The Creation of Monuments

Oswald, Alastair; Dyer, Carolyn Stewart; Barber, Martyn

doi:10.2307/j.ctvxcr7v1

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…From the time of its discovery (Wilson, 1975, pp. 180–181), the site was claimed to be a Neolithic causewayed enclosure: a social gathering space associated with the earliest farming communities of the first half of the 4th millennium cal BC (Oswald, Dyer, & Barber, 2001; Whittle, Healy, & Bayliss, 2011). At 8.55 ha (Palmer, 1976, p. 184), this would make Freston one of the largest causewayed enclosures currently known in Britain (Oswald et al, 2001, pp.…”

Section: Site Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…72–73, figs 3.14 and 4.23–4.24). Furthermore, the rectangular structure in the north‐eastern quadrant is believed to be a key feature of the site, with one theory being that it is a rare example of a Neolithic longhouse within a causewayed enclosure (Oswald et al, 2001, p. 126). To date, only a small number of such rectangular structures have been documented or excavated, for example, at Datchet, Berkshire (Krakowka, 2019), and possibly within the Stepleton enclosure at Hambledon Hill, Wiltshire (Mercer & Healy, 2008, p. 294).…”

Section: Site Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our most important objective was to prove the assumption that Freston was an Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure. This was to be achieved by targeting the ditch termini, as these tend to be artefact‐rich contexts, as observed at other sites of this type (Oswald et al, 2001, pp. 120–124).…”

Section: Farm 2019: Research Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whittle et al, 2011). In turn, the finds would theoretically inform us of the activities that occurred at the enclosure and the agro‐pastoral practices of prehistoric peoples, the latter also serving as proxies for local environmental conditions (Oswald et al, 2001, pp. 120–132).…”

Section: Farm 2019: Research Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The location of the Freston monument suggests that it was centred around two springs (Figure 1), in what today is a shallow dry valley between the Stour and Orwell rivers (Oswald et al, 2001, p. 75). Whereas the western half of the site continues to be farmed, the eastern side has been set‐aside and grassed for the past decade.…”

Section: Geology and Surface Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Integrating geophysical survey and excavation at the Freston Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure, Suffolk (UK)

Schofield

Carter

Jackson³

et al. 2020

Archaeological Prospection

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A 2019 geophysical survey of part of the 8.55‐ha Freston interrupted ditch system (Suffolk), which integrated reconnaissance fluxgate gradiometry with earth resistance meter techniques, produced a fine‐grained geo‐spatial resolution site plan to undertake a pilot‐study research excavation. The features targeted comprised four ditch termini of the enclosure, with the aim being to test the long‐established hypothesis that the monument represented an Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure. Although the geophysical survey successfully located the ditch termini and linear trends indicative of the internal palisade trench, the magnetic data in particular further suggested the presence of numerous pit‐like anomalies both within and outside of the enclosure. The combined survey data also detailed for the first time an approximately 70‐m‐long curvilinear low‐resistance ditch‐like anomaly that appears to precede the interrupted ditch system. The working hypothesis is that this represents a ditch flanking a long barrow, a type of communal Early Neolithic mortuary monument that typically predate the construction of causewayed enclosures across southern Britain. The subsequent 6‐week excavation achieved its aims by recovering diagnostic Early Neolithic (earlier 4th millennium cal BC) material culture from the ditch fills.

show abstract

Section: Site Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Farm 2019: Research Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Farm 2019: Research Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geology and Surface Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Integrating geophysical survey and excavation at the Freston Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure, Suffolk (UK)

Schofield

Carter

Jackson³

et al. 2020

Archaeological Prospection

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Humanly-Made Landforms

Goudie

2023

Landscapes of the Anthropocene With Google Earth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dating springlines from hydrogeological and archaeological evidence

Paul

Moore²

2022

Quat. res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The relationship between prehistoric populations and water is often poorly understood, partly as a function of historical reliance on qualitative and fragmentary datasets in many regions. Here, we adopt a quantitative approach to analyze a specific aspect of the relationship between prehistoric populations and water for the Cotswold Hills, southwest UK; an area of documented hydrogeological change and extensive Neolithic (ca. 5.5 ka) activity. Using a database of all known Neolithic monuments, we interrogate the significance of water to their habitation. By marshaling a large dataset of recent (ca. 100 years) changes in the discharge and elevation of 259 springs, we establish a striking negative relationship between present-day spring discharge and annual elevation change. We then formulate an inverse problem to predict spring elevations in Neolithic times. Spring elevations are predicted to be closer to, and higher than, Neolithic-dated sites relative to the location of modern springs. These results emphasize a utilitarian and/or reverential link between water and prehistoric populations. Our approach of reconciling markedly different datasets and timescales can easily be adapted to other regions. While groundwater had behaved reasonably predictably since Neolithic times, recent human activity is (and will continue to be) far more significant in influencing groundwater behavior.

show abstract

The Creation of Monuments

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Integrating geophysical survey and excavation at the Freston Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure, Suffolk (UK)

Integrating geophysical survey and excavation at the Freston Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure, Suffolk (UK)

Humanly-Made Landforms

Dating springlines from hydrogeological and archaeological evidence

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About