation.

Subsequent excavation of the lower body, the single piece of pottery recovered from the fill of the lower body and Radiocarbon examination of an uncontaminated vertebra date the burial between AD 230-390 with 68.2% probability and between AD250-345 with 95.4% probability. [2]

<1> Todd, M., 1993, A Neolithic Burial at Hookills, Paignton (Report - Excavation). SDV362098.

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<2> Chandler, B, 2008, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society (Article in Serial). SDV362382.

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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7046 - LEAF ARROWHEAD (Early Neolithic to LANEBA - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FDV7047 - VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV7774 - Excavation by Malcom Todd - June 1993
• EDV7932 - Excavation at 1a Vennford Close, Hookhills, Paignton

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