Tempo of a mega-henge: a new chronology for Mount Pleasant, Dorchester, Dorset

Greaney, Susan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3185-1313, Hazell, Zoe, Barclay, Alistair, Bronk Ramsey, Christopher, Dunbar, Elaine, Hajdas, Irka, Reimer, Paula, Pollard, Joshua, Sharples, Niall ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8736-2554 and Marshall, Peter 2020. Tempo of a mega-henge: a new chronology for Mount Pleasant, Dorchester, Dorset. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 86 , pp. 199-236. 10.1017/ppr.2020.6

Preview

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian chronological modelling has provided precise new dating for the henge monument of Mount Pleasant in Dorset, excavated in 1970–1. A total of 59 radiocarbon dates are now available for the site and modelling of these has provided a revised sequence for the henge enclosure and its various constituent parts: the timber palisaded enclosure, the Conquer Barrow and the ditch surrounding Site IV, a concentric timber and stone monument. This suggests that the henge was probably built in the 26th century cal BC, shortly followed by the timber palisade and Site IV ditch. These major construction events took place in the late Neolithic over a relatively short timespan, probably lasting 35–125 years. The principal results are discussed for each element of the site, including comparison with similar monument types elsewhere in Britain and Ireland, and wider implications for late Neolithic connections and later activity at the site associated with Beaker pottery are explored.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
ISSN:	2050-2729
Funders:	Arts and Humanities Research Council (SWW DTP), Historic England
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 September 2020
Date of Acceptance:	15 August 2020
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 22:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/134582

Citation Data

Cited 5 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item