The Bumble Bee Farm cemetery consists of a cluster of five graves situated in a corner of a possible square enclosure. While the sample size precludes statistical analysis, the demographic diversity of the burials, which includes individuals of various age groups, and both sexes suggests that this assemblage was not selective based on age or gender. This pattern is typical of small burial plots likely associated with dispersed rural farmstead, where burial practices were more modest in scale.

All individuals were interred in simple inhumation graves, with no surviving grave goods or coffins. Burial positions were generally extended and supine, although two individuals (SK02 and SK04) appear to have been placed slightly on their sides.

Four of the six individuals at Bumble Bee Farm were aligned broadly northeast-southwest orientation. However, variation is observed in the orientation of SK01 (cal AD 569-771) and SK02, whose heads were placed to the southwest. The minimal difference in the radiocarbon dates between these individuals (SK03 cal AD 606-773 and SK04a cal AD 599-664) suggests that the variation in orientation likely reflects local practises rather than significant changes in burial rites over time.

The spatial arrangement of the five burials, particularly the close association between SK04 and SK06 (4b), suggests that this may represent a small familial burial plot rather than a formal cemetery.

The burial of adolescent SK03, who was interred in a prone position and tentatively identified as male, is particularly significant. Prone burials in early Anglo-Saxon England and are often associated with social marginalisation, deviance, or altered status (Reynolds, 2009). While no skeletal trauma was observed, the posture itself could indicate a form of exclusion or a social distinction. A comparable example from Broughton Lodge, where an adult female was buried prone, was interpreted as possibly reflecting punishment or deviance (Kinsley, 1993). Hadley (2010) identifies a broader pattern of non-normative burials in Anglo-Saxon England, often involving young adult males, who may have been excluded in death due to mobility, weaker familial ties, or transgressive behaviour (Gowland, 2006). Although SK03 is younger than most examples, the association with male youth remains consistent. Not all prone burials, however, signify marginality. Some examples, particularly from monastic contexts like Beckery, Wearmouth, and Jarrow, suggest penitential significance (Hadley, 2010). Given the limited contextual evidence at Bumble Bee Farm, SK03’s prone burial could reflect marginal status, penitence, or other forms of social distinction, though the exact meaning remains uncertain.

Another variation in burial practices at Bumble Bee Farm is the interment of female SK04a with child SK04b. Multiple interments of this nature became increasingly common during the seventh century, a trend Stoodley (2002) suggests reflects intentional funerary strategies rather than merely a response to space constrains. This aligns with observations Waldron (2007), noted infants and young children were often buried with adult females in early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries. Further evidence from sites like Bevis Grave in Bedhampton suggest the reopening of graves supports the idea of multiple interments served to reinforce family bonds and status (Rudkin, 2001). The burial of SK04a and SK04b together strongly suggests a familial bond, like that of a mother and child.

The osteological evidence reflects the cumulative effects of physical labour, carbohydrate-rich diet, and environmental stressors. The adult female SK04a exhibited signs of cervical degenerative joint disease and pronounced enthesopathies on her hand, indicating prolonged and repetitive activity, possibly related to agricultural or domestic labour such as grinding grain, carrying water, or weaving. In addition, she displayed ante-mortem tooth loss and chipped dentition, both of which may reflect a coarse diet and habitual use of the teeth as tools, a behaviour often associated with textile production or basketry in early medieval contexts (Hillson 2005). Similarly, the adolescent SK03 presented with Schmorl’s nodes on the thoracic vertebrae, indicative of repeated axial loading from heavy physical labour (Roberts & Manchester 2007).

Dental health across the group was generally poor, with multiple indicators of dietary and hygienic stress. Calculus was noted in three individuals, reflecting a carbohydrate-rich diet or minimal oral hygiene, patterns typical of rural early medieval populations (Hillson 2005; Roberts & Cox 2003). Periodontal disease was also observed, likely resulting from chronic plaque accumulation and inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth. Caries were recorded in one individual, further supporting the presence of fermentable carbohydrates in the diet. Dental enamel hypoplasia (DEH) was present in both SK04 and SK03, indicating systemic physiological stress or malnutrition during early childhood, consistent with the broader osteological evidence of a physically demanding and resource-limited lifestyle. No evidence of trauma or infection was observed in the sample, although poor preservation may have obscured subtle pathological changes.

Another key finding at Bumble Bee Farm is the presence of residual Roman pottery sherds within the grave fills of early medieval burials. Single residual sherd was recovered from SK03 burial. This phenomenon is not unique, however, has important implications for how archaeologists interpret, undated features especially, small burial sites in Anglo-Saxon England. The redeposition of Roman material within early medieval cemeteries can often lead to misinterpretation, particularly when dating evidence is sparse or absent. For example, at the well-documented cemetery at Spong Hill in Norfolk, extensive Roman artefacts were found in the vicinity, leading early investigators to initially question whether parts of the cemetery were continuations of Roman burial traditions (Parfitt 2003). Similarly, the cemetery at West Stow in Suffolk produced residual Roman pottery within burial fills, complicating initial chronological assessments and demonstrating the re-use of Roman landscapes and material in Anglo-Saxon funerary practice (Hamerow 1993).

Siobhán Sinnott, 2025, Bumble Bee Solar Farm, Saundby, Retford, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Excavation (Unpublished document). SNT6045.