Excavations at Highdown, West Sussex

Burials from the 5th and 6th centuries AD

Harrington, Sue (ed.)

The site of Highdown is a strategically placed Early Medieval cemetery, situated above the coastal plain of West Sussex. This major burial site, in use for over millennia and with a particular abundance of grave goods, has produced records of over 200 people and their artefacts from the fifth and sixth centuries AD. This book represents the first fully illustrated publication of these burials – including both inhumations and cremations, including a full grave catalogue for the 1988 excavations. The material comprises a diverse range of artefacts, including rare glassware which indicates cross-channel contacts, and some of the earliest brooch types in Sussex.
The site, much disturbed by tree planting, random excavation and a hurricane, is revealed as an enduringly significant place through the long-awaited publication of data and material assemblages from 19th and 20th century excavations. The synthesised data from a range of new and newly discovered sources demonstrates both the importance of the site in the Early Medieval period and the potential for further analysis of the previous phases and wider landscape