Saxon burials on the ridge

Metal detector finds
Just north of Lincoln, South Carlton sits on a limestone ridge called the Cliff, which runs right through Lincolnshire. In the past, Anglo-Saxon finds have been made all along this ridge, indicating that the high ground was of some importance during the Saxon period. A local metal detectorist Andrew Riddle discovered some interesting 6th-century finds on a farm near South Carlton, which included brooches and even a shield boss. Time Team was invited in to try to discover what was going on under the farmer's fields.

Digging 'hotspots'
Starting with the general area in which the metal detectorist made his finds, the geophysics team soon highlighted 'hotspots' for the Team to dig. A fieldwalking survey was also organised over the surrounding landscape to seek out any concentrations of finds that could indicate past activity. Very soon the trenches were opened and the investigation work stepped up a gear.

Small cemetery
Time Team discovered a small Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the metal-detected area. In the trenches, three burials were found, each containing grave goods.

Two of the burials, which were sited close to each other, contained females. One was buried in traditional style with a pottery vessel and a beaded necklace, while the other was buried with a shield and knife. The third burial contained a male who was slightly crouched and had one hand extended and placed over a broken vessel. All of the finds indicated a 6th-century date for the cemetery.

Fieldwalking
The fieldwalking to the west of the site discovered Saxon pottery in enough quantity to suggest an associated settlement was nearby. Meanwhile, the geophysics team outlined an enclosure south of the cemetery. Excavation here discovered Bronze-Age pottery, of the kind associated with the 'Beaker culture', named after the pottery vessels that are found in their burials.

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