The Raunds Area Project: A Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscape in Northamptonshire. Vol. 1

With major contributions by: Aidan Allen, Tony Baker, Torben Bjarke Ballin, Alex Bayliss, Angela Boyle, Philippa Bradley, Gill Campbell, Andy Chapman, Simon Davis, Jon Humble, Simon Mays, Richard Macphail, Andrew Payne, Stéphane Rault, Mark Robinson, David Tomalin, Dave Windell and Jo Woodiwiss. And contributions by: Paul Backhouse, Polydora Baker, Alistair Barclay, Frances Blore, Anthony Beck, Gordon Cook, Mark Copley, Anna Cselik, Vicky Crosby, Mary Davis, Stephanie Dudd, Glynis Edwards, Richard Evershed, Andrew Foxon, Roger Grace, Janet Henderson, Carl Heron, Claire E. Jones, Ian Kinnes, Gerry McCormac, Liz Muldowney, Stuart Needham, Dominic Powlesland, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Ian Shepherd, Maisie Taylor, Angela Wardle, Robert Whiteman, Patricia Wiltshire and David F. Williams. E-book (PDF) published 2012. The Raunds Area Project investigated more than 20 Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley. From c 5000 BC to the early 1st millennium cal BC a succession of ritual mounds and burial mounds were built as settlement along the valley sides increased and woodland was cleared.Starting as a regular stopping-place for flint knapping and domestic tasks, first the Long Mound, and then Long Barrow, the north part of the Turf Mound and the Avenue were built in the 5th millennium BC. With the addition of the Long Enclosure, the Causewayed Ring Ditch, and the Southern Enclosure, there was a chain of five or six diverse monuments stretched along the river bank by c 3000 cal BC. Later, a timber platform, the Riverside Structure, was built and the focus of ceremonial activity shifted to the Cotton 'Henge', two concentric ditches on the occupied valley side.From c 2200 cal BC monument building accelerated and included the Segmented Ditch Circle and at least 20 round barrows, almost all containing burials, at first inhumations, then cremations down to c 1000 cal BC, by which time two overlapping systems of paddocks and droveways had been laid out. Finally, the terrace began to be settled when these had gone out of use, in the early 1st millennium cal BC. The Raunds Area Project investigated more than 20 Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley. From c 5000 BC to the early 1st millennium cal BC a succession of ritual mounds and burial mounds were built as settlement along the valley sides increased and woodland was cleared. Starting as a regular stopping-place for flint knapping and domestic tasks, first the Long Mound, and then Long Barrow, the north part of the Turf Mound and the Avenue were built in the 5th millennium BC. With the addition of the Long Enclosure, the Causewayed Ring Ditch, and the Southern Enclosure, there was a chain of five or six diverse monuments stretched along the river bank by c 3000 cal BC. Later, a timber platform, the Riverside Structure, was built and the focus of ceremonial activity shifted to the Cotton ‘Henge', two concentric ditches on the occupied valley side. From c 2200 cal BC monument building accelerated and included the Segmented Ditch Circle and at least 20 round barrows, almost all containing burials, at first inhumations, then cremations down to c 1000 cal BC, by which time two overlapping systems of paddocks and droveways had been laid out. Finally, the terrace began to be settled when these had gone out of use, in the early 1st millennium cal BC. The Raunds Area Project investigated more than 20 Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley. From c 5000 BC to the early 1st millennium cal BC a succession of ritual mounds and burial mounds were built as settlement along the valley sides increased and woodland was cleared. Starting as a regular stopping-place for flint knapping and domestic tasks, first the Long Mound, and then Long Barrow, the north part of the Turf Mound and the Avenue were built in the 5th millennium BC. With the addition of the Long Enclosure, the Causewayed Ring Ditch, and the Southern Enclosure, there was a chain of five or six diverse monuments stretched along the river bank by c 3000 cal BC. Later, a timber platform, the Riverside Structure, was built and the focus of ceremonial activity shifted to the Cotton 'Henge', two concentric ditches on the occupied valley side. From c 2200 cal BC monument building accelerated and included the Segmented Ditch Circle and at least 20 round barrows, almost a... Publisher description List of Illustrations vii List of Tables ix List of contributors x Preface xii Acknowledgements xiii Summaries 15 18. A note on radiocarbon dates 1. Introduction 1 2. Environment and land use in the valley bottom 18 3. The development of the monuments 37 4. Ceremonial practice and mortuary ritual 199 5. Raunds in the region 264 Bibliography 287 Index 319 This book is the result of The Raunds Area Project, which investigated more than 20 Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley.