Perio 1972

The Middle Nene Archaeological Group, led by John Hadman, undertook a research excavation in October 1972 on a site between Fotheringhay and Southwick in the area of the deserted village of Perio. The target of the excavation was a large pit like feature set between a break in a large enclosure ditch and which showed on air photographs. 

 

The excavation revealed that the pit like feature was actually a grave which contained an adult male laid on his side and which dated to the period c. 1600 BC. The burial had the bones of sheep buried just above and behind the head and in front of the face was a bronze dagger. The dagger provided the best dating for the burial. There were also signs that the whole burial had been encased in  a small wooden burial structure – a sort of low box to contain the body -  and that around this was a ring ditch which would originally have been mounded- although all trace of this mounding had been removed by ploughing of various later periods.