Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample, and Archaeological Monitoring and Recording Report: Holy Trinity Church, Drayton Parslow, Buckinghamshire

Between November 2024 and March 2025, KDK Archaeology Ltd undertook a programme of Strip, Map and Sample excavation, and Archaeological Monitoring and Recording at Holy Trinity Church, Drayton Parslow, Buckinghamshire as a condition of the planning permission for the development of the site. The SMR excavation comprised an area of 17.61 square metres continuous with the northern wall of the church. Nine articulated burials were encountered including six non-adult and three adult individuals. All were interred supine and orientated east-west, with their heads to the west. In addition to the burials there was a large stoney deposit which may have been dumped into a previously cut ditch. Unfortunately, due to the sand and large stone combination, a clearly defined cut for this feature could not be determined. A subsequent Watching Brief monitored the excavations of a service trench running from the northern side of the church to its destination, a previously excavated manhole chamber situated within the church porch. The only remains encountered comprised a few disarticulated human skeletal fragments that were later reburied. The methods used were as follows: " The archaeological investigation, via Strip, Map and Record was excavated to the impact level within the footprint of the proposed development " The monitoring and recording included continuous archaeological monitoring of all groundworks related to the development A total of nine articulated and partially articulated burials were recovered during the course of the project. Of these, three were adults, and six were non-adults. Biological sex could be suggested for three individuals; one was female between the age of 40 and 45 at the time of death, one was a probable female between the ages of 15 and 18, and one was a probably male of indeterminate age. The demography of the site was biased towards individuals under the age of 18, with non-adults representing 2/3rds of the individuals encountered. Life expectancy can often be influenced by the socio-economic status of the individual, with those of an urban and rural working class dying at an earlier age than their middle- and upper-class counterparts. Those living to old age were more likely to be from the upper socio-economic strata. Towards the end of the 18th century an increasing number of people were living beyond the age of 60; however, child mortality during the post medieval period remained high, with approximately 40% of deaths occurring before the age of five (Roberts and Cox 2003:303; Lewis 2007:83). No infants were encountered during this investigation suggesting that the expected mortality rate is not reflected in the individuals discovered and that the age in which not non-adult individuals were dying were non-discriminative. Given the age range of these non-adult individuals were between 5 and around 15 years, it can be suggested that a local tragedy possibly claimed the lives of several of these children over a short period of time. During the 19th century, Drayton Parslow had several outbreaks of Scarlet Fever, which may be a likely explanation (Lee, pers comm), although it is Impossible to prove the presence of the disease without destructive analysis as the condition can kill quickly and not leave a mark on the bone. However, it should be noted that the sample size is small. Of the nine individuals, only two showed pathological lesions. Cribra orbitalia, which is often a symptom of anaemia, was found in both eye sockets of SK1. SK2 showed evidence for enamel hypoplasia, a defect which occurs when the formation of a tooth is interrupted as a result of trauma, illness, or dietary and environmental stresses during the formation of the tooth.