12th January 2016:

The School of Archaeology of Oxford University and Heritage Burial Services, Oxford Archaeology (OA), collaborated with Oxfordshire heritage officers and museum curators to develop a database collating over 7,000 burials excavated from archaeological sites within the county of Oxfordshire. The project was a Knowledge Exchange fellowship funded by HEIF.

The database, entitled the 'Past People of Oxfordshire', includes archaeological background, burial practices and osteological data from each site. It also records the fate of the human remains, and if retained, where the remains are curated. Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of skeletons excavated in Oxfordshire, it was only possible to record c. two- thirds of all known burials in the time available. Nevertheless, we hope that the database will prove a useful resource for archaeologists and osteologists in the commercial, academic and heritage sectors, and for interested members of the public exploring their local archaeological heritage.

Technical development of the database and website was undertaken by OA's IT department, and collation of data by Ceri Boston of Oxford University. To view the website and explore the database, click here.