Wetwang Slack is an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
containing remains of the
Arras culture
The Arras culture is an archaeological culture of the Middle Iron Age in East Yorkshire, England. It takes its name from the cemetery site of Arras, at Arras Farm, near Market Weighton, which was discovered in the 19th century. The site spans th ...
and
chariot burial
Chariot burials are tombs in which the deceased was buried together with their chariot, usually including their horses and other possessions. An instance of a person being buried with their horse (without the chariot) is called horse burial.
...
tradition of
East Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire t ...
. Archaeological investigation took place in 2001 and 2002.
The site is in a dry valley on the north side of the village of
Wetwang
Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, west of Driffield on the A166 road.
At the 2011 census, it had a population of 761, an increase on the 2001 census figure of 672.
Topony ...
.
[John Dent. 2002. "Three cart burials from Wetwang" in ''Celts from Antiquity'', Antiquity Publications. p248] The archaeological remains consist of three
chariot burial
Chariot burials are tombs in which the deceased was buried together with their chariot, usually including their horses and other possessions. An instance of a person being buried with their horse (without the chariot) is called horse burial.
...
inhumations, each containing skeletal remains above the remains of a dismantled cart or chariot. All the skeletal remains from the three inhumations were aligned on a north-south axis, with the head pointing north.
[Stead, I.M. 1991. ]
Iron Age Cemeteries in East Yorkshire
' English Heritage Archaeological Report No. 2, London: English Heritage Many of the finds excavated from the site are now preserved in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...
.
Burial 1
The grave lay within a triangular ditched enclosure c 6.5–7 m wide, but the northern and eastern ditches have been removed by machine.
The remains were of a young male adult lying on his right side with his knees drawn up to his body. Pig bones had been placed on top of the body. The
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
tyres and nave hoops of both wheels survived, as did several spokes from the wheel. The axle of the chariot was in length.
Burial 2
The second burial was contained within a square-ditched enclosure, or square
barrow 9.6m wide.
[John Dent. 2002. "Three cart burials from Wetwang" in ''Celts from Antiquity'', Antiquity Publications. p251] The skeletal remains were in the centre of the barrow and were of a young adult female, facing right with her legs bent and her arms extended. Pig bones were also deposited on top of the skeleton. A soilmark shows the position of the complete dismantled chariot, beneath the individual, including its extended pole to which the
yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam sometimes used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, u ...
would have attached. Other chariot fittings include iron tyres and
bronze nave hoops, four spokes and
terret
A terret is a metal loop on a horse harness, guiding the lines and preventing them from becoming tangled or snagged on the harness.
The lines run from the hands of the driver, through the terrets, and then attach to the horse's bit to guide the ...
rings. Behind the head and shoulders of the skeleton, were two horse-bits, a bronze case with a chain attached (diameter about 90mm), a pin and a bronze mirror.
This person has been named Wetwang Woman.
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
's chief archaeologist described this as "one of the most significant and exciting Middle Iron Age burials ever found in Britain".
Burial 3
Quarrying on the site has removed the northern edge of the enclosure, and the upper part of the cranial remains. As in the other burials, the body was placed on top of a dismantled chariot and was of a young adult, facing right with the thighs drawn up at right angles to the torso. Iron tyres and nave hoops survive along with other chariot fittings. The axle measured 1.83m in length.
An iron sword, in its scabbard, with bronze decoration lay diagonally across the body and two rings with central studs of
coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...
may have fitted onto the sword belt. Coral was also used in several items of jewellery from the
Queen's Barrow inhumation at
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the ...
.
See also
*
Arras Culture
The Arras culture is an archaeological culture of the Middle Iron Age in East Yorkshire, England. It takes its name from the cemetery site of Arras, at Arras Farm, near Market Weighton, which was discovered in the 19th century. The site spans th ...
*
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric ...
*
Chariot burial
Chariot burials are tombs in which the deceased was buried together with their chariot, usually including their horses and other possessions. An instance of a person being buried with their horse (without the chariot) is called horse burial.
...
*
Danes Graves
Danes Graves is an archaeological site in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It forms part of the Arras Culture of inhumation and chariot burial prevalent in the region during the British Iron Age. It is a prehistoric cemetery site situated in Da ...
*
Burton Fleming
References
{{Reflist
Prehistory of the East Riding of Yorkshire
Iron Age sites in England
Chariot burials
de:Arras-Kultur