A “stunning” Bronze Age tomb discovered on a remote moor in southwest England could offer archaeologists invaluable insights into life 4,000 years ago. Initially found in May, the burial chamber began to emerge from the peat in Dartmoor National Park and was fully excavated in August, according to a statement from the park. This stone-lined tomb, measuring about 3.3 feet (1 meter) square, was covered with three large granite stones and is believed to date back to around 1800 B.C., based on radiocarbon dating of charcoal found inside.
Upon removing the granite stones, archaeologists uncovered several pieces of well-preserved wood and an additional 12 inches (30 centimeters) of fill. The entire tomb was carefully transported to a laboratory, where a detailed micro-excavation will reveal its full contents.
The cist tomb was located in a small wetland area within a larger wooded landscape on Cut Hill, one of Dartmoor’s highest peaks at 1,978 feet (603 m). This discovery adds to another similar tomb found in 2011 on Whitehorse Hill at Dartmoor. The Whitehorse Hill burial, dating between 1730 and 1600 B.C., contained cremated remains and rare organic artifacts, such as a brown bear pelt, textiles, and a necklace with over 200 beads made from clay, shale, tin, and amber.
While many cist burials have been discovered in Dartmoor, most were excavated before modern techniques allowed for close examination. The tombs at Whitehorse Hill and Cut Hill could provide unprecedented information about life in Early Bronze Age England. For instance, the amber beads at Whitehorse Hill suggest that local people engaged in long-distance trade, acquiring materials from as far away as the Baltic region.
As the micro-excavation of the Cut Hill tomb progresses, researchers have already completed analyses of the surrounding landscape. Ralph Fyfe, an environmental scientist at the University of Plymouth, noted that prehistoric people were deeply familiar with this landscape, indicating sustained human activity in the area.
Laura Basell, an archaeologist at the University of Leicester, described Cut Hill as a place of “stunning views” that often appears “mist-covered and ethereal.” She speculated that Bronze Age people might have viewed this area as a liminal space between earth, water, and sky—perhaps even between life and death.
The Cut Hill cist, nearly twice the size of the Whitehorse Hill tomb, is expected to reveal fascinating details as the micro-excavation continues. Lee Bray, an archaeologist at Dartmoor National Park Authority, described the discovery as “stunning” and expressed excitement about its potential.
Once the tomb’s contents are fully excavated, any artifacts will be conserved, analyzed, and published.
