| Summary : Neolithic cursus comprising a rectangular enclosure, orientated west-south-west to east-north east, and 400 metres in length and 60 metres wide. The eastern end is open. Air photographs show that it was visible as an earthwork in 1934 but had been levelled by 1954. It appears to have been defined by a ditch with internal bank. A bank and ditch cross the cursus circa 200 metres from the western end. Excavations in 1983 appeared to confirm two phases of construction. The first phase seems to be a smaller cursus, its eastern end defined by the cross ditch and bank, circa 200 metres by 60 metres. The second phase sees the extension eastwards, with enlargement of ditches and banks (including the cross ditch). The eastern end of this extended cursus appears to have been left open deliberately. Artefacts from primary contexts were few, although a formal deposit of antlers, including picks, was found in the phase 2 southern ditch just to the east of the cross ditch. Radiocarbon dates of 3630-2920 BC and 3640-3040 BC were obtianed for the phase 1 and phase 2 ditches respectively. Backfilling of the phase 2 ditches appears to have been deliberate and fairly soon after the original excavation. Finds from upper fills including Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, Beaker, Deverel-Rimbury and Late Bronze Age potsherds, animal bones, and flints including scrapers, flakes and cores. The distribution of finds suggests a focus of Bronze Age activity was situated immediately beyond the eastern end of the cursus. |
More information : I(SU 10354343 - SU 10724353) Cursus (AT). (1)
The "Lesser Cursus", an oblong enclosure 1350ft long and
between 155 and 190ft wide; open at the east end. ? Neolithic. (2)
The "Lesser Cursus" lies on arable land, and is exposed to heavy
ploughing. A scarp of 0.1 metre remains. Published 1:2500 survey
correct. (3)
(SU 10354345 - SU 10734352) The Lesser Cursus is situated along the summit of a flat-topped ridge. It is aligned WSW-ENE and is 400m long and 60m wide, and comprised of a bank with an external ditch. Air photographs show it was visible as an earthwork in 1934 but by 1954 it had been levelled. The absence of the ditch at the eastern end has given rise to the suggestion that the cursus was unfinished. The presence of a bank and ditch crossing the cursus 200m from the western end and the constriction of the north and south side has lead to the interpretation that construction took place in two stages; the first a short cursus extending east as far as the cross bank, the second an unfinished extension continuing to the east, however, the position of the ditch on the west side of the cross bank casts doubt on this. (4)
Three areas of the cursus were excavated as part of the Stonehenge Environs Project (W55), two phases of construction were identified and were indistinguishable on the basis of radio-carbon dates obtained. Evidence for Phase I is provided by two short lengths of ditch representing either a marker ditch, or part of a trapezoidal enclosure with a small ditch and interior bank, 200m by 60m.
Phase 2. The enclosure was enlarged removing most of the phase 1 ditches, the position of the internal bank is maintained and enhanced with the exception of the newly enlarged cross ditch, the bank of which is now on the east side. The monument was extended eastwards by parallel ditches with internal banks, the eastern end appears to have been deliberately left open. A ceremonial deposit of antlers was recorded in the southern flanking ditch.
All of the phase 2 ditches except the cross ditch, appear to have been deliberately back-filled almost immediately after the original excavation.
The excavations produced Later Neolithic - Later Bronze Age pottery, animal bone including worked bone, and worked flint. Most of the flint assemblage was recovered from the ploughsoil or from the upper colluvial ditch fills, its composition and spatial distribution shows that a focus of Bronze Age activity was situated immediately beyond the eastern end of the cursus. (5)
The Lesser Cursus is visible as a very slight earthwork, and later as a cropmark, on aerial photographs, and has been mapped by both RCHME's Salisbury Plain Training Area NMP and EH's Stonehenge WHS Mapping Project. (8-12) |