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Hot Stone Technology at Bucklers Park, Crowthorne, Berkshire: The Use and Re-use of a Persistent Place During the Bronze and Iron Ages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2021

Helen Chittock
Affiliation:
AOC Archaeology Group, Unit 7, St Margaret’s Business Park, Moor Mead Road, Twickenham, London TW1 1JS. Email: [email protected]
Robert Masefield
Affiliation:
RPS Consulting UK & Ireland, 20 Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4AB. Email: [email protected]
Enid Allison
Affiliation:
Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 92a Broad Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2LU. Email: [email protected]
Anne Crone
Affiliation:
AOC Archaeology Group, Edgefield Road Industrial Estate, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland, EH20 9SY. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Derek Hamilton
Affiliation:
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF. Email: [email protected]
Suzi Richer
Affiliation:
Richer Environmental, Ragtag Arts, Unit 16, Mealbank Industrial Estate, Mealbank, Kendal, LA8 9DL. Email: [email protected]
Jackaline Robertson
Affiliation:
AOC Archaeology Group, Edgefield Road Industrial Estate, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland, EH20 9SY. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Alex Wood
Affiliation:
AOC Archaeology Group, Edgefield Road Industrial Estate, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland, EH20 9SY. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract

Archaeological investigations at Bucklers Park in Crowthorne have revealed a window onto a significant later prehistoric place, which was used and revisited over 1700 years between the Early Bronze Age and later Iron Age (c. 1800–100 bc). Activity on site was based around the heating of water using fire-heated flint, producing three mounds of fire-cracked flint and burnt organic material. These ‘burnt mounds’ are known across later prehistoric Britain and Ireland, but the ways they may have been formed are uncertain, and they are arguably under-discussed in southern Britain. Whilst water was initially drawn from a stream, a series of wells were established at the site between the Middle Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, one of which contained a well-preserved log ladder. These wells were revisited and recut over long periods of time and during the Middle Iron Age the site’s function shifted dramatically when a roundhouse was constructed. The long-term use of the site, its excellent organic preservation, dating, and its location in a remote area on the Bagshot Heath, make it significant. This paper summarises the findings from the excavations, discussing the formation of the site in the context of wider research on later prehistoric burnt mounds.

Résumé

RÉSUMÉ

Technologie des pierres chaudes au parc de Bucklers, Crowthorne, Berkshire: utilisation et réutilisation d’un endroit persistant pendant des Âges du Bronze et du Fer, de Helen Chittock, Robert Masefield, Enid Allison, Anne Crone, Derek Hamilton, Suzi Richer, Jackaline Robertson et Alex Wood

Des investigations archéologiques au parc de Bucklers à Crowthorne ont révélé une fenêtre sur un lieu important de la préhistoire tardive qui fut utilisé et revisité sur 1700 ans entre le débût de l’Âge du bronze et la fin de l’Âge du Fer (env. 1800–100Av.J-C). L’activité sur le site se concentrait sur le chauffage de l’eau en utilisant des silex chauffés au feu, ce qui a produit trois tas de silex craqués par le feu et des matières organiques. Ces tertres sont connus à travers la préhistoire tardive en Grande Bretagne et en Irlande, mais les façons dont ils ont pu se former sont incertaines et ils sont sans conteste insuffisamment discutés en Grande Bretagne du sud. Tandis que l’eau était au début puisée dans un cours d’eau, une série de puits furent établis sur le site entre le milieu de l’Âge du Bronze et le début de l’Âge du Fer, un d’entre eux contenait une échelle en rondin bien préservée. Ces puits furent revisités et retaillés au cours de longues périodes de temps et pendant l’Âge du Fer moyen. La fonction du site a radicalement changé quand fut construite une maison ronde. La longévité de l’utilisation du site, son excellente préservation organique, sa datation et sa situation dans un coin reculé de la lande de Bagshot le rendent remarquable. Cet article résume les trouvailles des excavations discutant la formation du site dans le context de plus amples recherches sur les tertres brûlés de la préhistoire tardive.

Zusammenfassung

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG

Technologie mit heißen Steinen in Bucklers Park, Crowthorne, Berkshire: Die Nutzung und Wiedernutzung eines persistenten Ortes in der Bronze- und Eisenzeit, von Helen Chittock, Robert Masefield, Enid Allison, Anne Crone, Derek Hamilton, Suzi Richer, Jackaline Robertson und Alex Wood

Archäologische Untersuchungen in Bucklers Park in Crowthorne haben ein Fenster zu einem bedeutenden Ort der jüngeren Vorgeschichte geöffnet, der über 1700 Jahre zwischen der frühen Bronzezeit und der späteren Eisenzeit (ca. 1800–100 v. Chr.) genutzt und immer wieder aufgesucht wurde. Die Aktivitäten an diesem Ort konzentrierten sich auf das Erhitzen von Wasser mit Hilfe von feuererhitztem Feuerstein, wodurch drei Hügel aus durch Feuer gebrochenem Feuerstein und verbranntem organischem Material entstanden. Diese „Brandhügel“ sind im gesamten jüngerprähistorischen Großbritannien und Irland bekannt, aber die Art und Weise, wie sie entstanden sind, ist ungewiss, und sie sind in Südbritannien wohl zu wenig erforscht. Während das Wasser anfangs aus einem Bach geschöpft wurde, wurden zwischen der Mittleren Bronzezeit und der Frühen Eisenzeit eine Reihe von Brunnen an diesem Ort errichtet, von denen einer eine gut erhaltene Holzleiter enthielt. Diese Brunnen wurden über lange Zeiträume immer wieder aufgesucht und neu gegraben, und während der Mittleren Eisenzeit änderte sich die Funktion des Ortes deutlich, als ein Rundhaus errichtet wurde. Die langfristige Nutzung der Stätte, ihre hervorragende organische Erhaltung, die Datierung und ihre Lage in einem abgelegenen Gebiet in der Bagshot Heath machen sie bedeutsam. Dieser Aufsatz fasst die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen zusammen und diskutiert die Entstehung der Stätte im Kontext der breiteren Forschung über Brandhügel der jüngeren Vorgeschichte.

Resumen

RESUMEN

Tecnología “de las piedras calientes” en Bucklers Park, Crowthorne, Berkshire: uso y re-uso de un mismo lugar durante la Edad del Bronce y del Hierro, por Helen Chittock, Robert Masefield, Enid Allison, Anne Crone, Derek Hamilton, Suzi Richer, Jackaline Robertson y Alex Wood

Las investigaciones arqueológicas en Bucklers Park en Crowthorne han abierto una ventana a un importante yacimiento de la Prehistoria tardía, el cual fue utilizado y revisitado durante 1700 años entre el Bronce inicial y el final de la Edad del Hierro (c. 1800–100 BC). La actividad en el yacimiento estuvo centrada en el calentamiento del agua, utilizando pedernal calentado al fuego, produciendo tres montículos de sílex craquelado y material orgánico quemado. Estos “montículos quemados” se documentan a lo largo de toda la Prehistoria tardía en Gran Bretaña e Irlanda, pero los mecanismos por los cuales pudieron haberse formado son inciertos, y se encuentran también bajo discusión en el sur de Gran Bretaña. Si bien el agua se extraía inicialmente de un arroyo, se establecieron una serie de pozos en el sitio entre el Bronce Medio y la Primera Edad del Hierro, uno de los cuales contenía una escalera de troncos bien conservada. Estos pozos fueron revisados y recortados durante largos períodos de tiempo y a la mitad de la Edad del Hierro la funcionalidad del sitio se modifica dramáticamente cuando se construye un edificio circular. El uso a largo plazo del sitio, la excelente preservación del material arqueológico, la cronología, y su localización en un área remota de Bagshot Heath, lo hacen especialmente significativo. En este artículo se resumen los hallazgos de las excavaciones, discutiendo los procesos de formación del sitio en el contexto de una investigación más amplia centrada en este tipo de montículos adscritos al final de la Prehistoria.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Prehistoric Society

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