Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
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Excavation of Bowl Barrow at Pityoulish. 153 Excavation
EXCAVATIO F BOWNO L BARRO PITYOULISHT WA 3 15 . X. EXCAVATIO BOWA F NO L BARRO T PITYOULISHWA , STRATHSPEY 1953N I , . RAEV S B,YMR F.S.A.ScoT. ALAD AN N, RAE, M.A., F.S.A.ScoT. Summary.—Four bowl barrows were found in a group, each having a ditch without bank (two share para ditch) f o t diametea . ,fro ft m4 2 f o r the bottom of the ditch, a height of 1 ft. 3 ins. to 1 ft. 6 ins. above surrounding turf flattenea , witp dto h dimple rectangulaa d an , r stone projecting from e topth . Total excavatio s mad wa e barronf one eo Th . w coveren a d inhumatio t fulna lt (robbedsmallengto pi a tw ln d hi empt )an y o pitsN . grave goods, pottery or domestic implements were found, but evidence showed t earlie thano e buria s th t r wa ltha n Iron barroe AgeTh d . wha not covered a hut or any representation of a hut. Five fires had purified the site. A large stone had been erected beside the burial and projected from the top of the barrow, with no carving or inscription. It was possible to trace the sequence of events in construction. Fig. 1 shows the ground pla t basicna , wit hlarge basth e chief ee o th ston fd chocean k stone pro- jected; fig. 2 shows cross-sections. Situation.—The Pityoulish estate lies alon e easgth te Rive sidth f ero Spe Inverness-shiren yi f Aviemor o milee sam2 . -
A Little Town with a Big Story
Dorchester A little town with a big story orc l D he a s tu t r e i r Look for the button V Virtual Dorchester F i n n o d ti map loca Click to find the map location Find out The Dorchester Henge more... Visit the henge circle marked out on the car park floor here, and see hen Waitrose supermarket was built here in 1984, Drawing to show how the henge was built in Neolithic times (about 5,000 years ago). Wooden posts were tipped into pits, the Dorset County Museum archaeologists found signs of huge wooden posts and a which were then back-filled to hold the posts up. Read Discover Dorset: The Prehistoric curving ditch. W Age by Bill Putnam. Each post was about a metre across and had been cut from a mature Discover more on Wessex oak tree. They were regularly spaced about a metre apart. Twenty one Archaeology’s website. post holes were found in an arc shape and some had also been found earlier in Church Street. Archaeologists worked out that the posts and the ditch must have been part of a huge circular monument - about 380 metres across. It is one of the largest Neolithic monuments in Britain. Large circular monuments like this are known as henges, named after Stonehenge. The Dorchester henge was about three times the size of Stonehenge, although it was never a stone structure. It wasn’t the only one in the neighbourhood; there were also henges at Maumbury Rings and Mount Pleasant, just outside Dorchester. -
Concrete Prehistories: the Making of Megalithic Modernism 1901-1939
Concrete Prehistories: The Making of Megalithic Modernism Abstract After water, concrete is the most consumed substance on earth. Every year enough cement is produced to manufacture around six billion cubic metres of concrete1. This paper investigates how concrete has been built into the construction of modern prehistories. We present an archaeology of concrete in the prehistoric landscapes of Stonehenge and Avebury, where concrete is a major component of megalithic sites restored between 1901 and 1964. We explore how concreting changed between 1901 and the Second World War, and the implications of this for constructions of prehistory. We discuss the role of concrete in debates surrounding restoration, analyze the semiotics of concrete equivalents for the megaliths, and investigate the significance of concreting to interpretations of prehistoric building. A technology that mixes ancient and modern, concrete helped build the modern archaeological imagination. Concrete is the substance of the modern –”Talking about concrete means talking about modernity” (Forty 2012:14). It is the material most closely associated with the origins and development of modern architecture, but in the modern era, concrete has also been widely deployed in the preservation and display of heritage. In fact its ubiquity means that concrete can justifiably claim to be the single most dominant substance of heritage conservation practice between 1900 and 1945. This paper investigates how concrete has been built into the construction of modern pasts, and in particular, modern prehistories. As the pre-eminent marker of modernity, concrete was used to separate ancient from modern, but efforts to preserve and display prehistoric megaliths saw concrete and megaliths become entangled. -
June to August 2021
PROGRAMME : JUNE, JULY & AUGUST 2021 WEB SITE: www.verwoodramblers.org.uk GENTLE EXERCISE FRESH AIR GOOD COMPANY Our club, formed in 1972, offers three walks of 3-4 miles, 5-6 miles, and 9-10 miles, each week, enjoying the stunning downland of Cranborne Chase, woodland and heath in the New Forest, and coastal paths of the Purbecks and World Heritage Jurassic Coast. “TRY BEFORE YOU BUY” - WHY NOT JOIN US FOR A TASTER CALL 01202 826403 NB 1: Walks will be subject to current Covid secure rambling guidelines, see separate file. NB 2: CANCELLED WALKS: If you have any doubts, for whatever reason, that a walk will go ahead as published, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONFIRM BY CONTACTING THE LEADER before going to the starting point. NB 3: DOGS: Members are not encouraged to bring dogs, as some members may feel discomfort. Walks invariably pass through areas containing livestock. If brought they should be on a lead at all times and under control. Damage by dogs is not covered by the Club’s insurance policy and would be the owner’s responsibility. All mileages are approximate. JUNE 1 Tues CAR PARK on B3082 Near Badbury Rings 10:00 Exp 118 GR ST966 023 N.B. this is the small free CP opposite the left turn to White Mill, Sturminster Marshall 3.6 mls Gently undulating figure of 8 walk to the Rings 1 steady incline, 1 short hill, no stiles, mud possible. 2 Wed GARSTON/PRIBDEAN WOOD CP 10:00 Exp 118 GR SU 003 195 5 mls Deanland, Barber’s and Great Shaftesbury Coppice, Shermel Gate. -
A Bronze Age Round Barrow Cemetery, Pit Alignments, Iron Age Burials, Iron Age Copper Working, and Later Activity at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys
Archaeological Journal ISSN: 0066-5983 (Print) 2373-2288 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raij20 A Bronze Age Round Barrow Cemetery, Pit Alignments, Iron Age Burials, Iron Age Copper Working, and Later Activity at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys Tim Havard, Timothy Darvill & Mary Alexander To cite this article: Tim Havard, Timothy Darvill & Mary Alexander (2016): A Bronze Age Round Barrow Cemetery, Pit Alignments, Iron Age Burials, Iron Age Copper Working, and Later Activity at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys, Archaeological Journal, DOI: 10.1080/00665983.2017.1238687 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00665983.2017.1238687 Published online: 14 Oct 2016. Submit your article to this journal View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=raij20 Download by: [Bournemouth University] Date: 17 October 2016, At: 05:39 Archaeological Journal, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00665983.2017.1238687 A Bronze Age Round Barrow Cemetery, Pit Alignments, Iron Age Burials, Iron Age Copper Working, and Later Activity at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys tim havard, timothy darvill and mary alexander With contributions by Rowena Gale, Harriet Jacklin, Helen Lewis, Ed McSloy, Elizabeth Pearson, Keith Wilkinson and Tim Young Excavation undertaken at the Upper Severn valley round barrow cemetery at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys, between 2004 and 2006 has increased the known barrows and ring ditches to some twenty-seven monuments within this complex, and revealed additional burials. Based on limited dating evidence, and the data from earlier excavations, the majority of the barrows are thought to be constructed in the Bronze Age. -
Early Medieval Dykes (400 to 850 Ad)
EARLY MEDIEVAL DYKES (400 TO 850 AD) A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 Erik Grigg School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Contents Table of figures ................................................................................................ 3 Abstract ........................................................................................................... 6 Declaration ...................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................... 9 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ................................................. 10 1.1 The history of dyke studies ................................................................. 13 1.2 The methodology used to analyse dykes ............................................ 26 2 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DYKES ............................................. 36 2.1 Identification and classification ........................................................... 37 2.2 Tables ................................................................................................. 39 2.3 Probable early-medieval dykes ........................................................... 42 2.4 Possible early-medieval dykes ........................................................... 48 2.5 Probable rebuilt prehistoric or Roman dykes ...................................... 51 2.6 Probable reused prehistoric -
White Horse Trail Directions – Westbury to Redhorn Hill
White Horse Trail Route directions (anti-clockwise) split into 10 sections with an alternative for the Cherhill to Alton Barnes section, and including the “short cut” between the Pewsey and Alton Barnes White Horses S1 White Horse Trail directions – Westbury to Redhorn Hill [Amended on 22/5, 26/5 and 27/5/20] Maps: OS Explorer 143, 130, OS Landranger 184, 173 Distance: 13.7 miles (21.9 km) The car park above the Westbury White Horse can be reached either via a street named Newtown in Westbury, which also carries a brown sign pointing the way to Bratton Camp and the White Horse (turn left at the crossroads at the top of the hill), or via Castle Road in Bratton, both off the B3098. Go through the gate by the two information boards, with the car park behind you. Go straight ahead to the top of the escarpment in the area which contains two benches, with the White Horse clearly visible to your right. There are fine views here over the vale below. Go down steps and through the gate to the right and after approx. 10m, before you have reached the White Horse, turn right over a low bank between two tall ramparts. Climb up onto either of them and walk along it, parallel to the car park. This is the Iron Age hill fort of Bratton Camp/Castle. Turn left off it at the end and go over the stile or through the gate to your right, both of which give access to the tarmac road. Turn right onto this. -
The Origins of Avebury 2 1,* 2 2 Q13 Q2mark Gillings , Joshua Pollard & Kris Strutt 4 5 6 the Avebury Henge Is One of the Famous Mega
1 The origins of Avebury 2 1,* 2 2 Q13 Q2Mark Gillings , Joshua Pollard & Kris Strutt 4 5 6 The Avebury henge is one of the famous mega- 7 lithic monuments of the European Neolithic, Research 8 yet much remains unknown about the detail 9 and chronology of its construction. Here, the 10 results of a new geophysical survey and 11 re-examination of earlier excavation records 12 illuminate the earliest beginnings of the 13 monument. The authors suggest that Ave- ’ 14 bury s Southern Inner Circle was constructed 15 to memorialise and monumentalise the site ‘ ’ 16 of a much earlier foundational house. The fi 17 signi cance here resides in the way that traces 18 of dwelling may take on special social and his- 19 torical value, leading to their marking and 20 commemoration through major acts of monu- 21 ment building. 22 23 Keywords: Britain, Avebury, Neolithic, megalithic, memory 24 25 26 Introduction 27 28 Alongside Stonehenge, the passage graves of the Boyne Valley and the Carnac alignments, the 29 Avebury henge is one of the pre-eminent megalithic monuments of the European Neolithic. ’ 30 Its 420m-diameter earthwork encloses the world s largest stone circle. This in turn encloses — — 31 two smaller yet still vast megalithic circles each approximately 100m in diameter and 32 complex internal stone settings (Figure 1). Avenues of paired standing stones lead from 33 two of its four entrances, together extending for approximately 3.5km and linking with 34 other monumental constructions. Avebury sits within the centre of a landscape rich in 35 later Neolithic monuments, including Silbury Hill and the West Kennet palisade enclosures 36 (Smith 1965; Pollard & Reynolds 2002; Gillings & Pollard 2004). -
Rude Stone Monuments Chapt
RUDE STONE MONUMENTS IN ALL COUNTRIES; THEIR AGE AND USES. BY JAMES FERGUSSON, D. C. L., F. R. S, V.P.R.A.S., F.R.I.B.A., &c, WITH TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: ,JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1872. The right of Translation is reserved. PREFACE WHEN, in the year 1854, I was arranging the scheme for the ‘Handbook of Architecture,’ one chapter of about fifty pages was allotted to the Rude Stone Monuments then known. When, however, I came seriously to consult the authorities I had marked out, and to arrange my ideas preparatory to writing it, I found the whole subject in such a state of confusion and uncertainty as to be wholly unsuited for introduction into a work, the main object of which was to give a clear but succinct account of what was known and admitted with regard to the architectural styles of the world. Again, ten years afterwards, while engaged in re-writing this ‘Handbook’ as a History of Architecture,’ the same difficulties presented themselves. It is true that in the interval the Druids, with their Dracontia, had lost much of the hold they possessed on the mind of the public; but, to a great extent, they had been replaced by prehistoric myths, which, though free from their absurdity, were hardly less perplexing. The consequence was that then, as in the first instance, it would have been necessary to argue every point and defend every position. Nothing could be taken for granted, and no narrative was possible, the matter was, therefore, a second time allowed quietly to drop without being noticed. -
Silbury Hill – А Case Study with LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: SILBURY HILL – a CASE STUDY LIONEL LIONEL SIMS LIONEL SIMS
VI. LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOASTRONOMY INTEGRATING ARCHAEOASTRONOMY Integrating Archaeology: with Landscape ArchaeoastronomySilbury Hill – а Case Study WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: SILBURY HILL – A CASE STUDY LIONEL LIONEL SIMS LIONEL SIMS Abstract Weaknesses in both archaeoastronomy and landscape archaeology can be overcome by their combination. This is demonstrat- ed through a new interpretation of Silbury Hill in Avebury, Wiltshire. If monuments in their local landscape are considered as one choice in a system of alternatives, tests can be devised to intepret the prehistoric builders‘ intentions. This exercise finds that the builders chose a prescriptive arrangement of views of Silbury Hill to simulate a facsimile of the moon entering and returning from the underworld. Key words: dark moon, crescent moon, paired alignments, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Avenue, Beckhampton Avenue, Ave- bury, underworld. Introduction with a level circular summit platform.To date, no con- vincing explanation as to its meaning has been offered. Archaeoastronomy has to move on from the legacy of Archaeologists have long expected that excavating the the Thom paradigm if it is to prove its relevance to sci- interior of the hill would reveal burials or deposited ar- ence (Sims 2006). Over the last three decades the dis- tefacts that would provide the clues to its decoding. In cipline has established robust field methods procedures spite of the many tunnels that have been dug, so much and, in so doing, falsified Thom‘s claim for a prehis- so that the Hill has now to be rescued from imminent toric precision astronomy (Thom 1971; Ruggles 1999; collapse, no burials have been found nor interpretive Hoskin 2001, Belmonte 2006; Schaefer 1993; North breakthroughs made. -
3 Avebury Info
AVEBURY HENGE & WEST KENNET AVENUE Information for teachers A henge is a circular area enclosed by a bank or ditch, Four or five thousand years ago there were as many as used for religious ceremonies in prehistoric times. 200-300 henges in use. They were mostly constructed Avebury is one of the largest henges in the British Isles. with a ditch inside a bank and some of them had stone Even today the bank of the henge is 5m above the or wooden structures inside them. Avebury has four modern ground level and it measures over one kilome- entrances, whereas most of the others have only one or tre all the way round. The stone circle inside the bank two. and ditch is the largest in Europe. How are the stones arranged? The outer circle of standing stones closely follows the circuit of the ditch. There were originally about 100 stones in this circle, of which 30 are still visible today. The positions of another 16 are marked with concrete pillars. Inside the northern and southern halves of the outer circle are two more stone circles, each about 100m in diameter. Only a small number of their original stones have survived. There were other stone settings inside these circles, including a three-sided group within the southern circle, known as ‘the Cove’. The largest stone that remains from this group weighs about 100 tonnes and is one of the largest megaliths in Britain. What is sarsen stone? Sarsen is a type of sandstone and is found all over the chalk downland of the Marlborough Downs. -
The Landscape Archaeology of Martin Down
The Landscape Archaeology of Martin Down Martin Down and the surrounding area contain a variety of well‐preserved archaeological remains, largely because the area has been unaffected by modern agriculture and development. This variety of site types and the quality of their preservation are relatively unusual in the largely arable landscapes of central southern England. Bokerley Dyke, Grim's Ditch, the short section of medieval park boundary bank and the two bowl barrows west of Grim's Ditch, form the focus of the Martin Down archaeological landscape and, as such, have been the subject of part excavations and a detailed survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. These investigations have provided much information about the nature and development of early land division, agriculture and settlement within this area during the later prehistoric and historic periods. See attached map for locations of key sites A ritual Neolithic Landscape….. Feature 1. The Dorset Cursus The Cursus dates from 3300 BCE which makes it contemporary with the earthen long barrows on Cranborne Chase: many of these are found near, on, or within the Cursus and since they are still in existence they help trace the Cursus' course in the modern landscape. The relationship between the Cursus and the alignment of these barrows suggests that they had a common ritual significance to the Neolithic people who spent an estimated 0.5 million worker‐hours in its construction. A cursus circa 6.25 miles (10 kilometres) long which runs roughly southwest‐northeast between Thickthorn Down and Martin Down. Narrow and roughly parallel‐sided, it follows a slightly sinuous course across the chalk downland, crossing a river and several valleys.