Windmill Hill is a Neolithiccausewayed enclosure in the English county of Wiltshire, part of the Avebury World Heritage Site, about 1 mile (2 km) northwest of Avebury. Enclosing an area of 21 acres (8.5 ha), it is the largest known causewayed enclosure in Britain.[1] The site was first occupied around 3800 BC, although the only evidence is a series of pits apparently dug by an agrarian society using Hembury pottery.[citation needed]
During a later phase, c. 3700 BC,[2] three concentric segmented ditches were placed around the hilltop site, the outermost with a diameter of 365 metres.[citation needed] The causeways interrupting the ditches vary in width from a few centimetres to 7 m. Material from the ditches was piled up to create internal banks; the deepest ditches and largest banks are on the outer circuit. In the same period there was also a rectangular mortuary enclosure.[3]
The site was designated as a scheduled monument in 1925.[3] It came into the ownership of the National Trust in 1942[4] and is under the guardianship of English Heritage.[5]
Archaeological investigationsedit
The site was bought by Alexander Keiller in 1924 and excavated over several seasons from 1925 to 1929 by Keiller and Harold St George Gray, whose work established it as the type site for causewayed camps, as they were then called. There were further excavations in 1957–1958.[4]
Pottery from the bottom of the ditches was the type style for the Windmill Hill culture. Later occupation layers contained early Peterborough ware, then the later Mortlake and Fengate varieties. Large quantities of bone, both human and animal, were also recovered from the ditch fill. The camp remained in use throughout the rest of the Neolithic with Grooved ware and Beaker potsherds having been found in later deposits. A Bronze Age bell barrow was later built between the inner and middle rings.
^"History of Windmill Hill". English Heritage. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^Historic England. "Windmill Hill Causewayed Enclosure (19191)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
^ abHistoric England. "A causewayed enclosure, the core of a round barrow cemetery, part of a prehistoric field system and an associated mortuary enclosure on Windmill Hill (1008446)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^"Windmill Hill, Avebury". English Heritage. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
Further readingedit
Murray, Lynda M., 1999, A Zest for Life: the story of Alexander Keiller
Vatcher, Faith de M & Vatcher, Lance, 1976, The Avebury Monuments – Department of the Environment, HMSO
Dames, Michael, 1977, The Avebury Cycle Thames & Hudson Ltd, London
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Windmill Hill, Avebury.
January 01, 1970
windmill, hill, avebury, windmill, hill, neolithic, causewayed, enclosure, english, county, wiltshire, part, avebury, world, heritage, site, about, mile, northwest, avebury, enclosing, area, acres, largest, known, causewayed, enclosure, britain, site, first, o. Windmill Hill is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure in the English county of Wiltshire part of the Avebury World Heritage Site about 1 mile 2 km northwest of Avebury Enclosing an area of 21 acres 8 5 ha it is the largest known causewayed enclosure in Britain 1 The site was first occupied around 3800 BC although the only evidence is a series of pits apparently dug by an agrarian society using Hembury pottery citation needed Windmill Hill AveburyUNESCO World Heritage SiteLocationWiltshire United KingdomPart ofAvebury Section of Stonehenge Avebury and Associated SitesCriteriaCultural i ii iii Reference373bis 002Inscription1986 10th Session Extensions2008Coordinates51 26 30 N 1 52 34 W 51 44153 N 1 87622 W 51 44153 1 87622Location of Windmill Hill Avebury in Wiltshire During a later phase c 3700 BC 2 three concentric segmented ditches were placed around the hilltop site the outermost with a diameter of 365 metres citation needed The causeways interrupting the ditches vary in width from a few centimetres to 7 m Material from the ditches was piled up to create internal banks the deepest ditches and largest banks are on the outer circuit In the same period there was also a rectangular mortuary enclosure 3 The site was designated as a scheduled monument in 1925 3 It came into the ownership of the National Trust in 1942 4 and is under the guardianship of English Heritage 5 Archaeological investigations editThe site was bought by Alexander Keiller in 1924 and excavated over several seasons from 1925 to 1929 by Keiller and Harold St George Gray whose work established it as the type site for causewayed camps as they were then called There were further excavations in 1957 1958 4 Pottery from the bottom of the ditches was the type style for the Windmill Hill culture Later occupation layers contained early Peterborough ware then the later Mortlake and Fengate varieties Large quantities of bone both human and animal were also recovered from the ditch fill The camp remained in use throughout the rest of the Neolithic with Grooved ware and Beaker potsherds having been found in later deposits A Bronze Age bell barrow was later built between the inner and middle rings Michael Dames has proposed a composite theory of seasonal rituals in an attempt to explain Windmill Hill and its associated sites West Kennet Long Barrow the Avebury henge The Sanctuary and Silbury Hill References edit History of Windmill Hill English Heritage Retrieved 20 February 2021 Historic England Windmill Hill Causewayed Enclosure 19191 Research records formerly PastScape Retrieved 29 July 2021 a b Historic England A causewayed enclosure the core of a round barrow cemetery part of a prehistoric field system and an associated mortuary enclosure on Windmill Hill 1008446 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 20 February 2021 a b Smith Isobel 1959 Excavations at Windmill Hill Avebury Wilts 1957 8 Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine 57 149 162 via Biodiversity Heritage Library Windmill Hill Avebury English Heritage Retrieved 20 February 2021 Further reading editMurray Lynda M 1999 A Zest for Life the story of Alexander Keiller Vatcher Faith de M amp Vatcher Lance 1976 The Avebury Monuments Department of the Environment HMSO Dames Michael 1977 The Avebury Cycle Thames amp Hudson Ltd London nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Windmill Hill Avebury Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Windmill Hill Avebury amp oldid 1177518715, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
