Bronze Age urn found at Solstice Park
03 June 2005

A HUGE Bronze Age urn dating back to 3600 years and containing human ashes has been unearthed intact at the Solstice Park site in Amesbury.

The ancient Trevisker urn has a miniature urn buried with it and lying alongside its handle.

Both were found within a ring ditch almost in the centre of the 160 acre Solstice Park complex.

The magnificent urn was found completely intact and undamaged and is an exceptionally rare find for this part of the country.

It was lying deep in the ground and upside down with its base facing the surface.

It was discovered during the summer of last year as archaeological excavations were carried out on the site before building work began.

It was carefully removed using Modern archaeological excavation techniques, and was taken away to be cleaned and stabilised by experts, before details of it were announced.

The two urns are among a wealth of burial and cremation remains discovered on the site. A further six Bronze Age urns of lesser significance were discovered in fragments and Solstice Park development manager Cliff Whitley told the journal the Solstice Park company was paying for all of them to be restored.

He said "All the artifacts are being donated to Salisbury museum but some of the more complete items including the Trevisker urn, will be on temporary loan to Solstice Park where they will be displayed before finally going to the museum.

The Trevisker Urn has a collar and is decorated with a lattice pattern of platted cord impressions, beautifully done and engraved by hand.

What makes the urn even more unusual is that it has four handles instead of the normal two found on similar Treviskers.

The human ashes found inside the large urn are believed to be those of an adult aged 45 years plus. The urn also contained amber, jet, faience, and shale beads, while the smaller urn contained a single copper and alloy needle.

Mr Whitley said it was believed it was the large urn might have been covered in leather and the needle in the smaller urn had been used to sew the 'leather jacket' together.

The small urn is undecorated but was also found undamaged and in almost perfect condition.

From the Salisbury Journal