Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty 1

of 4 History & Heritage 8 ot eo OBUi InformationSheets South AONB Unit in theSouthDevonAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty Later Prehistoric Period taking placeonSouthDartmoorbythe9thcenturyBC. Recent researchsuggeststhattinworkingwasalready South-West wasamongthe naturally inDevonandCornwall,itseemslikelythatthe As Britain’s richestsourcesoftin andcopperarefound axes, daggersandswordsaremostcommon. be castandbeatentomaketoolsweapons,ofwhich copper tomakebronze,adurablematerialwhichcould copper andgold,smithsquicklyfoundhowtoalloytinwith Age, andalthoughits Metal Tools andweapons by ploughingshowuponaerialphotographs. features whicharedeeporsolidenoughtoresisterosion yellow. These colourchangesshowupfromtheair, soany walls orbanksdryoutquickly, andthecropisstunted longer toripen,growingtallandgreen.Featuressuchas longer thanthesurroundingground,socroptakes Buried featuressuchasditchesandpitsretainwaterfor Cropmarks showinarable as cropmarksonlandnowfarmed. Devon AONB. Outsidetheseareas,theycommonlyappear areas suchasDartmoorandthecoastlineofSouth date fromtheBronze Age, andsurvivewellonupland Many ofthe roads andlandboundaries. landscape datefromtheBronze Age, includingmany period. Importantpartsoftheshapingpresent-day such ahallmarkofthelast2500yearsprehistoric enclosures, inwhicharefoundthecircularhuts which canincludelanesanddroveways;settlement as burialmounds,stonecirclesandrows; structures werebuilt,intheformofritualmonumentssuch This periodwasthe About 2300-700BC fi rst startedtobeusedinBritainduringtheBronze fi rst settlementenclosuresknown inBritain fi rst inwhichlarge-scalephysical fi rst useswereornamental,using fi elds whenthecropripens. fi rst toexploittheseresources. fi eld systems, eld of Bolt Tail, andnearBantham. visible asgrassedmoundsclosetothecoastpathjusteast examples canbeseenatStanborough,andothersare of theseonceexisted,butfewarewell-preserved.Good the moundtomakeitstandoutinlandscape.Many stone maceheads.Whiteorredquartzwasoftenpiledonto she mightneedanditemsofpersonalstatus,eg:polished journey intotheafterlife,toolsof contents canincludecutsofmeatforthedeadperson’s body, sometimesplacedinsideasmallstonechest.Other pottery vesselcontainingtheashesofacrematedhuman excavated, thesemoundsarecommonlyfoundtocontaina an inhumationorcremationofadeadperson.When and pilinguptheearthinsideitinaroundedheapover Age burialmoundsweremadebydiggingacircularditch sites havebeenlocatedbyaerialphotography. Bronze inferred fromthelargenumberofburialmoundswhose The likelylocationsofBronze Age settlementscanbe while two,werefoundnearChivelstone. Cornwall. A brokenmaceheadwasfoundnearGalmpton, polished volcanicgreenstone,possiblyfromCallingtonin probably havingceremonialfunctionsandmadefrom this, asarepolishedstoneaxe-hammersandmaceheads, Barbed andtangedarrowheadsaregoodexamplesof of the stone continuedtobeusedfortoolmaking,andsome In the similar means. in arockatLannacombeBeachmayhavegotthereby been buriedbyasmith,whilebronzeaxefoundwedged Portlemouth mayhavefallenfromthecliff wheretheyhad bronze swordsfoundintheseaatMoorSandnearEast the location,orhaddiedinmeantime.Several collected again,perhapsbecausethesmithhadforgotten ingots forlaterretrieval.Inmanycases,hoardswerenever were heavy, theywouldoftenburybronzescrapand countryside makingbronzeobjects. As theirrawmaterials itinerant bronze-smiths,whowouldtravelaroundthe hoards, whichwereoftenburiedforsafe-keepingby Bronze toolsareoftenfoundintheformoffounders’ fi fi nest rst halfoftheBronze Age, fl int objectsknowncomefromthisperiod. fl int orbronzewhichhe fl int andothertypesof Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty 2 Page

of 4 History & Heritage 8 ot eo OBUi InformationSheets South Devon AONB Unit in theSouthDevonAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty Later Prehistoric Period identi which evidence forpastclimatesandlanduse canbe valley andlakesilts,moorland peatdeposits,from resources oforganicandalluvial remainspreservedin Several partsofBritainarefortunate tohaveextensive Environment Bronze Age transhumanceisrareinBritain. making SouthDevonnationallyimportant-evidencefor medieval evidence,wasinfactBronze Age inorigin, suggests thatthisarrangement,forwhichthereisample roads, usedasdrovewaysbetweenthem.Recentresearch andontheSouthDevoncoast,withlongridge coaxial Bronze Age shifting lifestyle. were used,withlesssettledpopulations,duetotheir a systemsuchasthis-insteadmuchlargerlandunits land divisionssuchasmodernparishesdidnotexistin down tothelowlandsduringwinter. Small-scale highland areasduringthesummerandbringingthem practiced transhumance,thatis,grazinganimalson lowland areassuchasDevonandCornwall,commonly Pastoral agriculturaleconomiesinmixedhighlandand sequential ovoidenclosuresonthefringesof fi earlier oneshavingcircularhutsscatteredamongthe Settlements arecommonlyfoundwiththese fi ones dividedtheseintoirregularlysizedsub-rectangular dividing upterritories.Shortbanksbetweentheparallel springing fromaterminalreave,usuallylongerboundary, These ‘reaves’ whichsplitthelandscapeupintolargeterritories. where theyareassociatedwithlongboundaries,knownas been identi BC andc.1300BC.Manyofthese Britain duringthemiddleBronze Age, betweenc.1900 fi Organised farming,withintheframeworkofoftencomplex Agriculture Drizzlecombe inthePlymvalley. ones inDevonareonDartmoor, suchasMerrivale,or but allhavebeenclearedoftheirstones. The onlyintact Bolberry DownandSevenstonesCrossnearBigbury, known orsuspectedintheSouthDevon AONB atSlapton, other partsofBritain.Severalsitesstonesettingsare which arethoughttohaveexistedintimbermany datetotheBronze Age, andshowstructures details changedfromplacetoplace. The mainphasesof stones, werecommonintheBronze Age, thoughtheir Ritual stonesettings,comprisingcircles,rowsandsolitary elds, whilelaterBronze Age settlementsareoftenwithin Such elds. eld systems,isthoughttohave fi ed andinterpreted. fi eld systemshavelongparallel(coaxial)banks fi ed onDartmoorandotherhighlandareas, fi eld patternsarecalledcoaxial fi eld systemshavebeenidenti fl ourished inSouthern fi eld systemshave fi fi eld systems. eld eld systems, eld fi elds. fi ed on ed record, thisisre which wasstillsuitableforfarming.Inthearchaeological in Britain. This resultedinpopulationpressureonland about 1000BCbegantocauseabandonmentofhighland At theendofBronze Age, climaticdeteriorationafter environment. landscapes, neitherofwhichcouldoperateinawoodland with theappearanceoflarge-scale by humanactivity. Certainly, thischangeseemstocoincide related tolarge-scaledeforestation,atleastpartlycaused the beginningofBronze Age. This isthoughttobe in treepollenandasharpincreasegrassaround been sampledinthisway, andshowamarkeddecrease Silts inSlaptonLeyandpeatdepositsat Thurlestone have and otherformsoftribalcon became moreterritorial,withincreasingincidenceofwarfare During theearlyIron Age, theinhabitantsofsouthernBritain Settlement andAgriculture Iron AgeAbout700BCto50AD also hadsubstantial ramparts,thedistinction between which wereprobably forstockcontrol. As some ofthese Many moresmaller enclosureswerealsofound, mostof well-preserved andeasytounderstand. Devon AONB, thoseatBolt Tail andBlackdownRingsbeing entrances. Severalexamplescan beseenintheSouth some havingmorethanoneline ofdefencesandcomplex defended byheavyearthwork banks andmassiveditches, fi as hillforts,areoftenfoundoutsidetheareasofplanned cattle andsheepfromtheft. These enclosures,known others wereemptyandmayhavebeenintendedtoprotect were builtonhilltops,somecontainingsettlements,while proliferation ofbronzeweaponry-swordsandspears. defended hilltopenclosures,or‘hillforts’,andthe eld systems,inthecommon grazinglands. They were fl ected intheconstructionof the fl ict. Largedefended enclosures fi eld systemsandritual Bronze age/Ironagevillage fi rst Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty 3

of 4 History & Heritage 8 ot eo OBUi InformationSheets South Devon AONB Unit in theSouthDevonAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty Later Prehistoric Period of lifewaslargely unchanged. Roman world.Being onthefringesofEmpire, theirway occasional military andcommercialcontactwith the to ScotlandandWales, forwhich thereisevidenceof Age. Inthisrespect,theregion hadstrongsimilarities and muchofDevoncontinued unchangedfromtheIron organisation, nativesettlement andland-useinCornwall Thus, apartfromoccasionalevidence forRoman excavations onthelatersiteof Castle. trading settlement,whileRomantileswerefoundduring mingled withdebrisfromalateRomantopost-Roman the beachatBantham,paintedwallplasterwasfound may havebeenconnectedwithContinentaltrade.Near for whichthereisevidenceintheSouthDevon AONB roads ortowns. The onlyknownRomanisedbuildings there isnoevidenceformilitaryactivity, noplanned Britain wasnotgenerallyknownsouth-westofExeter: Roman civilisationaspractisedelsewhereinsouthern Settlement andAgriculture About 50AD-350 Romano-British probably depositedthereforritualreasons. of lateIron Age weaponsanddecorativemetalworkwere found inthe Thames atBattersea, withlargequantities was acultsurroundingthehumanhead.Humanskulls often kept,asitwouldappearthatinthelateIron Age, there river wouldeventuallycarrythemaway. Their skullswere on sandbanks,wherewildanimalsmighteatthemandthe the lateIron Age, bodieswerelaidoutwiththeirgravegoods Recent discoveriesbesidetheRiver Thames suggestthatin accompanied bybrokenweaponsorotherartefacts. evidence forhumanburialinriversorlakes,often into theRomanperiod.SeveralsitesinBritainhave increasing venerationofwater, atrendwhichcontinued Burial traditionschangedintheIron Age, withthe Ritual Activity Age estates,dependentonthehillfortofBurleighDolts. ,whichprobablydevelopedfromtwoIron in partsofthelandscapetoday, suchastheparishof ranching livestock. Their boundariescanstillbeseen associated withthem,enclosedbybanks,probablyfor Many ofthemoreimportantfortshadlargeterritories from the1stcenturyBCto4th AD. example survivesnearStokeGabriel,whichwasoccupied continued intotheRomano-Britishperiod. An excellent rectangular withoneortwoenclosingditches,aformwhich Farmsteads ofthelaterIron Age tendedtobesquareor and candatefromabout600-100BC. of thesesmallerenclosuresprobablycontainedfarmsteads generally bigger, inbetter-defendedpositions. The majority the twoisoftendif fi cult tode fi ne, althoughhillfortsare Romano-British &Dark Age websheet. similar goods. This isdiscussedinmoredetailthe a referencetoseveralplaces, allofwhichwereproducing for tin.Itisnotknownwhether thiswasanactualplace,or say Spain)cametotrade,exchangingContinentalgoods port towhichmerchantsfromotherlands(somesources apparently anislandoff thecoast,whichwasusedasa Diodorus SiculusmentionsanimportantportcalledIctis, In the1stcenturyBC,aRomancommentatorcalled have interpretedasbeingSouth-West Britain. beyond theedgeofknownworld,andwhichhistorians BC refertotheCassiterides,or Tin Islands,whichlay Several Greekwritersbetweenthe5thand2ndcenturies associated enclosureshavebeenfound. and occasionalevidenceforRomanisedbuildings Here, evidencefortemporarysettlements,importedpottery several tradingsitesonlevelbeachesatrivermouths. period alongthewholecoastofSouth-West ,with important duringthelateIron Age andRomano-British Coastal tradewiththeContinentseemstohavebeen and barterbeingmorelikely. unlikely tohaveoperated,amixtureofcointransactions fi Empire andseemtohavebeeningeneralcirculationthe Roman coinsareoccasionallyfoundonthefringesof Trade bonded stonerubblewallsandthatchedroofs. the houses,withtheirvulnerablewattleanddauborclay less fordefencethankeepinganimalsfromdamaging huts withinaditchedenclosure. These wereprobably throughout thecountryside,eachwithacoupleofcircular is gained,withoccasionalsmallfarmsitesscattered A pictureofasimplelifemixedarableandstockfarming Rock andonBoltHeadprobablycontinuinginuse. fi agriculture alsocontinuedtobepractised,existingcoaxial during theRomano-Britishperiodasawhole.Pastoral use andpollenanalysisshowsthatcerealproductionrose Existing prehistoric Hams, notablyaroundKingsbridge. of thesesitesareknownfromcropmarksintheSouth farmstead enclosurescontainingcirculartimberhuts.Many the sameasinIron Age, withsmallsub-rectangular in circulation,buttheformofsettlementsremained material cultureintheformofpotteryandjewellerywas and ButlandnearModbury, haveshownthatRoman Excavation ofnativesettlementsatStokeGabriel settlement, asshownbyknownarchaeologicalsites. This argumentissupportedbythenatureofrural rst tothirdcenturies AD, althoughafullcasheconomyis eld systemssuchasthoseonDecklersCliff nearGara fi eld systemsprobablycontinued in Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty 4

of 4 History & Heritage 8 ot eo OBUi InformationSheets South Devon AONB Unit in theSouthDevonAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty Later Prehistoric Period commercial useprovidedthesourceisacknowledged. Unit. The materialmaybecopiedforprivateandnon- information sheetspublishedbytheSouthDevon AONB Waterhouse, BA, AIFA in2005.Itisoneofaseries This factsheetwaswrittenbyarchaeologistRobert Author decipherment ofthelandscape. provides suf then, whereplacenameanddocumentaryevidence The resultscannothavetheaccuracyoflaterperiods appeared morethan1700yearsago. importance inunderstandinghowalocalitymayhave landscape formationprocessesisthereforeofconsiderable distribution. Intuitionandanunderstandingofnatural only asketchypictureoflandboundariesandsettlement a periodwheretherearefewsurvivingplacenamesand It isverydif and alwayswillbe. Evidence forcertainpartsofourremotepastissketchy, Summary may havefollowedIron Age practice. or grove.Burialsareunknownfromthisperiod,butagain place’ andsimilartothelatinwordNemus,meaningwood the place-nameNemeton,aCelticwordmeaning‘sacred suggests thatasacredwoodorforestedareawashere, Place-name evidencefortheCreditonareaofmid-Devon are occasionallyfoundinvalleybottoms. water wascontinued,ascoinsandjewelleryofthisperiod although itseemslikelythattheIron Age venerationof the fringesofEmpireduringRomano-Britishperiod, At present,weknowlittleofreligiousorburialcustomson Ritual activity Archaeological digatMountFollyFarm,. fi cult foralandscapearchaeologisttoworkon fi cient evidenceforprecisioninthe ekesCifAncient Decklers Cliff fi eld boundary, Soar.