THREE HUMAN BURIALS AT GREAT CHESTERFORD 347
ing the Roman period is unlikely since it was forbidden to bury
the dead within the town limits. This probably dates the cemetery
to the post-Roman perhaps early Saxon period. The three burials
cutting through 1st century A.D. house debris corroborates this.
For it is unlikely that the 1st century town contracted, laid out
a cemetery outside its new boundary but within the old, then
expanded between the 2nd and 4th centuries to swallow up the
burial ground. Such a pattern is inconsistent with the 2nd and
3rd century finds found nearby at various times. It is more likely
that this present cemetery is of the period following the collapse
of Roman authority in the 5th century A.D.
The skeletons themselves are of little help in solving this
problem. For the whole subject of racial origins even with large
samples is fraught with controversy and difficulties and a minute
sample of three or four burials is clearly insufficient. The squat-
ting facet on Burial II is of particular interest since it is known
to be common in early Saxon groups (Wells, 1964) and uncom-
mon in Romano-British cemeteries (Wenham, 1968). But until
this burial ground is properly dug and large numbers of burials
examined and the relationship to the town established, such things
are mere speculation.
It remains to note that the penannular brooch in the grave
fill of Burial II is of a Belgic type classified as Type C (Fowler,
1960) which is found all over the former Belgic lands from East
Anglia to Wiltshire. It's date range is considerable, beginning in
the 1st century B.C. and finishing in Anglo-Saxon grave groups.
Summary
The burials of two women and a child were found within
the walled area of the Roman town. Other burials have been
found in the past in this area and the evidence points to a fairly
extensive graveyard of probable post-Roman perhaps early
Saxon date.
Appendix
Human burials found at Great Chesterfield in 1967
Burial 1 Almost complete skeleton of a male aged about 30-30 year Con-
sisting of skull and mandible fragments, vertebrae, right scapula, right
clavicle, ribs, pelvic girdle, humeri, ulnae, radii, metacarpals, femora,
tibiae and fibulae.
Robust bones with strong muscle impressions suggesting a man of
good physique. Incipient osteo-arthritic lipping to lumbar vertebrae.
Burial 2 Distal ends of tibia and left femur. Adult.
References
Bothwell, D. R. 1963. Digging up bones. p. 69. London.
Brown, Sir G. T. 1960. Dentition as indicative of the age of the animals
of the farm. London,