Excavations at Highdown, West Sussex cover image

Published:31/12/2025Language:EnglishPages:316, Illustrated throughout in black & white and colour.BAR Number: B702Series: BAR British Series

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Excavations at Highdown, West Sussex

Name: Excavations at Highdown, West Sussex
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Burials from the 5th and 6th centuries AD

Edited by Sue Harrington with major contributions from Martin Welch† and Mark Gardiner

£66.00 – £85.00

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Description

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.

About the Editor

Sue Harrington is an archaeological consultant specialising in early Anglo-Saxon burial textiles. Over recent years she has been working in collaboration with Worthing Museum, Archaeology South-East, and the archives of the original excavators, to collate and edit the full legacy data for Highdown cemetery.

Reviews

‘In this long-waited and important volume, Harrington has meticulously assembled the primary and archival evidence relating to Highdown Hill, a site of singular value for understanding southern Britain in the fifth century and beyond. It provides an exemplary account of a difficult site, sporadically explored, but until now, never given the attention it deserves.’ Dr Toby Martin, University of Oxford

‘Highdown has long been recognised as a significant site, particularly due to early finds horizon and the links to the Frankish world. This volume draws together and reconsiders the evidence from the site, so makes available data and illustrations that specialists will find extremely useful, while outlining what further work is possible and valuable.’ Dr Sam Lucy, Newnham College Cambridge

‘The book is an important contribution to Anglo-Saxon archaeology because it builds upon excellent work by the late Martin Welch in establishing the origins and early development of Sussex. Harrington has rigorously analyzed all the information at her disposal and provides an excellent historiographical background for Highdown.’ Professor Richard Hodges, American University of Rome