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On the Origins and Development of Cursus Monuments in Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Julian Thomas
Julian Thomas
Affiliation:
School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Abstract

The problem of dating cursus monuments has troubled British archaeology for some decades. A series of recent radiocarbon determinations from sites in lowland Scotland suggests that cursus monuments defined by posts and pits are generally earlier than the more familiar bank and ditch structures, and may have been constructed very early within the British Neolithic sequence. The implications of such a sequence are discussed in relation to the affinities of these structures, and landscape change between 4000 and 3600 cal BC.

Résumé

Le problème de la datation des monuments à cursus déconcerte l'archéologie britannique depuis des décennies. Une série de datations au carbone 14 récente provenant des basses terres de l'Ecosse suggèrent que les monuments à cursus délimités par des poteaux et des fossés sont généralement plus anciens que les structures plus familières à talus et fossé, et qu'il se peut qu'ils aient été construits très tôt au cours de la séquence du néolithique britannique. On débat des implications d'une telle séquence en relation aux affinités de ses structures et au changement dans le paysage entre 4000 et 3600 ans cal av.J.-C.

Zusammenfassung

Das Problem der Datierung der Cursus Monumente hat der Britischen Archäologie über einige Jahrzehnte Schwierigkeiten bereitet. Eine Reihe von neuen Radiokarbon-Altersbestimmungen von Fundstellen im Schottischen Tiefland bracht neue Erkenntnisse: die Cursus Monumente, die sich über ihre Pfostensetzungen und Gruben definieren, sind im allgemeinen älter als die geläufigeren Anlagen mit Wall und Graben; und die ersteren Anlagen sind wahrscheinlich bereits sehr früh innerhalb der Britischen Abfolge des Neolithikums errichtet worden. Die Implikationen einer solchen Abfolge werden auf der Grundlage ihrer Ähnlichkeiten und den Landschaftsveränderungen zwischen 4000 und 3600 cal BC diskutiert.

Résumen

El problema del emplazamiento cronológico de los monumentos tipo cursus ha preocupado a la arqueología británica durante varias décadas. Una serie de recientes dataciones al Carbono-14 procedentes de varios yacimientos en las tierras bajas de Escocia sugiere que los monumentos tipo cursus delimitados por postes y hoyos son generalmente más tempranos que las más familiares estructuras de foso y terraplén, y que pueden haber empezado a construirse muy pronto dentro de la secuencia del Neolítico británico. Este artículo trata de las implicaciones de tal secuencia en relación a la afinidad de estas estructuras, y cambios en el paisaje entre 4000 y 3600 cal BC.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 72 , 2006 , pp. 229 - 241
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2006

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