A Late Neolithic Palisaded Enclosure at Marne Barracks,Catterick, North Yorkshire

摘要

An open-area excavation conducted in advance of development at Marne Barracks, Catterick, in 2004identified a relatively rare Late Neolithic 'palisaded' enclosure and other features. Approximately 55% of theenclosure was exposed. It consisted of two concentric sub-circular palisades with diameters up to 175 m and200 m respectively. Each palisade consisted of a double circuit of posts, with the posts being c. 1 m apart fromcentre to centre. Many of the posts on the western side of the monument had been sufficiently carbonised forthe remains of individual posts to be identifiable. Twenty-one radiocarbon ages were determined and Bayesianmodelling has produced a date estimate of 2530-2310 cal BC for the start of construction of the monument.This date matches well with new dates for the construction of Silbury Hill, the appearance of Beaker potteryin graves, the Amesbury Archer, and the timber circles at Durrington Walls, for example.