A Social and Anthropological Analysis of Conversion Period and Later Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Volume I Joanne Louise Buckberry Ph.D. Department of Archaeology University of Sheffield January 2004 Abstract The thesis will discuss the variety and types of cemeteries and burials used during the late Anglo-Saxon period. The survey of Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire will reveal that many early Anglo-Saxon burial sites have been successfully identified archaeologically, but that relatively few late Anglo-Saxon cemeteries have been identified or excavated. It will show, contrary to previous interpretations, that many late Anglo-Saxon cemeteries were not located under medieval cemeteries adjacent to extant churches and will show that execution cemeteries dating to the late Anglo- Saxon period and isolated barrow burials attributed to Scandinavian settlers have been identified archaeologically. The present research will highlight the importance of searching for late Anglo-Saxon burial sites in the large numbers of undated burials recorded at Sites and Monuments Record offices and in the relevant literature. It will present a series of identification criteria for late Anglo-Saxon cemeteries and will reveal the results of a radiocarbon dating project that successfully dated five previously undated burial sites to the 7th to 11th centuries. The thesis will highlight the range and variation of burial rites used during the late Anglo-Saxon period, stressing that this was not, contrary to popular perception, a period of egalitarian burial practice. Indeed, it will show that high-status cemeteries contained a much wider variety of grave types and grave variations than lower-status cemeteries, and will reveal that there was more variation in the types and numbers of different funerary rites between cemeteries of different status than between rural and urban cemeteries. The thesis will stress the importance of comparing osteological and funerary evidence when investigating cemeteries, and will show that late Anglo-Saxon burial practice was not solely determined by the age or sex of the deceased. However, it will show that individuals were increasingly likely to be buried in more elaborate graves with increasing age, and will suggest that more elaborate burial practices were used for social display. This differs from the early Anglo-Saxon period, when sex and probably social status were considered when choosing burial rites. This reveals a fundamental change in the way in which social identity influenced the choice of burial practice throughout the Anglo-Saxon period. Word Count: 91,791. ii Table of Contents Volume I Abstract i ................................................................................................................... Table Contents ii of ..................................................................................................... Table Figures of ......................................................................................................... x List Tables of .........................................................................................................xxii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................xliv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 ............................................................................................ 1.1 Introduction 1 ..................................................................................................... 1.2 Area 3 and period of study ............................................................................... 1.3 Early Anglo-Saxon burial 5 practice ................................................................ 1.4 Conversion the 'final 8 period cemeteries and phase' model ..................... 1.5 Late Anglo-Saxon the foundation Minsters 15 cemeteries and of .............. 1.5.1 The Minster 16 model ................................................................................. 1.5.2 Variation in late Anglo-Saxon 19 cemeteries .......................................... 1.5.3 Variation in late Anglo-Saxon burial types 22 ........................................ 1.6 Cemeteries included in detailed 23 analysis .................................................. 1.6.1 The York i: Swinegate 23 cemeteries ........................................................ 1.6.2 The York ii: York Minster 26 cemeteries .................................................. 1.6.3 The York iii: St Andrew's Fishergate 26 cemeteries ............................... 1.6.4 The cemetery St Mark's, Lincoln 28 of ..................................................... 1.6.5 Humberside i: St Peter's Barton-on-Humber 30 cemeteries ................. 1.6.6 Humberside cemeteries ii: the 10th- to 12th-century cemetery at Barrow-on-Humber 31 ........................................................................................ 1.6.7 Early-Mid Anglo-Saxon cemeteries: Castledyke South and Sewerby 33 ........................................................................................................................... 1.7 Outine 34 of study .............................................................................................. Survey 1- Study Area Methodology 36 Chapter 2: Cemetery and ................... 2.1 Geography 36 and geology .............................................................................. 2.1.1 Lincolnshire 37 The topography of ......................................................... 2.1.2 The Yorkshire 39 topography of .............................................................. iii 2.1.3 Soils bone 41 and preservation ................................................................ 2.2 Anglo-Saxon Lincolnshire Yorkshire 43 and ................................................ 2.2.1 The kingship in Yorkshire 47 rise of ....................................................... 2.2.2 Kingship in Lincolnshire 49 and conquest ............................................. 2.2.3 Scandinavian by Wessex 52 settlement and conquest .......................... 2.3 Ecclesiastical development 54 and organization .......................................... 2.4 Cemetery 58 survey methodology and aims ................................................ Chapter 3: Cemetery Survey 2- Site Survey Results 63 ...................................... 3.1 Discussion data 65 of collection ....................................................................... 3.2 Initial distribution 66 site survey results - number and of sites ................. 3.2.1 Lincolnshire 66 ............................................................................................ 3.2.2 Yorkshire 68 ................................................................................................. 3.3 Results NMR 70 of search................................................................................. 3.4 Site 70 survey results - period of sites ............................................................ 3.5 Distribution 73 of sites across study area ....................................................... 3.6 Categorisation later Anglo-Saxon 75 of cemeteries ...................................... 3.6.1 Accompanied burials 75 ............................................................................. 3.6.2 Churchyard 77 cemeteries ......................................................................... 3.6.3 Scandinavian burials 78 ............................................................................. 3.6.4 Cemeteries 79 without churches ............................................................... 3.6.5 Possible 82 execution cemeteries .............................................................. 3.7 Identification late Anglo-Saxon 84 of cemeteries .......................................... 3.8 Results dating 87 of radiocarbon programme ............................................... 3.8.1 Chapel Road, Fillingham, Lincs 87 ........................................................... 3.8.2 Great Hale, Lincs 88 .................................................................................... 3.8.3 Belton, Lincs 88 ............................................................................................ 3.8.4Walkington Wold, E Yorks 89 ................................................................... 3.8.5Middle Street, Kilham, E Yorks 89 ........................................................... 3.8.6Wold Newton, E Yorks 90 ......................................................................... 3.8.7 Riccall Landing, N Yorks 90 ...................................................................... 3.8.8 Whitton, Lincs 91 ........................................................................................ iv 3.8.9 Summary dating 92 of radiocarbon .......................................................... 3.9 Other later Anglo-Saxon burial 92 evidence of ............................................. 3.9.1 Historical burial 92 evidence of ................................................................ 3.9.2 Evidence burial from Anglo-Saxon 98 of sculpture ............................... 3.10 Conclusions 102 ................................................................................................ Chapter 4: Osteology and Identity - Age and Sex, Lifecycles and Gender105 4.1 Theoretical to 106 approaches cemetery analysis ........................................ 4.2 Estimating death 109 age at ............................................................................