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Excavation and Survey at Dyffryn Lane Henge Complex, Powys, and a Reconsideration of the Dating of Henges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2013

Alex Gibson
Alex Gibson
Affiliation:
Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP
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Abstract

The henge monument and round barrow at Dyffryn Lane, near Welshpool, Powys, represent a rare instance of earthwork survival amongst the Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments of the upper Severn Valley. Antiquarian excavation in response to agricultural degradation suggested that the monument represented a round barrow covering a stone circle. Whether these stones represented a stone circle sensu stricto or a stone kerb for a turf barrow, was not determined at the time. Aerial photography subsequently demonstrated that the barrow as surrounded by a single-entranced henge monument. The present excavation was designed to assess the degree of plough damage to the site, determine the nature of the circular arrangement of stones, investigate the development of the site, and retrieve absolute dating and palaeoenvironmental material for the various phases encountered. Excavation has demonstrated that the site saw the ritual deposition of Impressed Ware pottery prior to a stone circle being erected on the site. This circle was allowed to decay before being encircled by a henge and subsequently covered by a round mound. The site adds to a small but growing body of evidence suggesting the lateness of the henge element within multi-phased monuments.

Résumé

Le monument à enceinte et fossé et le tertre rond de Dyffryn Lane, près de Welshpool, Powys, constitue un rare exemple de survivance de levées de terre parmi les monuments du néolithique et de l'âge du bronze dans la haute vallée de la Severn. Des fouilles par des amateurs d'histoire en réaction à des dégâts causés par l'agriculture ont donné à penser que le monument consistait en un tertre rond recouvrant un cercle de pierres. On n'avait pas déterminé à l'époque si ces pierres représentaient un cercle de pierres au sens propre du terme ou s'il s'agissait d'un bordage de pierres pour un tumulus en terre. Plus tard des photographies aériennes démontrèrent que le tumulus était entouré d'un monument à enceinte à entrée unique. Le but des fouilles actuelles était d'évaluer le degré des dégâts causés au site par les labours, de déterminer la nature des pierres arrangées en cercke, d'analyser l'évolution du site et de recueillir des datations absolues et du matériel paléoenvironnemental pour les diverses phases rencontrées. Les fouilles ont démontré que le site avait connu le dépôt rituel de poterie imprimée avant que le cercle de pierres ne soit érigé sur le site. On a laissé ce cercle se dégrader avant de l'entourer d'une enceinte et de le couvrir par la suite d'un tertre rond. Ce site vient ajouter à un petit mais croissant corpus de témoignages qui suggèrent que l'élément ‘enceinte'n’est arrivé que tardivement parmi les monuments à phases multiples.

Résumen

El monumento tipo henge y el túmulo redondo de Dyffryn Lane, cerca de Welshpool, Powys, constituyen un raro caso de supervivencia de los movimientos de tierra entre los monumentos del neolítico y de la Edad del Bronce de la parte alta del Severn Valley. La excavación anticuaria realizada en respuesta a la degradación agrícola sugirió que el monumento representaba un túmulo redondo que cubría un círculo de piedra. No se determinó en aquel entonces si estas piedras eran un círculo de piedra sensu stricto o un anillo peristálico para un túmulo de tierra. Posteriormente la fotografía aérea demostró que el túmulo estaba rodeado por un monumento tipo henge de una sola entrada. La actual excavación fue diseñada para evaluar el grado de daño que el arado causó en el yacimiento, determinar la naturaleza del arreglo circular de piedras, investigar el desarrollo del sito, y recuperar material palaeoenvironmental y para la datación absoluta de las varias fases encontradas. La excavación ha demostrado que el yacimiento vio la deposición ritual de Cerámica Impresa antes de que se erigiese un círculo de piedra en el sito. Este círculo se deterioró antes de ser cercado por un henge y posteriormente ser cubierto por un túmulo redondo. Este yacimiento se suma a un pequeño pero cada vez mayor cuerpo de evidencia que indica lo tardío del elemento henge dentro de monumentos multi-fase.

Zusammenfassung

Henge und Grabhügel von Dyffryn Lane nahe Welshpool, Powys, sind seltene Beispiele für die Erhaltung von neolithischen und bronzezeitlichen Erdbauten des oberen Severn-Tals. Durch landwirtschaftliche Bodeneingriffe veranlasste Ausgrabungen ließen vermuten, dass die Bauwerke aus einem runden Hügel, der einen Steinkreis bedeckt, bestanden. Ob jedoch diese Steine einen Steinkreis sensu stricto darstellen oder eine Einfassung des Hügels, konnte dabei nicht festgestellt werden. Luftbilder zeigten später, dass der Hügel von einem Henge mit einem einzigen Eingang umgeben war. Die gegenwärtig neu durchgeführte Grabung sollte das Ausmaß der Schäden durch den Pflug feststellen, den Charakter der kreisförmigen Anordnung der Steine bestimmen, die Entwicklung des Fundplatzes nachvollziehen, und sowohl eine absolute Datierung ermöglichen als auch paläoökologische Daten sammeln für die verschiedenen erkennbaren Phasen. Durch die Grabung kann gezeigt werden, dass der Fundplatz die rituelle Deponierung von Keramik der Impressed Ware erfuhr, bevor dort ein Steinkreis errichtet wurde. Dieser Steinkreis wurde dem Verfall überlassen, bevor er von einem Henge umgeben und schließlich von einem runden Hügel überdeckt wurde. Dieser komplexe Fundplatz trägt so zu einer kleinen aber wachsenden Reihe von Belegen bei, die dafür sprechen, dass das Henge-Element spät in mehrphasige Bauwerke eingeführt wurde.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 76 , 2010 , pp. 213 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2010

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