| Summary : The site of a Neolithic ovoid causewayed enclosure on Bury Hill. The enclosure lies close to the summit of the hill, overlooking the valley of the Arun to the east. The earliest known air photographs, taken in 1946, appear to show parts of the southern side of the enclosure surviving as a slight earthwork. The enclosure has since been ploughed flat. Excavations in 1979 showed the ditch to be continuous, with just a single entrance on the western side. Prior to excavation, the enclosure had been regarded as Iron Age; however, Neolithic artefacts including potsherds, flints and bone, were found in the primary ditch silts. This material generally occurred in localized concentrations on or just above the bottom of the ditch. The largest quantities came from the ditch terminals. The bone was generally animal, although six fragments of human bone were found in a small trench on the eastern side, opposite the entrance. The upper ditch silts contained fewer finds, but included some Iron Age pottery. At the centre of the enclosed area, a rectangular arrangement of postholes, probably representing a recent sheepfold, were the only interior. The cropmarks of the enclosure were transcribed and interpreted by RCHME in 1995 as part of the Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic Project. The cropmarks represent a bank with external ditch. A dark cropmark inside the bank may either relate to a second, inner, ditch or to a build up of material behind the bank. The enclosure circuit is continuous with the exception of the single entrance. The enclosed area measures circa 110 metres by 110 metres (roughly 1 hectare). Recent research into the dating of causewayed enclosures suggests that the Bury Hill enclosure was built probably in 3715-3660 cal BC. The absence of suitable samples from later levels means that it is not possible to calculate the period over which the enclosure was used. Their absence, however, indicates a short period of use followed by abandonment. |
More information : On top of Bury Hill are the ploughed remains of a sub-oval earthwork some 103.0m in dia centred at TQ00231203. From the Aerofilm AP a flanked entrance is visible on the NE side rather like that of a "banjo-enclosure". (1-3)
The area is now under winter cabbage and no signs of the earthwork were visible. It would seem that ploughing has now destroyed it. (4)
Enclosure visible on BKS air-photos. Entrance on NW side and no sign of a flanked entrance on the NE. Traces of bank and ditch, about 10m wide overall, seen during summer. (5-7)
Excavation took place in 1979, annual ploughing having levelled the bank and filled up what remained of the ditch. The enclosing bank and ditch proved to be continuous except for a single entrance to the north west. No internal features were identified. Pottery and flint indicates a Neolithic date for the construction and initial use of the enclosure, as do a pair of C14 dates centred on 2620 bc and 2730 bc. A quantity of early Iron Age sherds were discovered in the upper ditch silts. (8)
Additional discussion of Neolithic and Iron Age use of the site. (9-10)
The enclosure comprises of a ditch with an inner bank, a dark crop mark inside the bank may relate to a second inner ditch. The enclosure circuit is continuous, other than a simple terminal-defined entrance in the north west. The area enclosed is 110x110 metres in size (approximately 1 hectare in area). The site was plotted at 1:2500 scale by the RCHME Air Photography Unit in April 1995. This photogrammetric survey formed part of the Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic project (Event UID 966377 Parent Event UID 923509). (11)
Radiocarbon dates from Bury Hill. (12)
Recent research into the dating of causewayed enclosures suggests that the Bury Hill enclosure was built probably in 3715-3660 cal BC. The absence of suitable samples from later levels means that it is not possible to calculate the period over which the enclosure was used. Their absence, however, indicates a short period of use followed by abandonment. (13)
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