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Rectangular Enclosures of the Bronze Age in the Upper Thames Valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2012

Extract

Any evidence, however slight, that may throw light upon the age or purpose of many of the mysterious lines and enclosures revealed by air-photography cannot fail to be of service to future research. Some time ago Major G. W. Allen brought to my notice more than one instance of a remarkable type of rectangular enclosure in the valley of the Thames below Oxford, the age of which we were reluctant even to surmise in spite of their proximity to or association with other remains obviously belonging to the Bronze Age. Three at least of these enclosures had been detected; two in Oxfordshire, the one at Dorchester close to the huge circles described by Mr. O. G. S. Crawford, the other at Benson, and a third lying athwart the southern boundary on Drayton East Way between the parishes of Drayton and Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire. Something similar, but smaller (c. 300 yds. long and 10 yds. wide), with less accurately aligned ditches has been observed at North Stoke, Oxfordshire, amid numerous circles, one of which yielded last year a cremation and two interments, all of infants.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1934

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References

page 414 note 1 Antiquity, i, 469, pl. 1. Part can be seen in the upper part of the photograph at the right edge.

page 415 note 1 Indicated by the left-hand arrow. It is even more clearly visible on a second photograph.

page 415 note 2 xiv, 266. Its position is shown by the right-hand arrow.

page 415 note 3 See Archaeologia, lxxvi, 61, fig. 1.

page 415 note 4 Antiquity, i, 469, pl. 1.