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Assemblage, Stansted Lithics 31 DURRINGTON WALLS THEN AND NOW: THE DESCRIPTION, INTERPRETATION AND MEANING OF A MONSTROUS ASSEMBLAGE Benjamin Tun-Yee Chan1 ABSTRACT There have been two principal excavations at Durrington Walls; those conducted by Wainwright from 1966– 1968 and those conducted by the Stonehenge Riverside Project from 2004–2007. Comparison between the lithic assemblages from the two excavations reveals similarities and provides the ideal opportunity to consider how lithic studies have changed over the last forty years. The 1971 publication of the worked flint assemblage from Wainwright’s excavation is typical of its day being primarily descriptive and concentrating on the presentation of typology. The current analysis places a much greater emphasis on the potential of detailed statistical, contextual and spatial analyses. Most fundamentally the approach is interpretative in treating the mass of worked flint, not as a passive record of the past, but as the product of material practices that helped constitute Neolithic society. A general description of the assemblage and detailed examples of a house floor assemblage and a midden context are used to demonstrate the potentials that the assemblage holds for revealing the significance of flintworking at Durrington Walls. Full reference: Chan, B. T.-Y. 2010. Durrington Walls then and now: the description, interpretation and meaning of a monstrous assemblage. Lithics: the Journal of the Lithic Studies Society 31: 44–54. Keywords: Durrington Walls, Neolithic occupation surfaces, daily practice, spatial analysis, context of practice, Late Neolithic flintworking. THE EXCAVATIONS INTRODUCTION Wainwright’s excavations at Durrington Walls Over the years there have been a number of followed the route of the proposed realignment excavations at Durrington Walls but by far the of the A345, which cut a 20 m – 40 m wide most significant have been those directed by linear transect across the henge (Wainwright & Geoffrey Wainwright from 1966–1968 Longworth 1971, 10). The excavation was (Wainwright & Longworth 1971) and those ground breaking for its time in terms of its conducted by the Stonehenge Riverside Project scale, the widespread use of mechanical (SRP) between 2004–2007 (Parker Pearson et excavators and the speed with which it was al. 2006a, 2006b & 2007). These two projects completed (Pitts 2000, 48–61). It was also have produced two of the most significant later successful in uncovering extensive remains Neolithic flint assemblages from southern including parts of the Northern Circle, the Britain and accordingly a comparison of the Southern Circle, the henge ditch, the henge two is warranted. As the analyses are separated bank and the occupation debris sealed beneath by a period of 40 years, and in keeping with it. The SRP arrived at the site under very the retrospective sentiment of the Lithic different circumstances and without the Studies Societies 30th anniversary conference, exigency of road construction. Seeking this also provides an opportunity to assess the initially to explore the relationship between the changes in lithic studies that have occurred henge and the River Avon, the SRP first over that time. It should be stressed from the investigated the area between the East outset that it is relatively easy and perhaps Entrance of Durrington Walls and the river and unfair to critique a lithics report with the subsequently went on to excavate parts of the benefit of 40 years of hindsight. My intention Southern Circle, the Western Enclosures, the is not to set up a one-sided debate and hence I South Entrance and the West Entrance. Like shall keep discussion of Wainwright’s the former project, the findings have been methodology to a minimum, focusing instead ground breaking and have included the on the approach that is being adopted by the remains of a number of well-preserved house SRP and the potentials it offers for floors, associated middens and an avenue understanding later Neolithic society. 1Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET. Email: [email protected]. 44 Lithics 31 Approximate Area Excavation Total Worked Flint Worked Flint/ha. of Excavation (ha.) Wainwright 12596 1.150 10953 SRP (all DW excavations) 89446 0.226 395779 Table 1. The total assemblage size and amount of worked flint/ha. connecting the East Entrance of Durrington fact that during Wainwright’s excavation, Walls to the River Avon (Parker Pearson et al. whilst debitage and tools were normally 2006a). The important point for our current collected, only tools were retained from certain purposes is that, whilst the excavations were contexts such as the secondary and tertiary fills conducted under very different circumstances, of the henge ditch (Wainwright and Longworth the range of contexts excavated by Wainwright 1971, 161). and the SRP were essentially the same. This This perhaps highlights the first major facilitates a comparison of the worked flint difference between the approaches of the two from the two projects. projects. One was essentially carried out as rescue archaeology, whereas the other was ASSEMBLAGE SIZE AND conducted as a research project geared towards COMPOSITION close contextual analysis. Indeed developments It is first necessary to examine the assemblages within the last few decades have made it clear at their broadest scale, which is in terms of that contextual and spatial analyses, and their size and composition (Table 1). Before consequently our understandings of prehistoric proceeding it should be noted that, whilst the inhabitation, are only as good as the recording of the SRP assemblage is excavation they are based on. With this in substantially complete, the data analysis and mind the SRP wet sieved a high proportion of writing up is still in progress and hence the excavated contexts with the remainder being data utilised here should be regarded as dry sieved and all occupation surfaces were preliminary. It should also be mentioned that excavated on grids to allow the spatial the area of the excavation calculated for recovery of artefact patterns. The commitment, Wainwright’s excavation within Table 1 dedication and resources it takes to conduct includes only the area within Durrington Walls such detailed artefact retrieval within a site of and excludes the long transect which stretched such complexity and richness of material south of the henge. The area for the SRP culture should not be underestimated. excavations includes only those trenches which Despite the large differences between the lie within the monument and the trench at the retrieval rates of the two excavations the basic East Entrance, which lies partly outside of the assemblage composition is remarkably similar bank of the henge. (Figure 1). The main difference between the As can be seen some differences between the two is that within Wainwright’s assemblage two assemblages are immediately apparent. In cores account for 0.5% of the assemblage proportion to the relative size of the excavated whereas within the SRP material (excluding areas, the SRP recovered about 36 times the chips and irregular waste) the figure is 1.4%. quantity of flint than Wainwright’s The low frequency of cores within excavations. Of course the comparison is not Wainwright’s assemblage was noted in the entirely on even ground as it has not been excavation report (Wainwright & Longworth possible to calculate the total volume of 1971, 162) although no explanation was excavated soil. Despite this, the massive offered. Given the results of the more recent contrast in the quantity of worked flint excavation it is likely that the figure of 0.5%, retrieved by the two projects does indicate which is low compared to most Neolithic sites, significant differences in retrieval rates. This is at least partially a result of retrieval biases. clearly affects the statistical comparability of The differential classification of cores may the two datasets and this is compounded by the also have been an issue as many cores 45 Lithics 31 Figure 1. The frequencies of flakes, cores and tools from Wainwright’s and SRP excavations. Figure 2. The frequencies of arrowheads and scrapers from Wainwright’s and SRP excavations. recorded within the SRP consist of nodules Despite the statistical differences between the with minimal removals, often with no prepared two assemblages, my overriding impression platform, and in other circumstances such when reading the earlier report is one of artefacts may have been discarded as little familiarity, particularly in the forms of the more than bashed lumps. various cores and tools. In this sense I am confident that the two sets of material Whilst the broad similarities between the two represent the same assemblage, produced from assemblages provides hope for a detailed the same types of contexts and containing the statistical comparison, when one looks in more same range of artefact types. Despite this, the detail differences start to emerge. In particular brief analysis conducted here indicates that there is a clear difference in the ratio of direct comparison in statistical terms would be arrowheads to scrapers recovered by the two problematic and for the most part unnecessary projects (Figure 2). Within the assemblages as given the large well-excavated assemblage a whole scrapers and arrowheads are both the from the recent excavations. The main most ubiquitous of tool types and also exception to this is the Southern Circle where probably the most recognisable. Hence, it is not only did Wainwright excavate a much hard to understand whether the difference in greater proportion of the monument than the the two assemblages is archaeologically SRP, but the distribution of artefacts across the meaningful or merely a result of differential circle provided the basis for Richards and retrieval rates. Further analysis of the SRP Thomas’s (1984) seminal article on structured material will examine the ratios of arrowheads deposition. Hence combining the results of the to scrapers across a range of contexts across analysis of the SRP assemblage with the earlier the site and this may provide further insight material is highly desirable and will be into this issue.
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