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The Excavation of Duddo Stone Circle, Northumberland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Benjamin Edwards ,
Roger Miket  and
Rosie Bishop
Benjamin Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of History & Politics, Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building, Oxford Rd, Manchester M15 6LL
Roger Miket
Affiliation:
The Miller's House, Yearle Mill, Wooler, Northumberland, NE71 6RA
Rosie Bishop
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE
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Abstract

This paper reports on the 2008 excavations at Duddo Stone Circle, Northumberland; the first excavation of a stone circle in the north-east of England under modern conditions. The project was successful in radiocarbon dating archaeobotanical material that suggests a date for construction at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age, and cremated human bone that dates its potential re-use for burial to around 1700 cal bc. This report provides a stratigraphic account of the results of the excavation and specialist reports on the archaeobotanical remains, the radiocarbon dates, and the finds recovered. The discussion considers Duddo in the context of other stone circles in the North-East and Borders, and more generally across the United Kingdom, concluding that heterogeneity is a regional trait in north-eastern England and southern Scotland, much as architectural or landscape affinities link similar monuments in other regions.

Résumé

Ce rapport rend compte des fouilles de 2008 au cercle de pierres de Duddo, Northumberland; la première excavation d'un cercle de pierres dans le nord-est de l'Angleterre dans des conditions modernes. Le programme a réussi à dater au C14 du matériel archéobotanique qui indique une date de construction du début de l'âge du bronze ancien, et des os humains incinérés qui datent sa possible réutilisation pour des inhumations d'environ 1700 av. J.-C. cal. Ce rapport fournit un état stratigraphique des résultats des fouilles et des comptes-rendus spécialisés des vestiges archéobotaniques, des datations au C14 et des trouvailles récupérées. La discussion considère Duddo dans le contexte des autres cercles de pierres du nord-est et de la zone frontière avec l'Ecosse, et plus généralement de tout le Royaume-Uni, concluant que l'hétérogénéité est un trait régional du nord-est de l'Angleterre et du sud de l'Ecosse, tout comme des affinités en matière d'architecture ou de paysage relient des monuments similaires dans d'autres régions.On a aussi évalué le contexte contemporain de Duddo, en tant que site de pratiques dépositionnelles modernes, en se concentrant sur comment elles diffèrent de l'utilisation préhistorique du monument.

Zussamenfassung

Dieser Artikel berichtet von der Grabungskampagne von 2008 am Steinkreis von Duddo, Northumberland; dies war die erste Ausgrabung eines Steinkreises in Nordwestengland unter modernen Bedingungen. Das Projekt konnte erfolgreich archäobotanisches Material C14-datieren; diese Daten legen nahe, dass das Monument am Beginn der Frühbronzezeit errichtet wurde. Auch Leichenbrände wurden datiert, die zeigen, dass der Platz offenbar um 1700 cal. bc für Bestattungen wiederbenutzt wurde. Dieser Bericht präsentiert die Ergebnisse zur Stratigraphie des Fundplatzes sowie die Beiträge zur Archäobotanik, zu den Radiokarbondaten und zu den Funden. Schließlich wird Duddo im Kontext weiterer Steinkreise in den Regionen The Borders und Nordostengland und darüber hinaus diskutiert; wir kommen zu dem Schluss, dass Heterogenität ein spezifisches regionales Merkmal im Nordosten Englands und Süden Schottlands ist, wie auch Ähnlichkeiten in Architektur oder Landschaft gleichartige Monumente in anderen Landschaften miteinander verbinden. Der gegenwärtige Kontext von Duddo als Ort moderner Deponierungspraktiken wird ebenfalls besprochen, wobei die Frage im Vordergrund steht, wie diese von der prähistorischen Nutzung des Monuments abweicht.

Resumen

Este trabajo informa sobre las excavaciones realizadas en el 2008 en el Círculo de Piedra de Duddo, Northumberland; la primera excavación de un círculo de piedra en el noreste de Inglaterra llevada a cabo bajo condiciones modernas. El proyecto consiguió datar al carbono-14 material arqueobotánico que sugiere una fecha a principios de la Primera Edad del Bronce para la construcción del círculo, así como restos óseos humanos incinerados que sitúan un posible re-uso del yacimiento para enterramientos hacia el 1700 cal a.C. Este trabajo incluye un informe estratigráfico de los resultados de la excavación, así como informes especializados sobre los restos arqueobotánicos, las dataciones radiocarbónicas, y el material recuperado. En la discusión se sitúa Duddo en el contexto de otros círculos de piedra en el noreste y la región fronteriza de Escocia, y de modo más general a lo ancho del Reino Unido, y se concluye que la heterogeneidad es una característica local del noreste de Inglaterra y el Sur de Escocia, de modo muy similar a como las afinidades de arquitectura o paisaje vinculan a monumentos similares en otras regiones. También se hace referencia al contexto contemporáneo de Duddo como un sitio para prácticas de deposición modernas, enfocándolas desde la perspectiva de las diferencias con el uso prehistórico del monumento.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 77 , 2011 , pp. 321 - 353
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2011

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