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Monument Types

• CREMATION (Early Bronze Age - 1965 BC to 1751 BC) + Sci.Date
• ROUND BARROW (Early Bronze Age - 1900 BC? to 1600 BC?)
• CREMATION (Early Bronze Age - 1886 BC to 1688 BC) + Sci.Date

Summary

In 1795 it measured 8' high and 96 yds around; it has been excavated several times. Thorough excavation in 1978 found the barrow to to be an earth and stone barrow with a primary burial in c.1550 BC, with four later satellite burials and a secondary burial. (More recent dating gives the earliest burial date as c.1850 BC.)

Additional Information

Scheduled Monument description extract:
The site of a second barrow, also opened by Bateman, lies to the south of Egypt Plantation. It was completely excavated in 1978 and is not a part of the revised scheduling.

The 1978 excavation recorded five phases, with the barrow continuing in use long after its construction. It contained a primary burial, c.1550 BC, satellite burials c.1380 BC and c.1400 BC and a secondary burial c.1490 BC. Approximately 100 sherds of prehistoric pottery were recovered including some beaker sherds; up to seven cremations were recorded.

On 08/08/1929 CW Phillips noted that the barrow had been "ruthlessly destroyed; not filled in. A large number of large stones are showing in centre. Diameter 32 paces; height 4' 6" - 5'". (OS records)

On 09/03/1977 LMAST checked the site and noted that it was now 'a slight rise in the surface of the field, a large amount of stone apparently from this barrow lay in the adjacent hedgerow'. (Field notes)

Fieldwalking, a geophysical survey and a contour survey were undertaken by LMAST. The resistivity clearly showed a ditch, a kerb and the gaps in the latter produced by Bateman's and the Duke of Rutland's excavation.

TL of S Lincs Archaeological Unit found a flint plano-convex knife on the ploughed surface of the mound and donated it to Leicestershire Museums. (A162.1982)

<1> Nichols J, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire, Vol 2 pt 1 (1795), p305 (Bibliographic reference). SLE7.

This was one of two barrows noted by Nichols in 1795. He describes it as c.8 foot high and 96 yards round. It had apparently been excavated by the first Duke of Rutland who found it "full of bones". Two excavations were still to be seen in Nichols' day.

<2> Bateman, Thomas, 1861, Ten Years Digging in Celtic and Saxon Grave Hills, p109-111 (Bibliographic reference). SLE6360.

It was one of two barrows excavated by Bateman, Rev Norman et al in 1860. It was described as sandy earth except for some stones near the summit. No burials were noted but the old ground surface was described as baked hard (Bateman's trench was discovered in the 1978 excavations).

<3> Clay, Patrick, 1981, Two multi-phase barrow sites at Sproxton and Eaton Leicestershire, p1-26 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1414.

From August to November 1978 PN Clay and the Leicestershire Archaeological Unit excavated the mound. It proved to be a composite earth and stone barrow. 5 phases were distinguished: 1. Pre-Barrow; 2. Primary funerary monument (turf and stake structure); 3. Enlargement of funerary monument (earth with stone kerb); 4. Completion of mound construction (limestone capping, ditch and satellite burials and a secondary burial); 5. Later activity.
Radio-carbon dating suggested clearance in 3220 +/- BC with snails suggesting subsequent ploughing and then pastoral use. The primary burial was dated 1550 +/- 70 BC, the satellites 1380 +/- 90 BC and 1400 +/- 90 BC and a secondary burial 1490 +/- 70 BC.
Finds included 6 definite cremation burials and remains from the ditch indicating a 7th, 2 complete collared urns found with burials and substantial remains of a bipartite burial perhaps originally with a satellite burial, and 90 sherds including one decorated Beaker sherd from the ditch and 8 ?Beaker sherds from the mound. A rim sherd of an additional collared urn may have been associated with one of the satellite burials. Flint was confined to an edge-retouched knife, 2 serrated blades, a piercer and 8 flakes/blades.
(A400.1978) (PL 23/08/88)

<4> 1977-8, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53, Vol 53 (1978), p75-77 (Journal). SLE5951.

(Interim report)

<5> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2018, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 92, Vol 92 (2018), p1-14 (Journal). SLE5817.

The barrow was included in a project looking at log coffins, published in 2018. Six cremation burials were recorded. The 'primary' burial was a mature male, lying at the bottom of a pit on a carbonised oak base. The cremation was probably moved from the funeral pyre to the log coffin whilst still hot, causing the insides to char. The four satellite cremations were all young adults, and the barrow's 'secondary' burial was of a young adult (probably female). This burial lay on large fragments of charcoal, possibly representing the poorly preserved remains of a second log coffin. The 'primary' burial was radiocarbon dated to 1886-1688 cal BC (95.4%), the 'secondary' burial to 1965-1751 cal BC. "The two possible log coffin burials at Sproxton are towards the end of the Early Bronze Age log coffin burials in the UK and at least 250 years after its dated inception."

<6> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Barrow cemetery; the earthworks are in various states of preservation, excavation in the 19th century recovered an inhumation in one barrow and animal bones in another; excavation in 1978 of another barrow recovered cremations."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=323543', accessioned 11/12/2023.

<7> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, OS 6" NSL (Map). SLE7243.

[A SK 86642790 B SK 86702783] Tumuli [OE]

<8> Downman, EA, 1914, Ancient Earthworks in Leicestershire, p11 (Bibliographic reference). SLE7438.

'Two heaps to the SE of the E end [of King Lud's Entrenchments] are called Tumuli on the Ordnance Survey map: one of these lately excavated proved only to be a rubbish heap'.

<9> Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 13-JUN-72 (Website). SLE3488.

The barrow 'B' SK86692782 remains but is much spread.

<10> 1995, Lincolnshire NMP Project, Ann Carter/19-DEC-1995 (Index). SLE7305.

The barrow B, recorded by Authority 9 was seen as a cropmark and mapped from poor quality air photographs; it has a diameter of approximately 20m. The remaining barrows could not be identified.
Centred at:-SK 8668 2783
(Morph No. LI.780.4.1)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.

<11> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Descheduling Amendment 26-SEP-1995 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.

King Lud's Intrenchments (see SK 82 NE 1) and two adjoining tumuli -
SK 8664 2790. Monument No. 90656 formerly LE 46b. Barrow. Descheduled.
SK 8670 2783. Monument No. 90655 formerly LE 46c. Barrow. Descheduled.

Sources

Associated Finds

• BLADE (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• COLLARED URN (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• KNIFE (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• SHERD (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• COFFIN? (Early Bronze Age - 1965 BC to 1751 BC)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Bronze Age - 1900 BC? to 1600 BC?)
• COFFIN (Early Bronze Age - 1886 BC to 1688 BC)

Designations

• SHINE: Bronze Age barrows (barrow cemetery), World War 2 camp buildings, King Lud's Entrenchments, Egypt Plantation

Associated Images

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