Investigating the listed monument at the National Memorial Arboretum

Geophysics and more...

In August and September 2023, working with a team of geophysics specialists and researchers, our volunteers conducted a series of geophysics studies at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA).  A prehistoric scheduled monument is on the site, known from aerial photography and which is listed as a scheduled monument.  It was believed that the map accompanying the scheduling was incorrect and we were asked to investigate and see what – if any – additional information we could provide that might help to accurately geolocate the monument.  Current interpretation of the site is focussed on the accidental find of a broken funerary vase from the Bronze Age (associated with ‘Beaker’ pottery), although the initial scheduling suggested a ‘hengiform monument’.  This attribution was due to the series of circular crop marks noted from aerial photography and which led to the listing of the site.  The vase is available to see at the NMA.

The attached report shows our results, which were excellent and provided some surprising outcomes, and some discussion on how the monument relates to its surrounding landscape.

NMA Geophysics Report_final