Denton, cremation

In 1813 or 1814 three short cists (c. 2' x 1'/1'6"), aligned SW-NE, were found c. a quarter of a mile SW of the Roman Wall near Denton Hall. The NE cist "was quite full of bones, the greatest part of them, from time, reduced to white powder. I found many pieces from a quarter of an inch to an inch in length. The whole were so much decayed, as to render it impossible to ascertain whether they were human or not". This sounds likely to be the remains of a cremation.