Two Oxfordshire Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries: Berinsfield and Didcot Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph No. 8

Berinsfield Summary
In August 1974 a watching brief was maintained at the Wally Corner gravel pit, Berinsfield, to observe and record a known cropmark complex during stripping for gravel extraction. Following the unexpected discovery of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery at the site, a three-week rescue excavation was carried out, supplemented by a further two weeks work in 1975. Excavation revealed a pit, interpreted as the remnants of a late Neolithic/early Bronze Age pond barrow, and a cremation in association with a Deverel-Rimbury vessel which may have been a satellite burial. In the Roman period, the site was part of a system of enclosures defined by ditches and gullies orientated on N-S and E-W axes, which was in use from the later 1st to the later 4th century AD. A thin scatter of pits and a well, datable to the Roman period, were also recovered.
The pagan Anglo-Saxon cemetery consisted of 100 inhumation graves which contained 114 burials, and 4 cremations. The cemetery contained a mixed population of men, women and children and grave goods suggest that it was in use from the mid 5th century until the late 6th or early 7th century. The artefacts recovered were typical of early Saxon material culture of the Upper Thames valley. Inhumation graves were orientated on two predominant axes, S-N and W-E, and appear to have been aligned on the Roman ditch system. Analysis has suggested that the cemetery developed from multiple foci, and that burials were concentrated in distinct family or household groups. It is likely that a considerable proportion of the cemetery was removed by gravel quarrying before its existence was recognised, and the excavated burials may represent only a half to two thirds of its original extent. The archive and finds have been deposited with the Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford.

Didcot Summary
In May 1991 the OAU carried out an evaluation at Didcot Power Station, in advance of a proposed development by National Power. Following the discovery of a single grave, a three-week excavation took place. It uncovered prehistoric ditches and pits, Romano-British ditches and pits, two sunken featured buildings and a small Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
The sunken featured buildings contained small quantities of pottery dating to the 6th century as well as a few 'typical' grave goods including a bone weaving pick. Environmental evidence included animal bones and charred plant remains.
The cemetery comprised 17 inhumations consisting of men, women and children. The grave goods indicated that they were buried during the 7th century. It is likely that the cemetery extends beyond the area of the excavation and that the excavated examples therefore represent an unknown proportion of the total population.
The archive and finds will be deposited with the Oxfordshire County Museum Service.