AN EARLY ANGLO-SAXON CROSS-ROADS BURIAL FROM BROAD TOWN 93 
situation has also been recently addressed from an 
Anglo-Saxon perspective by Helen Geake (2002, 
145). The SMR (SU07NE302) suggests a single site 
for all three interments, while the letter published 
by Goddard gives a regular spacing and orientation 
(1919,353). What is clear is that three individuals 
were buried underneath presumably visible 
sarsens, spaced about 200 yards apart in an east- 
west line, broadly following the later hundred 
boundary. Whatever their date they would seem to 
be a component of the boundary at this point. 
It seems likely that a linear cemetery stretches 
from at least Cuff’s Corner to within 200 metres of 
the Broad Town to Broad Hinton road, possibly 
indicating the early foundation of what was to 
become the Hundred boundary at this point. This 
argument can be underpinned further by the 
evidence of Saxon intervention. Chaff-tempered 
pottery was located at Cuffs Corner (Anon. 1975-6, 
136). A secondary burial containing glassware, an 
iron spear and an amber and a glass bead was 
located in a prehistoric barrow at Thornhill lane 
(SMR SU07NE400), while in the 6th/7th century 
the Broad Town individual was buried on the cross- 
roads at the edge of the escarpment. 
Based on the work of others, Ken Dark has 
suggested that hundreds in Cornwall, first recorded 
in the ninth century, may well have their origins in 
Romano-British territorial divisions (Dark, 2000, 
151). That possibility has to be considered here. 
This is not to say that Selkley and Kingsbridge 
Hundreds have their origins in the Romano-British 
period, but that the archaeological components 
coupled with the topography of the locale may well 
indicate an early origin for the boundary at this 
point. 
CONCLUSION 
It seems likely that burials such as that from Broad 
Town performed a number of functions. Those at 
Broad Town (Figure 6) and Tan Hill are visible 
from c. 10 km. while Stonehenge is a striking 
landscape feature. The position of the Gomeldon 
burial adds a potential ford or river crossing to the 
equation. All four places lay on tracks; clearly this 
is an important component of such burials. 
Exclusion from settlement would also appear to 
have been a major aspect as was the role played by 
emerging Christianity. The chronological closeness 
of the two dated burials suggests a trend in seventh- 
century Wessex that can be recognised elsewhere. 
Fig 6. View from the grave looking north-west illustrating the 
prominence of the site within the landscape. 
It is also clear that elements of the Broad Town 
landscape exhibit a multi-period chronology. This 
realisation is not new in landscape studies; 
research, however, tends to rely on the monumental 
rather than discreet evidence. This small piece of 
Wiltshire landscape may go some way to help us 
understand that chronology. Ultimately the 
creation of boundaries that feature so heavily in our 
understanding of the development of the landscape 
may have been set out far earlier than generally 
thought (but cf. Bonney 1966), as appears to be the 
case at Broad Town. Clearly there is much more 
work to do. 
Acknowledgements 
This project would not have reached a conclusion 
without the guidance and input of Dr Andrew 
Reynolds. A very big thank you to him. Thanks also 
go to: Roy Canham, Wiltshire County Archaeo- 
logist; Rachael Seager-Smith and Jacqueline 
McKinley of Wessex Archaeology; Malcolm 
Holland and Tracey Stickler of Broad Town 
Archaeology; my colleagues Colin Kirby, Mark 
Brace, Mac McLellan, Brian Clarke, Barry 
Huntingford and John Bastin for their support; 
University of Bath in Swindon for funding the 
dating; Dr Bruce Eagles and Professor Martin 
Carver for their comments; Debie Edmonds of 
English Heritage for documentary work. Mr R. 
Horton gave permission to excavate while Leigh 
and Tony Lucas are to be thanked for reporting 
the initial discovery. Any errors are naturally my 
own. 
