Prehistoric Ditched Enclosures Research Papers (original) (raw)

This article presents the current state of research on the Early Neolithic settlement enclosures in the Eastern Balkans (ca. 6200/6000-5500 cal. BC), with a focus set on the ditch-digging practices. A large database was accumulated in the... more

This article presents the current state of research on the Early Neolithic settlement enclosures in the Eastern Balkans (ca. 6200/6000-5500 cal. BC), with a focus set on the ditch-digging practices. A large database was accumulated in the last decade during surface surveys, large-scale excavations, and geomagnetic prospection, demonstrating conclusively that ditch enclosures were indeed a tradition rather than an exception. In the Eastern Balkans, enclosures consist mostly of single or multiple ditches and rarely a combination of ditch and wooden, emplectum, or a stone wall. Moreover, some sites existed long enough that the development of the settlement pattern demanded also changes in the enclosures' layout and/or design. Most of the settlements were enclosed as early as their initial stages. However, no enclosure features have been identified at the earliest Neolithic sites in the area even though this might reflect biased research strategies.

An interdisciplinary non-invasive survey project including aerial photography and geophys-ical, geochemical and surface prospection has been conducted in Dzielnica (Opole province) since 2008. Rescue excavations, which began in 2004, are... more

An interdisciplinary non-invasive survey project including aerial photography and geophys-ical, geochemical and surface prospection has been conducted in Dzielnica (Opole province) since 2008. Rescue excavations, which began in 2004, are continuing on the site. The site is a promontory stretching into the wide Oder river valley. Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age population groups repeatedly occupied the landform. Diverse domestic features, mostly dug-in pits, aboveground houses and graves, are related to these settlement episodes, but the most interesting feature associated with human occupation of the late phase of Lengyel culture is a system of ditches forming an enclosure. The gradiometry survey was conducted using a Bartington Grad601-2 instrument and covered an area of 6.14 ha. The prospection recorded of a great number of anomalies resulting from varied and chronologically diverse human action (Fig. 1), recorded all over the studied area. Analysis of some magnetic anomalies led to an interpretation of their function, cultural attribution and chronology. Linear anomalies indicating the presence of ditches are particularly characteristic. As the excavations have shown, these features were not ditches sensu stricto, but a system of elongated pits, which had been dug successively one into the other. Two parallel ditches aligned SE–NW were traced and a third ditch was connecting them in the middle part. The current state of research does not allow for a full reconstruction of the enclosure (especially in the southern and northern directions) or an estimate of its surface area (surely larger than 3 ha). It cannot be ruled out that the system of ditches was more complicated and that a larger number of anomalies may be interpreted as relics of other ditches. Equally characteristic are elongated anomalies or groups of anomalies concentrated in the southeastern part of the area that forms rows, dozens of meters long and oriented SE– NW with empty spaces between them. Their arrangement seems to suggest that they are the remains of households, typical of the Linear Pottery culture communities; they consist of so-called clay pits located along the walls of post-built longhouses. The remains of post-built structures were recorded sporadically as poorly visible rows of triple anomalies. The neighbouring households formed several rows of buildings regularly laid out along a SE–NW line. Such an arrangement of buildings is also characteristic of Linear Pottery culture settlements. The rest of the anomalies are difficult to interpret unequivocally and represent the relics of settlement features related to all phases of site occupation. Large-scale geochemical analyses were also conducted with the objective of determining the phosphate content in samples from a series of drill-cores and bulk samples collected during the excavations. In total, 900 drillings were made during the project and 3500 samples were collected and analysed. The studies were carried out following laboratory procedures developed

I recently had the opportunity to review Alex Gibson’s thought provoking volume, 'Enclosing the Neolithic: Recent studies in Britain and Europe'. That review, to which the reader is directed for further commentary, identified as a... more

I recently had the opportunity to review Alex Gibson’s thought provoking volume, 'Enclosing the Neolithic: Recent studies in Britain and Europe'. That review, to which the reader is directed for further commentary, identified as a weakness the uneven spread of regional case studies, and in particular the omission of studies from the West Country, Wales and North West England, which are so important in understanding the Irish Sea Zone. The aim of this paper is to address this with regard to the material from the North West of England, and in particular Cumbria. This paper is therefore meant to be read in conjunction with Gibson’s edited volume.

In light of the current interest in climate change and its effects on modern economies, several projects have highlighted the role of climate forcing on past societies. In particular, there has been focus on the role of climate forcing in... more

In light of the current interest in climate change and its effects on
modern economies, several projects have highlighted the role of climate
forcing on past societies. In particular, there has been focus on
the role of climate forcing in the Iberian Peninsula, during the 4.2 k
event, which roughly coincides with the Chalcolithic to Bronze Age
transition (c. 2200 – 2000 BCE).
While much of this research has focused on the South-eastern regions,
given its long and rich history of archaeological research, some
attention has shifted to the Southwest Iberia, which has revealed in
recent years a clearer picture of its societies during the Chalcolithic
period. More specifically, Southwest Iberia has disclosed very interesting
social dynamics when it comes to ditched-enclosure sites,
dynamics that came to a rather abrupt end around the same time of
the 4.2 k event. The current paper reports the results of the 2018 geomagnetic
survey campaign at the ditched-enclosure site of Monte da
Contenda, in Arronches, Portugal. While these results are not directly
related to climate forcing per se, they do provide more insight into
the Chalcolithic communities that could have been directly affected
by climate events.
Whereas the first campaign, in 2013, revealed a very complex ditch
system but was unable to expose the site’s full layout, the 2018 campaign
was able to reveal the site’s ditch systems in their entirety.
Many of the assumptions established in the first campaign concerning
the layout of the site were confirmed during this second campaign,
namely that the ditch system is delimited to the south by the
ribeira das Argamassas and that the site contains two distinct ditch
systems, comprising a total of 17 to 19 ditches, establishing Monte
da Contenda as the site with the highest number of ditches currently
known in Portugal.

Resumen Se presentan los resultados de la AAP realizada con el objetivo de recabar datos para un proyecto de estudio sobre colecciones zooarqueológicas calcolíticas del Suroeste de Andalucía. Para ello se ha realizado prospecciones... more

Resumen Se presentan los resultados de la AAP realizada con el objetivo de recabar datos para un proyecto de estudio sobre colecciones zooarqueológicas calcolíticas del Suroeste de Andalucía. Para ello se ha realizado prospecciones pedestres y geofísicas con sondeos en dos yacimientos del término de Carmona (Sevilla). Los resultados ofrecen importantes novedades para la Prehistoria Reciente en Andalucía sobre el fenómeno de los recintos de fosos durante la etapa final del calcolítico. Abstract The results of an archaeological activity are presented in relation to a research project on chalcolithic archaeozoological collections of southwest Andalusia. Superficial and geophysical surveys with soundings have been conducted at two sites in the municipality of Carmona (Seville). The results offer important knowledge for the Recent Prehistory in Andalusia on enclosures and ditch systems during the final stage of the chalcolithic.

Los megalitos de Gandul se consideran el cementerio del hábitat situado en la cercana Mesa de Gandul. Esta interpretación obedece al modelo binario de asentamiento-necrópolis proporcionado por el sitio de Los Millares, en Santa Fe de... more

Los megalitos de Gandul se consideran el cementerio del hábitat situado en la cercana Mesa de Gandul. Esta interpretación obedece al modelo binario de asentamiento-necrópolis proporcionado por el sitio de Los Millares, en Santa Fe de Mondújar (Almería). De ser así, cada asentamiento de la región debería contar con su zona funeraria; pero los datos no certifican esta norma. Otra posibilidad es considerar este conjunto dolménico un cementerio compartido por varios hábitats del entorno. Así, esta necrópolis respondería al patrón ya propuesto para Valencina, según el cual las poblaciones locales se organizaban en distritos funerarios. Este modelo caracterizaría a gran parte del sur ibérico. La propuesta dispone de marcadores fáciles de identificar en el registro arqueológico, y es compatible con la existencia paralela de otras estructuras sociopolíticas de los grupos humanos calcolíticos.

Un type d'enceinte méconnu du Néolithique européen : l'enceinte à pseudo-fossé, in : M. Gandelin , V. Ard, J. Vaquer et L. Jallot (dir.) Les sites ceinturés de la Préhistoire récente. Nouvelles données, nouvelles approches, nouvelles... more

Un type d'enceinte méconnu du Néolithique européen : l'enceinte à pseudo-fossé, in : M. Gandelin , V. Ard, J. Vaquer et L. Jallot (dir.) Les sites ceinturés de la Préhistoire récente. Nouvelles données, nouvelles approches, nouvelles hypothèses, Toulouse, Archives d'Ecologie Préhistorique, p. 225-233.
Excavations conducted separately on the sites of Rosheim (Alsace, Linearkeramik) and Sarup (Danemark, TRBK) have led to the definition of a new type of “camp” called “enceinte à pseudo-fossé” (pseudo-ditch), characterized by ditches that are composed of elongated pits dug progressively, during a time likely to exceed three to four generations and that have never formed an uninterrupted obstacle separating inside and outside. We suggest that an important part of the European Neolithic “causewayed camps” belong to this type, if not all of them, and propose a diffusion scenario encompassing a vast area stretching between Poland and the British Isles and Danemark and Spain. Born in the course of the central European Early Neolithic, the pseudo-ditch model was then transmitted to the post-Lbk danubian cultures which occupied parts of the same area till the first half of the 4th millennium. As soon as the end of the 5th millennium, it was adopted, in the Paris basin, by the Michelsberg culture (Bazoches-sur-Vesle), from which emerges a secondary diffusion movement that will transfer the model towards the western half of central Europe (Urmitz), Southern Scandinavia (Sarup), the British Isles (Windmill Hill), Western (Périgny) and Southwest (Villeneuve-Tolosane) France and the northern half of the Iberian peninsula (Las Pozas).

GANDELIN M., VAQUER J. - 2008 - Les sépultures chasséennes des sites de La Terrasse à Villeneuve-Tolosane et de la Z.AC Agora de Cugnaux, Présentation des sites chasséens et localisation des faits funéraires. In Vaquer, J. et al (dir.).... more

GANDELIN M., VAQUER J. - 2008 - Les sépultures chasséennes des sites de La Terrasse à Villeneuve-Tolosane et de la Z.AC Agora de Cugnaux, Présentation des sites chasséens et localisation des faits funéraires. In Vaquer, J. et al (dir.). Défunts néolithiques en Toulousain. Toulouse : éditions des Archives d’Écologie Préhistoriques, 2008, p. 33-44.

"The megalithic tomb at Montelirio is off the scale in more ways than one. As well as being the largest example of its type known in Spain, the burial goods secreted in its subterranean chambers are unsurpassed in both quantity and... more

"The megalithic tomb at Montelirio is off the scale in more ways than one. As well as being the largest example of its type known in Spain, the burial goods secreted in its subterranean chambers are unsurpassed in both quantity and quality. Leonardo García Sanjuán reveals what the dead of Montelirio can tell us about Copper Age society."

In the North of Baden-Württemberg, Neckar Valley and Kraichgau, about a hundred Michelsberg (MK) sites are known, enclosures and open sites. As open sites show only few pits, short occupations by small and rather mobile groups are assumed... more

In the North of Baden-Württemberg, Neckar Valley and Kraichgau, about a hundred Michelsberg (MK) sites are known, enclosures and open sites. As open sites show only few pits, short occupations by small and rather mobile groups are assumed (Seidel 2008). The ditch systems of the MK enclosures have defending qualities as well as symbolic and representative qualities. Six enclosures are investigated and dated by now. For the enclosure site of Bruchsal “Aue” the history of activities was investigated. Occupations during MK I (4356-4247 calBC), MK II (4259-3950 calBC and 4050-3982 calBC) took place, including the first construction of both concentrical ditches. An occupation during MK III/IV (3950-3800 calBC) cannot named more precisely due to a plateau on the calibration curve. This phase began with the reconstruction (“recutting”) at least of the outer ditch by which former passages were removed and longer ditch segments produced. It ended with the construction of an annex ditch along the outer ditch (MK IV). Traces of ceramics and a radiometric date (ca. 3700 calBC) give a hint for a last occupation of MK V without ditch use. The “Rosheim model” of Jeunesse/Lefranc (1999) could not be verified, postulating an enclosure construction merely out of single pits, as no short ditch segment of pit type could be found.
At the level of landscape use the region was contrasted with the »Braunschweig model« of Geschwinde/Raetzel-Fabian (2010) and Raetzel-Fabian (1999), postulating e.g. a placement of MK enclosures at the edge of loessic soils, and that building an enclosure had been an “act of foundation”. In Baden-Wurttemberg MK sites are restricted on, not at the edge of loessic soils and to regions with short winters, id est most favourable for agriculture. These regions were occupied before by the neighbouring epiroessen groups, which were replaced by and by. This MK expansion took place without foundation of enclosures at a “frontier” to the epiroessen sphere.
As a ditch system does not seem to have been required for activities at an enclosure place at every time and the ditches show hints for interruptions of use and repeated reconstructions (“recuttings”), we propose the “Heilbronn-Kraichgau model” with a shift of activities between several neighboured enclosures, including the ”reuse” of a place. This model of shifting activities could also be valid for other regions with MK enclosures and this could explain the very low distances between enclosures in some areas (Geschwinde/Raetzel-Fabian 2010; Seidel 2013). As enclosures were not built by the neighboured epiroessen groups nor by Hornstaad and Pfyn groups, the enclosures were probably a factor that helped the MK community to stabilise and expand.

The Causewayed enclosures phenomenon has been in the focus of European archaeology since the beginning of the last century. These monuments are amongst the characteristic manifestations of European agricultural prehistory. Since the... more

The Causewayed enclosures phenomenon has been in the focus of European archaeology since the beginning of the last century. These monuments are amongst the characteristic manifestations of European agricultural prehistory. Since the beginning of the interest in these monuments, there has been extensive discussion of the interpretation of their purpose. The spectrum of hypothetical interpretations of the purpose of these enclosures is very wide. It ranges from their interpretation as strategic military fortifications, fortification of residential areas, through places of exchange and markets to sanctuaries with funerary function and worship of ancestral cult. Although unambiguous interpretation of these structures seems to be rather complicated, we believe that targeted research using a wide range of modern archaeological and natural science methods can at least in a general outline reveal the ways of construction and decline of individual enclosures, as well as the intensity and nature of their use and thereby contribute to the interpretation of their importance to prehistoric society.
Moreover, currently the evidence of such enclosures is growing significantly, mainly due to the application of methods of systematic remote sensing of the landscape, which has been developing in the Czech Republic since the early 1990s. Applying this method of prospection has brought a completely new type of archaeological evidence in this respect. In 2015, we launched the project “Proto-Eneolithic ditch enclosures in Bohemia: Interpretation of their purpose and social importance” (GA15-02453S). In the framework of the project, three causewayed enclosures were examined, which we can now securely date to the Proto-Eneolithic Period. These are Chleby (Nymburk District), Kly (Mělník District) and Vrbno (Mělník District). The research in these sites focused on their chronology, way of construction, traces of use, development and decline of the enclosure. Due to the complex nature of the questions that required archaeological as well as pedological and pedochemical procedures, an interdisciplinary research team was created, the core of which was staff of the Department of Archeology of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology of Mendel University in Brno.
The main objective of the project was therefore to interpret the purpose of causewayed enclosures for the Eneolithic society. The basic question was whether these constructions served as places of religious rituals, funerary practices, worship of ancestral cult, and the extent of sacred and profane activities. Bearing in mind that ritual enclosures are just one form of manifestation of the ritual practices of the Proto-Eneolithic communities, in this book we also pay attention to other evidence of social and spiritual ceremonies. It is primarily a question of the nature of the burial rites and the treatment of the ancestors’ remains. This is related to the use of enclosures and the creation of long barrows as specialized funerary features. Given the indications of the presence of bovine skulls (bucrania) and finds of complete pottery vessels within enclosed areas, we also pay attention to the importance of cattle breeding and bull worship in agricultural communities drinking ceremonies in Eneolithic societies. We will also focus on the nature of Eneolithic ceremonial warfare that was probably also associated with causewayed enclosures.

En este trabajo se recoge, sintéticamente, los trabajos realizados por la Universidad de Málaga durante el trienio 2009 - 2011 integradas dentro del Proyecto de Excelencia HUM - 04212 titulado Estudio Arqueológico y Gestión Patrimonial en... more

En este trabajo se recoge, sintéticamente, los trabajos realizados por la Universidad de Málaga durante el trienio 2009 - 2011 integradas dentro del Proyecto de Excelencia HUM - 04212 titulado Estudio Arqueológico y Gestión Patrimonial en los recintos de fosos del suroeste de la Península Ibérica (Andalucía-Algarve-Alentejo).

"This special issue of "Patrimonio Histórico" (Historical Heritage), the bulletin of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute, brings together a series of contributions aimed at disseminating the concept of megalithic heritage among... more

"This special issue of "Patrimonio Histórico" (Historical Heritage), the bulletin of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute, brings together a series of contributions aimed at disseminating the concept of megalithic heritage among cultural and historical heritage specialists. It provides a general overview of the basic themes involved in today's research of the megalithic phenomenon (section "ideas, theories, problems"), the main methodological innovations the field has experienced in recent years ("sciences, methods"), the public perceptions involved ("perceptions") as well as a series of major megalithic sites of southern Iberia ("sites, interventions, management")."

"As part of a research project looking at the use of resources in Chalcolithic settlements in the region surrounding the site of Valencina de la Concepción, in the lower Guadalquivir Basin (Seville province, SW Spain) a new site named La... more

"As part of a research project looking at the use of resources in Chalcolithic settlements in the region surrounding the site of Valencina de la Concepción, in the lower Guadalquivir Basin (Seville province, SW Spain) a new site named La Loma del Real Tesoro (henceforth LRT) is being investigated. It consists of two different sectors with LRT-I measuring 6ha and LRT-II 8ha. In 2015 and 2016 LRT-II was investigated by means of surface survey, geophysical survey, geomorphological core drilling and targeted archaeological excavation. This study has led to the discovery of a major complex including six ditched enclosures, four of which are arranged in concentric fashion. This paper presents the preliminary results of this fieldwork, providing a basic description of the site within the context of other known ditched enclosures and ditched sites along the Guadalquivir River Valley. The study of material culture and organic remains, still under way, shows an abundant presence of ceramics, lithics, green stones, faunal remains and some isolated human remains, suggesting a complex pattern of use for this settlement."

Anlässlich der Ausstellung "Krieg – eine archäologische Spurensuche" des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale) und des dazugehörigen Ausstellungkataloges (Theiss) behandelt dieser Beitrag die Entwicklung der vorgeschichtlichen... more

Anlässlich der Ausstellung "Krieg – eine archäologische Spurensuche" des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale) und des dazugehörigen Ausstellungkataloges (Theiss) behandelt dieser Beitrag die Entwicklung der vorgeschichtlichen Befestigungen in Europa und dem Vorderen Orient vom 6. bis ins 3. Jahrtausend v.Chr.

"Within the frame of research excavations conducted in Saxony-Anhalt in 2005, a circular ditched enclosure of the Final Neolithic and the earlier Early Bronze Age was discovered near Pömmelte-Zackmünde. In the course of the total... more

"Within the frame of research excavations conducted in Saxony-Anhalt in 2005, a circular ditched enclosure of the Final Neolithic and the earlier Early Bronze Age was discovered near Pömmelte-Zackmünde. In the course of the total excavation begun in 2006 the site proved to be, to date, unique for this period in central Europe. According to its structure and its dating the enclosure can be described as a henge monument with the function of a cult site. It possesses a complex construction of several concentric rings of posts, pits and the circular ditch with earthen wall. At severallocations evidence for multiple pha- ses could be established. The find situation encountered without doubt allows the con- clusion that ritual activities were carried out within the enclosure. In particular these become tangible in the deposition of vessels, stone axes, human skulls, and animal bones. That also fire played a certain role within the rituals, can till now only be indi- rectly conjectured on the basis of ash infillings and several fragments of burnt bone in the features. The intentional deposition of objects reflects a revival of the hoard practice again at the end of the 3rd millennium B.C., which experienced a climax during the advanced Early Bronze Age.
The finds recovered from Pömmelte-Zackmünde allow the henge monument to be dated approximately to between 2300-2000 B.C. and to distinguish influences of three great cultures of the Final Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age of central Europe. Propor- tionally the least represented appears to be the Corded Ware, whereas elements of the Bell Beaker culture are more common. The early Unetice culture also emerges clearly as a component in the spectrum of finds. The question arises, whether those responsible for the circular ditched enclosure are descended from three differentiated cultural identities or, forms of the Final Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker cultures represent traditio- nal elements during the formative phase of the Early Bronze Age Unetice culture.
During the second half of the 3rd millennium and the first half of the 2nd millennium B.C.circular ditched enclosures are common in different parts of Europe, like in central and south east Europe and the British Isles.
With regard to its dating and especially its construction, the site of Pömmelte-Zack- münde finds its closest equivalents in the British henge monuments, for which a long- term use is proven since the Late Neolithic until the end of the Early Bronze Age. Such cannot as yet be confirmed for the central European circular enclosures, although first indications of an earlier beginning of the »circular ditch phenomenon« exist. The conti- nuation and increase of the circular ditch idea during the later Bronze and early Iron Age can be more clearly followed on the basis of circular enclosures and in the funerary ritual."

Rock crystal appears relatively frequently in Late Prehistoric Iberian sites, especially in the form of micro-blades and knapping debris. With some exceptions, however, these finds have seldom been looked into in any detail, and therefore... more

Rock crystal appears relatively frequently in Late Prehistoric Iberian sites, especially in the form of micro-blades and knapping debris. With some exceptions, however, these finds have seldom been looked into in any detail, and therefore little is known about the technology involved in the use of this material, its social and economic relevance or its symbolic significance. In this paper we examine a collection of rock crystal artefacts recently found at Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain), one of the largest 3rd millennium BC sites in Western Europe. Among the objects included in this study are a long dagger blade, twenty-five arrowheads and a core, all of which form the most technically sophisticated and esthetically impressive collection of rock crystal material culture ever found in Prehistoric Iberia. Through the analysis of the procedures and techniques applied in the production of these objects , the chemical characterisation of the raw materials through Raman spectroscopy and RTI image processing and the careful assessment of the archaeological contexts in which they were found, this paper makes a robust contribution towards the study of the role of rock crystal in Copper Age technology and society. Recent research suggest that Valencina was a major node in the circulation of exotic materials such as ivory, amber, cinnabar or flint in Copper Age Iberia, which provides a very good background to assess the relevance of rock crystal as a traded commodity. In addition we discuss the role of rock crystal as a marker of status in large megalithic monuments, as well as its possible symbolic connotations.

This case study is part of a monograph concerning the neolithic enclosure of Champ-Durand (Vendée, France). Excavated during the 80's by Roger Joussaume, this site has been essential for western France archaeology. A multidisciplinary... more

This case study is part of a monograph concerning the neolithic enclosure of Champ-Durand (Vendée, France). Excavated during the 80's by Roger Joussaume, this site has been essential for western France archaeology. A multidisciplinary team recently studied all the material which remained unpublished until then, giving a complete image of the lifestyle in this region during the IVth millenium BC.
My contribution concerns ground stone tools. Besides typology, the important assemblage informs about technical and economical aspects of the settlement.

This review of prehistoric enclosures from southern Poland aims to show the impact of non-invasive prospection on the assessment of their role in the archaeological landscape. Two regions (Silesia and Lesser Poland), characterized by a... more

This review of prehistoric enclosures from southern Poland aims to show the impact of non-invasive prospection on the assessment of their role in the archaeological landscape. Two regions (Silesia and Lesser Poland), characterized by a long and intensive history of settlement reaching the oldest farming communities, were taken into account. Both areas have similar research histories and are also distinguished by the presence of heterogeneous environmental conditions, associated with the existence of a mosaic of ecological and habitational zones conducive to the development of agricultural economies to varying degrees.

This paper presents a general overview of the current state of the art of archaeological research at the Valencina de la Concepción Copper Age site. The main aim is to put the contributions presented in this volume within a general... more

This paper presents a general overview of the current state of the art of archaeological research at the Valencina de la Concepción Copper Age site. The main aim is to put the contributions presented in this volume within a general perspective, with special reference to ongoing debates and promising avenues of research. First, a review is made of the research history of this site, assessing the general conditions of the currently available empirical evidence. Second, a series of topics are discussed, including the spatial organisation of the settlement, its chronology, subsistence economy, metallurgy, exchange and social complexity.

Archaeologists around the world have shown that LiDAR has the potential to map a wide range of architectural features built by humans. The ability to map archaeological sites at a landscape scale provides researchers the possibility to... more

Archaeologists around the world have shown that LiDAR has the potential to map a wide range of architectural features built by humans. The ability to map archaeological sites at a landscape scale provides researchers the possibility to reconstruct and assess the ways humans organized, constructed, and interacted with their surroundings. However, LiDAR can be impacted by a variety of modern development and land use practices. In this article, we confront these issues by presenting the first examination of high-resolution LiDAR-derived imagery from Central Kentucky, part of the larger heartland for late-Early and Middle Woodland-era (ca. 300 bc–ad 500) Adena-Hopewell societies. Our investigations demonstrate that multiple issues can arise when analyzing LiDAR imagery for monumental earthen architecture in this region. We outline an integrated strategy to rediscover and confirm the presence of earthen architecture made by Adena-Hopewell societies that incorporates aerial photographs, multi-instrument geophysical surveys, and geoarchaeological methods into the examination of LiDAR imagery. This methodology will be applicable in other global contexts where archaeologists are seeking to rediscover ancient forms of earthen architecture within heavily disturbed or developed landscapes.

Abstract During the ancient Neolithic time, with the beginning of the horizon of Masseria La Quercia in the South and Stentinello facies between Calabria and Sicily, the already existing settlements commince to be increasingly structured... more

Abstract
During the ancient Neolithic time, with the beginning of the horizon of Masseria La Quercia in the South and Stentinello facies between Calabria and Sicily, the already existing settlements commince to be increasingly structured to conform as large villages enclosed by multiple ditches with more compaunds inside.
With the appearance of the horizon Serra d'Alto the data become more blurred, the population
decreases and then increases with the Diana horizon.
The transition between the Neolithic and the Eneolithic does not allow us to read perfectly how the
settlements change even if in Sicily, with the beginning of the Copper Age, we witness the
appearance of structured and extensive housing units.
Between the end of the ancient Eneolithic and the middle Eneolithic, something changed in the
social structure and the settlements seem to have a defensive character which they lose, in favor of
greater openings, with the Laterza facies.
After this quick review, the objective of this contribution is to offer an analysis on how the evolution and the
growing structure of the Neolithic villages is linked to the control and centrality of the commercial
lines and how the settlement structure changes with the changing economic structure.
The ditches and compaunds would be structures born from the centrality of this economic structure
and then lose their function when the economy changes.
This figure is not found only in southern Italy, but in a large part of the Mediterranean basin.
The same can be seen in the housing structures which from durable and permanent constructions are transformed into light structures and no longer fixed in a given territory; ethnographic parallels with some African tribes have been as useful link.

The investigations at Craven Arms B exposed the north-western corner and a length of the northern ditches for a square enclosure, associated with external activity which spanned approximately 200 years. A double-ditched enclosure,... more

The investigations at Craven Arms B exposed the north-western corner and a length of the northern ditches for a square enclosure, associated with external activity which spanned approximately 200 years. A double-ditched enclosure, external oven and V-shaped ditch for a timber stockade are interpreted as representing the first phase of activity, dating to late prehistoric times. During the 1st century AD the outer enclosure ditch was recut, and subsequent activity during the 1st – 2nd centuries was evidenced by infill of the enclosure ditch, two corn-drying ovens, two possible timber structures, a ditch and a pit. The alignment and regularity of these features indicate a planned element to the site. Activity continued in the 2nd – 3rd centuries with a remodelling of the outer enclosure ditch, gullies indicating a fence line (possibly a parallel enclosure) and compacted surfaces around the entrance, other ditch features and decommissioning of the ovens and structures. The site appears to have been abandoned in the 3rd century, with evidence for possible flooding interspersed with archaeological features across much of the site. Post-medieval activity consisted of two different types of land drain, indicating that water management on the site has been a recurring theme over the centuries.
Artefactual evidence consisted of pottery including prehistoric sherds, samian, amphorae, Severn Valley Ware, Malvern Ware, and Black Burnished Ware. Dating from this pottery assemblage suggests activity can be attributed to a period from 1st – 3rd centuries AD, whilst scientific dating from C14 and OSL have provided dates from the 1st century BC – 3rd century AD and that the natural silt and gravel superficial geology was deposited between 5017 – 3275 BC. Bayesian modelling based on these dates and the stratigraphic sequence has modelled a probable period of 115 years for activity at the site, which started during the period cal AD 35–120 (68% probability) and ended during the period cal AD 90–165. Palaeoenvironmental analysis has identified charred cereal grains of barley and wheat (although no processing on site), as well as plant species that favoured wetland margin environments and meadowland, and timber and brushwood resources, which might have been used as fuel.