The Origins of Hilltop Enclosures: Late Bronze Age hilltop sites in Atlantic western Britain

Description

The Late Bronze Age in Britain (c. 1250-750 BC) was a period of major economic and social reorganisation: agricultural and settlement patterns, funerary and depositional practices all saw significant change. This book examines the evidence for the occupation and enclosure of hilltops in Atlantic western Britain during this formative period. Focussing on why communities started to come together at this time to construct these impressive monuments, this book provides information about how these communities were organising the landscape during a time when the first effects of climatic deterioration were beginning to be felt. Concentrating on Atlantic western Britain (encompassing Wales, the Marches, and south-west England), it is shown that, far from being a peripheral region, communities here were looking west to Ireland, developing hilltop sites right across the landscape, providing a safe and central location for communal gatherings and pastoral farming activities. Front Cover Title Page Copyright Page Of Related Interest Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures List of Tables Abstract 1 Introduction 1.1. Aims and research questions 1.2. The research context for Late Bronze Age settlement 1.2.1. Late Bronze Age lowland landscapes: Midden sites and timber platforms 1.2.2. Late Bronze Age lowland enclosures: Ringworks 1.3. A history of the study of Late Bronze Age hilltop sites 1.4. Recent work in Ireland 2 Methodology 2.1. Data collection 2.2. Non-hilltop settlement sites 2.3. Data quality 2.4. Establishing chronology 2.5. Methodology employed for the landscape chapter 2.5.1. Height above ordnance datum (AOD 2.5.2. Proximity to water 2.5.3. Pre-existing ancient monuments 2.6. Settlement chapter methodology 2.7. Material culture chapter methodology 2.8. Conclusion 3 Climatic Change in Late Bronze Age Britain 3.1. The great climate debate – what was actually happening to the climate in the Late Bronze Age? 3.1.1. The peat bog, palynological and flooding records 3.1.2. Recent palaeoclimatological studies 3.1.3. Potential limitations of climatic studies 3.2. Climate change and its effect on Late Bronze Age society 3.3. Discussion 4 Locating Late Bronze Age Hilltop Sites 4.1. The landscape setting of Late Bronze Age hilltop sites 4.2. Case study hilltop sites 4.3. Height above ordnance datum (AOD) 4.4. The availability of water on Late Bronze Age hilltop sites 4.5. Evidence of pre-existing ancient monuments 4.6. Discussion 4.6.1. Wales and the Marches 4.6.2. SW England 4.6.3. Coastal communities 4.7. Conclusion 5 Settling Late Bronze Age Hilltop Sites 5.1. Western settlement evidence 5.1.1. Problems with data quality on hilltop sites 5.1.2. Settlement evidence in Atlantic western Britain 5.2. Building on hilltops: Enclosure and structures 5.2.1. Enclosure 5.2.2. Structure 5.3. Living and working on hilltops: Occupation, craftworking and agriculture 5.3.1. Occupation 5.3.2. Craftworking 5.3.3. Agriculture at hilltop sites 5.3.4. Agriculture on non-hilltop sites 5.4. Discussion 5.5. Conclusion 6 Inhabiting Late Bronze Age Hilltop Sites 6.1. Material culture in the Late Bronze Age 6.1.1. Changing patterns of deposition 6.2. Creating chronologies from material culture 6.2.1. Ceramics 6.2.2. Metalwork 6.3. The material culture of Late Bronze Age hilltop sites 6.3.1. Personal items 6.3.2. Weapons 6.3.3. Tools 6.3.4. Craftworking 6.3.5. Pottery 6.4. Summary 6.5. Conclusion 7 Discussion 7.1. Who built Late Bronze Age hilltop sites? 7.2. What were these Late Bronze Age hilltop sites? 7.3. Where were Late Bronze Age hilltop sites located? 7.4. When were Late Bronze Age hilltop sites built? 7.5. Why were Late Bronze Age hilltop sites created? 7.5.1. Meeting places: Animals, feasting, metalworking 7.5.2. Established hilltop sites 7.5.3. Maritime connections 7.6. Summary 8 Conclusions and Critical Review 8.1. Late Bronze Age hilltop sites: A narrative 8.2. Aims met and research questions answered? 8.2.1. Geographical scope 8.2.2. The dataset 8.2.3. The climate change question 8.2.4. So what? 8.2.5. Future research recommendations Bibliography Appendix 1 Data quality grading for hilltop sites Appendix 2 Details of non-hilltop sites Back Cover