Burton Fleming

Burton Fleming is an Iron Age archaeological site in East Yorkshire. It belongs to the Arras culture and consists of two main burial grounds, Argam Lane and Bell Slack. The site lies within the parish of Burton Fleming and is close to the Iron Age barrows at Rudston. Excavations in 1972 and 1978 uncovered the remains of sixty-four burials across both locations. The burials are square-barrows, a distinctive feature of the Arras culture.

The site is worth visiting for its well-preserved Iron Age cemetery and the insights it provides into ancient burial practices. Nineteen graves at Argam Lane were arranged in two rows, with others placed to one side. Most skeletons were found crouched or contracted, aligned north-south, and accompanied by grave goods such as ceramic vessels and brooches. At Bell Slack, forty-two burials were uncovered, some disturbed by later Romano-British activity. Grave goods here included knives, spearheads, and dress accessories like beads and rings.

A visitor to Burton Fleming finds two distinct burial grounds separated by about 400 metres. The landscape is marked by square-barrows, some still visible as low earthworks. The remains of human skeletons, mostly crouched or contracted, lie within these barrows. Grave goods such as ceramic vessels, brooches, and animal bones provide clues to the lives of the people buried here. The site offers a quiet, reflective space to consider the customs and traditions of the Iron Age people who once lived in this part of Yorkshire.