Archaeologists Unearth ‘Stunning’ Bronze Age Burial Chamber

Archaeologists excavating an English moor have unearthed a “stunning” Bronze Age cist-burial chamber which will shed light on daily life for Bronze Age citizens. A cist tomb is a prehistoric, box-shaped coffin typically constructed from stone or hollowed-out tree wood.

The tomb was first discovered in May at Dartmoor National Park, according to a statement from the park, and was excavated earlier this month after the chamber began eroding out of the peat in which it was encased. The cist is square, measuring 3.3 feet on each side, and covered with three large, granite stones. Underneath the granite stones, archaeologists found many pieces of remarkably well-preserved wood. 

The tomb was taken to a laboratory where, after conducting radiocarbon dating on charcoal found inside, scientists determined that the cist-type burial was likely in use around the year 1800.

The tomb was found in a small wetland within a much larger wooded area on a peak known as Cut Hill, the highest point in Dartmoor. A similar grave was excavated in 2011 at Dartmoor’s nearby Whitehorse Hill. Other cist burials have been unearthed at Dartmoor, but most of them were found before modern technology was invented.

This latest discovery gives scientists an advantage not only for the advanced equipment to which they now have access but also for the conditions of the burial itself.

Because this burial was sunk into the peat, where a lack of oxygen can inhibit decomposition, archaeologists uncovered many organic artifacts that would not normally be preserved, including a brown bear pelt and textiles, as well as a necklace of more than 200 beads crafted out of clay, shale rock, tin, and amber.

Archaeologists will now undertake a micro-excavation of the grave to reveal its complete contents, with the hopes of discovering even more about daily life in the Bronze Age.

Lee Bray, an archaeologist at the Dartmoor National Park Authority, told Live Science that the micro-excavation would involve "very detailed work that'll take time to complete,” but would be well worth the effort. “It's a stunning discovery,” Bray added, “with the potential to be every bit as fascinating as the finds at Whitehorse Hill."