DOCSLIB.ORG

Pits and the Architecture of Deposition Narratives of Social Practice in the Neolithic of North-East England

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Pits and the Architecture of Deposition Narratives of Social Practice in the Neolithic of North-East England Durham E-Theses Pits and the architecture of deposition narratives of social practice in the neolithic of North-East England Edwards, Benjamin How to cite: Edwards, Benjamin (2009) Pits and the architecture of deposition narratives of social practice in the neolithic of North-East England, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2164/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. Pits and the Architecture of Deposition Narratives of Social Practice in the Neolithic of North-East England Benjamin Edwards PhD Archaeology University of Durham July 2009 1 9 JAN 7010 Declaration This thesis is the result of my own work, material from the published and unpublished work of others, which is referred to in this thesis, is credited to the author(s) in question in the text. This thesis is approximately 100,000 words in length. Benjamin Edwards I Abstract This doctoral thesis examines the practice of depositing material culture and its relationship with social change during the Neolithic period in north-east England. For the purposes of this study the Neolithic is defined as the period in which the pottery styles of Carinated Ware, Impressed Ware and Grooved Ware were made and used. The study area encompasses County Durham, Northumberland and the now defunct county of Tyne and Wear. Previous work on Neolithic deposition has been apt to confine it within a series of dichotomous relationships: the potency of material culture versus the power of performance; rubbish versus 'meaningful' material; and the structured versus the unstructured deposit. This study demonstrates how these oppositions are unnecessarily reductive and result from modern classifications of artefacts - norms concerning the value of refuse and the role of 'symbolic' material - that have come to be imposed upon the past. By undertaking a statistical and comparative analysis of deposited material culture from the North-East, this research emphasises the complexity of past artefact classification, and the transformative role that depositional practices can have upon whole societies. It also shows how acts of deposition are intimately connected with architectural forms, be they single posts in pits, or complexes of henges. By utilising a biographical and narrative approach to interpretation, eschewing the search for the 'symbolic' in artefact disposal, the deposition of material culture is exposed as central to the ontological security of Neolithic communities and the built environment that they created. II Acknowledgements I am very grateful to all of the following for their support during the preparation of this thesis. My supervisors Chris Scarre and Margarita Diaz-Andreu, University of Durham, and my partner Rachel Pope, University of Liverpool, for their invaluable advice throughout. Roger Miket for providing me with access to the Thirlings archive and numerous insights on the archaeology of the North-East. Chris Burgess at the Northumberland HER and David Mason at the County Durham HER for access to their records. Kate Wilson and Rob Young of English Heritage for making work on protected sites an easy task. Peter Carne, Archaeological Services Durham University, for providing unpublished commercial reports and access to vital equipment. Anthony Harding, University of Exeter, for advice concerning the Milfield monument complex. Blaise Vyner for advice on County Durham cursuses and causewayed enclosures. Arthur Anderson, University of Durham, for standing on many a cold hillside with surveying equipment. Ill Contents Declaration I Abstract II Acknowledgments III Contents IV Figures VI Tables X Graphs XII Chapter 1 - Introduction 1 Some Deposits from the Past 1 Theoretical and Investigative Background 2 Definitions 11 The Study Area 13 Structure of the Study 17 Chapter 2 - The Neolithic of North-East England 19 Introduction 19 Investigations, Evidence and Syntheses 20 Artefacts, Ecofacts and Dating 25 Sites and Monuments 40 Conclusion 58 Chapter 3 - Pits and Depositional Practice in Neolithic Britain 61 Introduction 61 Neolithic Pit Deposition: A History of Interpretation 62 Material Culture 84 Conclusion: A Brief History of Deposition 86 Chapter 4 - The Meaning of Deposition? How Archaeology Interprets 89 Introduction 89 The Classification of Material Culture 91 The Classification of Practices 98 Ritual Activity and Material Culture 110 Conclusions: Some Problems and an Alternative 120 Chapter 5 - Analysing Deposition: the Pits at Thirlings 124 Introduction 126 Background to the Analysis 132 Deposition Analysis 136 Pottery Abrasion 147 Spatial Analysis 160 Conclusions 181 IV Chapter 6 - Narrating Deposition: Interpreting the Pits at Thirlings 183 Introduction 183 Prologue: The Origins of the Material Culture 185 Narrative I: Pottery Biographies 190 Narrative II: Pit Biographies 200 Conclusions: Contingent Intentions 205 Chapter 7 - Contemporary Deposition: The Context of Thirlings 210 Introduction 210 The Eastern Pit at Yeavering 212 The Broomridge Round Barrow 224 Neolithic Long Cairns: Deposition and Architecture 240 Conclusions: Depositing Pots, Depositing Architecture 255 Chapter 8 - Subsequent Deposition: The Milfield Henges 262 Introduction 262 Depositing Inside Henges 274 Depositing Whole Henges 286 Conclusions: Issues of Enclosure 296 Chapter 9 - Discussion and Conclusions 301 Introduction 301 In Search of a Method: Interpreting Deposition 302 A Biography of Deposits in the Neolithic of Northumberland 307 Social Change and the Context of Deposition 314 In Conclusion 327 Appendices 328 1. Database 1: The Pits at Thirlings 329 2. Database 2: Datable Pits at Thirlings 334 3. Database 3: Individual Sherd Data 336 4. Kolmogorov-Smirnov Tests 348 5. Kendall's Tau Tests 355 Bibliography 359 V Figures 1.1- "Conjectural restoration" of a Neolithic pit dwelling c. 1899 1 (Clinch 1899, 134) 1.2 - The objects of study 3 1.3 - Area encompassed by this study, conurbations shaded 13 1.4 - The topography and rivers of north-east England 15 1.5 - Solid geology of north-east England 16 2.1 - C.T. Trechmann and the excavation of Hasting Hill round barrow 21 (courtesy of Roger Miket) 2.2 - A Carinated bowl from Thirlings (after Miket and Edwards forthcoming) 25 2.3 - Impressed Ware pots from Thirlings (after Miket and Edwards forthcoming) 29 2.4 - Grooved Ware potsherds from Thirlings 32 (after Miket and Edwards forthcoming) 2.5 - Distribution of Neolithic stone axes 35 (Durham & Northumberland HERs 2007 and (Miket 1984)) 2.6 - Radiocarbon dates showing the ceramic succession in the Milfield Basin 36 2.7 - Radiocarbon dates of first clearance episodes from pollen cores in the 38 North East 2.8 - The location of the pollen core sites discussed in the text 38 2.9 - The distribution of long and round cairns/barrows 41 2.10- The long cairn at Dour Hill, note the poor condition of the monument 43 (photograph by the author 2005) 2.11 - The damaged long cairn at Devil's Lapful (photograph by the author 2005) 44 2.12 - The distribution of cursus monuments and causewayed enclosures 45 2.13- The causewayed enclosure and cursus at Hasting Hill 45 (Tyne & Wear HER 2008) 2.14 - The potential cursus (highlighted) and round barrow at Copt Hill 47 (courtesy of Blaise Vyner) 2.15- The distribution of pit sites and alignments 48 2.16 - Plan of the excavated features at Bolam Lake 49 (Waddington and Davies 2002, 9) 2.17- Plan of the excavated Three Kings, Redesdale (Burl and Jones 1972, 6) 51 2.18 - The distribution of henges and stone circles 53 2.19- Cups and rings at West Lordenshaw, Birky Hill, Coquetdale (Aron Mazel 55 2004, copyright Stan Beckensall Archive, University of Newcastle) VI 3.1 - Location of sites discussed in chapter three 62 3.2 - Pit 3 at Broome Heath (after Wainwright 1972, 13) 64 3.3 - Two types of pit at Beckton Farm (after Pollard 1997, 85) 67 3.4 - Examples of shafts from Eaton Heath (after Wainwright 1974, 18) 68 3.5 - Pottery and flint refits between the clustered pits at Kilverstone 70 (after Garrow 2006, 50) 3.6 - The distribution of bone, pottery and flint in the Coneybury anomaly 74 (after Richards 1990, 41) 3.7 - The Area C pits at Balfarg, note the stone packing 75 (after Barclay and Russell-White 1993, 61) 3.8 - The differential deposition of worked bone (top) and leaf arrowheads 79 (bottom) at Windmill Hill (after Whittle et al. 1999, 366) 3.9 - Sections of the shafts at Maumbury (after Bradley 1975, 12) 80 4.1 - Ritual metaphysics 116 5.1 - Plan of Neolithic activity at Thirlings 125 5.2 - The location of Thirlings 126 5.3 - Calibrated CI 4
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wooler Wheel Classic 3 October 2015 Rider Manual
    WOOLER WHEEL CLASSIC 3 OCTOBER 2015 RIDER MANUAL Welcome to the Wooler Wheel Classic cycle sportive. This manual contains all the information you need for the Wooler Wheel Classic 100 & 50 rides on 3 October 2015. It is important that you read it. It provides vital information about the operation of the rides and it will enhance your enjoyment of the day. The Wooler Wheel is conducted under the regulations of British Cycling. Please note that the HQ for the rides (where you register, start and finish your ride) will be at the John Swan Ltd Wooler Livestock Centre, Berwick Road, Wooler NE71 6SL (otherwise known as the Wooler Mart). For this event we have the dedicated use of two large grazing fields adjoining the Wooler Mart for car parking. They give quick and easy access to the registration area and can accommodate around 400 cars. This will be sufficient to take all the cars of the entrants. Parking will be supervised. We strongly encourage all entrants to use this car park to avoid congestion at the limited capacity public parking areas in the town which causes considerable inconvenience to Glendale residents who drive to Wooler to do their Saturday shopping. 1 CONTENTS TERMINOLOGY SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY GETTING TO WOOLER GETTING TO WOOLER MART & WHERE TO GO Car Parking Getting to the Registration Area REGISTRATION AND PRE-RIDE PREPARATION EVENT START COORDINATION DURING THE RIDES EVENT FINISH THE ROUTES General Description Garmin Connect Links Google Maps Links Signage Feed and Water stations Cut Off Times Pulling out during the Ride A Word about Times What to Watch out For Pot Holes Route Marshals and your Safety First Aid Operational Partners Contact Numbers WITHDRAWALS SHORT TERM CANCELLATION PROCEDURE TOP TIPS FROM OUR PARTNER BRITISH CYCLING WANT MORE ACCESS TO BRITISH CYCLING EXPERTISE? MAP WWC100 MAP WWC50 USEFUL LINKS 2 TERMINOLOGY In this manual and along the routes of the two Wooler Wheel rides on 3 October 2015, we will frequently use the following abbreviations.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Bradford Ethesis
    University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. THE NEOLITHIC AND LATE IRON AGE POTTERY FROM POOL, SANDAY, ORKNEY An archaeological and technological consideration of coarse pottery manufacture at the Neolithic and Late Iron Age site of Pool, Orkney, incorporating X-Ray Fluorescence, Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometric and Petrological Analyses 2 Volumes Volume 1 Ann MACSWEEN submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Archaeological Sciences University of Bradford 1990 ABSTRACT Ann MacSween The Neolithic and Late Iron Age Pottery from Pool, Sanday, Orkney: An archaeological and technological consideration of coarse pottery manufacture at the Iron Age site of Pool, Orkney, incorporating X-Ray Fluorescence, Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometric and Petrological Analyses Key Words: Neolithic; Iron Age; Orkney; pottery; X-ray Fluorescence; Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry; Petrological Analysis The Neolithic and late Iron Age pottery from the settlement site of Pool, Sanday, Orkney, was studied on two levels. Firstly, a morphological and tech- nological study was carried out to establish a se- quence for the site. Secondly an assessment was made of the usefulness of X-ray Fluorescence Analysis, In- ductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry and Petrological analysis to coarse ware studies, using the Pool assem- blage as a case study. Recording of technological and typological attributes allowed three phases of Neolithic pottery to be iden- tified. The earliest phase included sherds of Unstan Ware.
    [Show full text]
  • THE RURAL ECONOMY of NORTH EAST of ENGLAND M Whitby Et Al
    THE RURAL ECONOMY OF NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND M Whitby et al Centre for Rural Economy Research Report THE RURAL ECONOMY OF NORTH EAST ENGLAND Martin Whitby, Alan Townsend1 Matthew Gorton and David Parsisson With additional contributions by Mike Coombes2, David Charles2 and Paul Benneworth2 Edited by Philip Lowe December 1999 1 Department of Geography, University of Durham 2 Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, University of Newcastle upon Tyne Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Scope of the Study 1 1.2 The Regional Context 3 1.3 The Shape of the Report 8 2. THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE REGION 2.1 Land 9 2.2 Water Resources 11 2.3 Environment and Heritage 11 3. THE RURAL WORKFORCE 3.1 Long Term Trends in Employment 13 3.2 Recent Employment Trends 15 3.3 The Pattern of Labour Supply 18 3.4 Aggregate Output per Head 23 4 SOCIAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DYNAMICS 4.1 Distribution of Employment by Gender and Employment Status 25 4.2 Differential Trends in the Remoter Areas and the Coalfield Districts 28 4.3 Commuting Patterns in the North East 29 5 BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE 5.1 Formation and Turnover of Firms 39 5.2 Inward investment 44 5.3 Business Development and Support 46 5.4 Developing infrastructure 49 5.5 Skills Gaps 53 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 55 References Appendices 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The scope of the study This report is on the rural economy of the North East of England1. It seeks to establish the major trends in rural employment and the pattern of labour supply.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Date 30/09/2021 08:59:09
    Reframing the Neolithic Item Type Thesis Authors Spicer, Nigel Christopher Rights <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by- nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. Download date 30/09/2021 08:59:09 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10454/13481 University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. Reframing the Neolithic Nigel Christopher SPICER Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD Department of Archaeological Sciences School of Life Sciences University of Bradford 2013 Nigel Christopher SPICER – Reframing the Neolithic Abstract Keywords: post-processualism, Neolithic, metanarrative, individual, postmodernism, reflexivity, epistemology, Enlightenment, modernity, holistic. In advancing a critical examination of post-processualism, the thesis has – as its central aim – the repositioning of the Neolithic within contemporary archaeological theory. Whilst acknowledging the insights it brings to an understanding of the period, it is argued that the knowledge it produces is necessarily constrained by the emphasis it accords to the cultural. Thus, in terms of the transition, the symbolic reading of agriculture to construct a metanarrative of Mesolithic continuity is challenged through a consideration of the evidential base and the indications it gives for a corresponding movement at the level of the economy; whilst the limiting effects generated by an interpretative reading of its monuments for an understanding of the social are considered.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Neolithic and Late Bronze Age Lithic Assemblages Associated with a Cairn and Other Prehistoric Features at Stoneyhill Farm
    Late Neolithic and Late Bronze Age lithic assemblages associated with a cairn and other prehistoric features at Stoneyhill Farm, Longhaven, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, 2002–03 by Ian Suddaby and Torben Ballin with contributions by M Cressey, M Hastie, A Jackson, & M Johnson CFA Archaeology Ltd, Old Engine House, Eskmills Park, Station Road, Musselburgh EH21 7PQ Illustrations prepared by Kevin Hicks, George Mudie and Leeanne Whitelaw Scottish Archaeological Internet Report 45, 2010 www.sair.org.uk Published by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, www.socantscot.org.uk with Historic Scotland, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk and the Council for British Archaeology, www.britarch.ac.uk Editor Helen Bleck Produced by Archétype Informatique SARL, www.archetype-it.com ISBN: 9780903903547 ISSN: 1773-3803 Requests for permission to reproduce material from a SAIR report should be sent to the Director of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, as well as to the author, illustrator, photographer or other copyright holder. Copyright in any of the Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports series rests with the SAIR Consortium and the individual authors. The maps are reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright 2001. Any unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Historic Scotland Licence No. GD 03032G, 2002. The consent does not extend to copying for general distribution, advertising or promotional purposes, the creation of new collective works or resale. CONTENTS List of illustrations. iv List of tables. v 1. Abstract . 1 2. Introduction.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishing for Meaning: Lived Space and Early Neolithic of Orkney Introduction
    Fishing for Meaning: Lived Space and early Neolithic of Orkney Introduction “Being at the junction of the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean … the sea is a constant, unforgettable presence in the islands.” David Fraser (1983, 224) The ‘unforgettable presence’ of the sea is notable by its absence in many accounts of the Neolithic of coastal and island areas within the British Isles. The story as most frequently told is one of terrestrial action; of monumental construction, polished stone technology, pottery and domesticates. When the sea does emerge it is often of a homogenous nature, a resource to be exploited with little significance. This treatment is diametrically opposed to the time spent in deriving meaning from action within the terrestrial landscapes of the Neolithic, within which all manner of subtle nuances and potential references are considered. Yet to people living in coastal areas and small island groups, perceptions of the sea are often anything but homogenous. As such, a myriad of skills, relationships and experiences associated with maritime practice have been marginalised in our reconstructions. This poses a problem when we come to contextualise any action within the Neolithic, maritime or terrestrial, such as monument construction because we have little idea of how these different practices articulate. This paper considers how an integration of maritime and terrestrial data within a ‘lived-space’ perspective can change our understandings. An approach that challenges stereotypes and explores relationships through the temporal and spatial nature of action is advocated. Attention will first be given to identifying archaeological stereotypes, before outlining what a lived-space perspective entails, and following its application to early Neolithic material from the Knap of Howar on Papa Westray in Orkney.
    [Show full text]
  • Knap of Howar Statement of Significance
    Property in Care (PIC) ID: PIC301 Designations: Scheduled Monument (SM90195) Taken into State care: 1954 (Guardianship) Last Reviewed: 2020 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE KNAP OF HOWAR We continually revise our Statements of Significance, so they may vary in length, format and level of detail. While every effort is made to keep them up to date, they should not be considered a definitive or final assessment of our properties. Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH © Historic Environment Scotland 2020 You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Any enquiries regarding this document should be sent to us at: Historic Environment Scotland Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH +44 (0) 131 668 8600 www.historicenvironment.scot You can download this publication from our website at www.historicenvironment.scot Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND
    [Show full text]
  • Berwick Upon Tweed and Its Connections with England and Scotland: a Survey of Work and Commuting Patterns
    Berwick upon Tweed and its connections with England and Scotland: A survey of work and commuting patterns Jane Atterton Final Report prepared for Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council June 2008 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 5 3. Aim and objectives of the study 6 4. Literature and policy review 7 4.1 Introduction 7 4.2 Commuting in Britain 7 4.3 City regions and rural areas in England and Scotland 12 4.4 Summary 14 5. Regional and local context: Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and the Borough of Berwick upon Tweed 15 5.1 Introduction 15 5.2 Northumberland 15 5.3 The Scottish Borders 15 5.4 Case study: The Borough of Berwick upon Tweed 18 6. Study methodology 22 7. Results 23 7.1 Introduction 23 7.2 Characteristics of respondents 23 7.3 The commuting behaviour of respondents 26 7.4 The impact of commuting on respondents’ lifestyles 29 7.5 The residential and employment preferences of respondents 33 7.6 Respondents’ perceptions of Berwick Borough and its future development 37 8. Conclusions 41 9. References 45 10. Appendices 48 2 1. Executive Summary • Recent research has highlighted an increasing separation of work and residential location as commuting journey lengths increase. This is particularly the case for rural residents, who tend to have longer commutes than urban residents. Whilst commuters bring money to their place of residence that has been earned outside the locality, they also represent a leakage of money from the locality often commuting for work is associated with commuting for other activities, including retail and leisure spending.
    [Show full text]
  • Yeavering Bell « « Coldstream Berwick MILFIELD R Till Ip Site of R Glen Gefrin P B6351 Kirknewton Yeavering Bell
    How to reach Yeavering Bell « « Coldstream Berwick MILFIELD R Till ip Site of R Glen Gefrin P B6351 Kirknewton Yeavering Bell B6349 B6526 « Akeld Belford Yeavering and A1 The Hill of the Goats Bell WOOLER B6348 Humbleton A697 in Northumberland National Park Hill © Crown Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence Number 100022521. Please park at the Gefrin monument lay-by or on the grass verge indicated on the route map. Park carefully and do not block any gates. Please use an Ordnance Survey map: OS Explorer OL 16 The Cheviot Hills. Allow at least 3 hours to complete this 3.5 mile (5.5km) walk. Some of the walking is strenuous, with a steep descent, and the top is very exposed in poor weather. Wear good walking boots and take warm water- proof clothing with you. Nearest National Park Centres: National Park Centre, Rothbury T: +44 (0)1669 620887 National Park Centre, Ingram T: +44 (0)1665 578890 For public transport information: The hillfort is a protected monument and is managed under the terms of an agreement between Northumberland National Park Authority and the landowner. Under the terms of the agreement, parts of the trail may be closed for a few days each year. Contact +44 (0)1434 605555 for closure information. Please respect this ancient site and leave the stones as you find them. To protect wildlife and farm animals, please keep your dog on a lead at all times. Thank you. Supported by Part financed by the June 2010 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL A journey through the mists of time to GUIDANCE AND GUARANTEE FUND Northumberland’s most spectacular Iron Age Hillfort Northumberland National Park Authority, Eastburn, South Park, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 1BS Front cover photograph - View from Yeavering Bell © Graeme Peacock.
    [Show full text]
  • Ceramics and Society in Northern Europe Southern Scandinavia And
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CLoK Ceramics and Society in Northern Europe Johannes Müller and Rick Peterson Southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany Johannes Müller The origins of pottery in Southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany The earliest types of pottery in Southern Scandinavia and Northern Central Europe have different origins and histories of development. On typological grounds we are dealing both with pottery in a late Mesolithic context (late Ertebølle c. 4300 cal BC onwards) and pottery associated with Neolithic ways of life (TRB, or Funnel Beaker, societies starting c. 4100 cal BC) (Fischer and Kristiansen 2002; Jöns et al. 2009; Klassen 2004). The relation and origin of both is a focus of debate: while Ertebølle ceramics were seen traditionally to reflect southern influences from contemporary early horticulturalists on the Nordic Mesolithic foragers, some researchers are modelling different origins for Ertebølle and TRB assemblages. Ertebølle pottery is associated with Mesolithic/Epipalaeolithic pottery traditions, stretching from central Siberia to Brittany (Jordan and Zvelebil 2009; Matiskainen 2011; Andersen 2011; Piezonka 2011). The use of pointed-bottomed vessels is known from foraging societies which integrated some domesticates and cultivates into their economy but did not change in principle their foraging identity. No pottery or other imports imply any kind of innovative southern influences on this development; rather ceramics are seen as an independent innovation. By contrast, Funnel Beaker pottery is associated with changes related to the spread of horticulture into the North European Plain, enhanced by the expansion of an enclosure building society from the west (early Michelsberg of the Paris Basin and the Rhinelands) and late Lengyel developments within south-eastern horticultural communities (e.g., Gatersleben groups of the Middle-Elbe-Saale region).
    [Show full text]
  • Download Itinerary
    EXPERIENCE RKNEY TOURS Essence of Orkney Tours ANCIENT ORKNEY Our islands’ history stretches back 5000 years and has some of the finest neolithic monuments in Europe. This tour gives you the best of ancient Orkney – in a day! Our islands’ history stretches back 5000 years and has some of the finest neolithic monuments in Europe. This tour gives you the best of ancient Orkney – in a day! Skara Brae Step back 5000 years to explore one of Europe’s best preserved prehistoric settlements, a neolithic village older than the Pyramids of Giza. It was first uncovered during a storm and most of the houses, including furniture are still standing exactly where they were built. Skaill House The finest 17th century mansion house in Orkney and home to the man who discovered Skara Brae in 1850. Still in the ownership of the same family afer 400 years. The Ring of Brodgar A near perfect circle makes up one of the most spectacular and largest henge monuments in the British Isles. Originally 60 stones of which 27 still stand. Archaeologists still puzzle over its original purpose – lunar calendar, ritual ceremonial site or 5000 year old community party venue! The Stones of Stenness This is a ceremonial stone circle in use around 3100 BC, making it one of the oldest in Britain. It originally consisted of 12 standing stones of which 4 large monoliths still survive. Excavations in the 1970s revealed a central hearth which may have been the focus for rituals important to the Neolithic people of Orkney. Unstan Cairn One of the oldest tombs in Orkney, in use around 3500BC, it is unusual as it features both stalled and chambered burial areas within its walls.
    [Show full text]
  • Yeavering: a Palace in Its Landscape Research Agenda 2020
    Yeavering: A Palace in its Landscape Research Agenda 2020 S. Semple and A. T. Skinner with B. Buchanan Acknowledgements This document has benefitted from initial comments from the following specialists: Peter Carne, Lee McFarlane, Chris Gerrard, Joanne Kirton, Don O’Meara, Andrew Millard, David Petts and Graeme Young. We are particularly grateful for detailed comments from Roger Miket. Contents List of Figs 1. Introduction 1 2. Gaps in knowledge: Zone A 2 2.1 The Site 2 2.2 The Hillfort 4 2.3 Environment 5 2.4 Cemetery evidence 6 2.5 Objects: the post-excavation archive 7 2.6 Later developments and the afterlife of Ad Gefrin 8 3. Gaps in knowledge: Zone B 9 3.1 Settlement patterns 9 3.2 Cemeteries 11 3.3 Environmental 12 3.4. Routes and communications 13 4. Potential of the Resource 14 5. Key Research Priorities: Zone A 15 5.1 The post-excavation archive 15 5.2 On-site re-assessment of the chronological sequence 16 5.3 Relationships with Milfield 19 5.4 Environment 19 5.5 The Hillfort 20 5.6 Short-term and long-term developments after Ad Gefrin 21 6. Key Research Priorities: Zone B 21 6.1 Settlement activity 21 6.2 Environment 23 6.3 Communications 24 7. Summary 24 8. Bibliography 25 Figures 31 List of Figures Fig. 1 Parameters for research area: Zone A – the site and its immediate 32 environs; Zone B – the hinterland Fig. 2 Aerial photograph of Yeavering showing the cropmarks to the south of 32 the road.
    [Show full text]