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CRICKLEY HILL

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Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity at Crickley Hill. Excavations between 1969 and 1993 uncovered evidence of considerable activity, but so far, this evidence for early prehistoric use of the site has been published only in interim form. The earliest Neolithic activity is represented by some pits, post-holes and stake-holes, including a series of pits arranged in an elongated oval. Some of the post-hole arrangements are suggested to represent hut sites, although the largest measures only 3 metres by 2 metres. Next came a causewayed enclosure comprising two widely-spaced circuits of interrupted ditches, each with an internal bank. Several phases of enclosure use have been identified. Burning and backfilling of some ditch segments appears to have been associated with the deliberate deposition of pottery, flints and animal bones. The final enclosure phase also featured a palisade, and seems to have been ended by an attack, marked by the presence of hundreds of flint leaf-shaped arrowheads around the entrance passageways. The enclosure interior featured numerous pits, postholes, gullies, stakeholes and a knapping floor, though few features could be clearly linked to the phases discerned in the enclosure sequence. A number of rectangular structures have been assigned to the final phases of enclosure use. Also dating to this later Neolithic phase was a sub-rectangular stone platform, approached by a fenced track. At the edge of the platform was a small rectangular timber and stone building. These structures have been interpreted as a shrine associated with the settlement. It appears to have been burnt down, eventually being replaced by a cairn and, later, a stone circle. Finally, the cairn was covered by a 100 metre long mound, associated with deposits of animal bones. The mound and associated structures are suggested to have continued as a focus for ritual activity into the Bronze Age, although it has been suggested that the mound is in fact a pillow mound.

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(SO 92651610 NGR located from authority 1 and OS 1:10000 1977)

Neolithic and Early Bronze Age occupation was first located on Crickley Hill during the excavations of 1971, and included a causewayed enclosure, a possible shrine and long mound (Phase 1). Evidence of pre-enclosure occupation was identified (Phase 1a) beneath the outer ditch of the enclosure. A series of sterile pits c. 2m wide, arranged in an elongated oval, defining an area 10m x 4m which had been capped by a small mound were recorded. No traces of a burial were noted. On the other side of the enclosure three oval huts, c. 3m x 2m, were located, no associated hearths or artefacts were excavated. Dixon has interpreted these as temporary shelters for hunting or herding.

The causewayed enclosure comprised of two rings of interrupted ditches, each with a bank on its inner side. Three entrances were located within the inner circuit, five within the outer circuit. The initial occupation of the enclosure (Phase 1b) appears to comprise of just the outer ditch circuit. It is not certain how long the enclosure remained bivallate, but both ditch circuits demonstrate periods of abandonment. A subsequent, univallate enclosure was constructed (Phase 1d) parallel to the inner ditch of the earlier enclosure. This enclosure enclosed a larger area and had three entrances. Both enclosures contained rectangular buildings, had fenced roads on similiar alignments, comparable gate arrangements, and identical bank and fence layouts. The interiors also indicate a dense occupation with pits, gullies, a knapping floor, stake holes and post holes. Dixon suggests that the evidence for fire and attack (over 400 flint arrowheads were found within the eastern entrance passageway, spreading out along roadways into the interior) points to a violent end for the final phase of occupation. (1-3)

An excavation report on the Neolithic occupation of Crickley Hill will be published as volumes 3 and 4 in a series summarizing the 1969-1993 excavations. (4)

Situated within a natural gully to the south of the Neolithic enclosure was a stone platform, with a timber and stone building located at the extreme western edge of the platform. This has been interpreted as a possible shrine, late Neolithic/early Bronze Age in date by Dixon. It was destroyed by fire at the same time as the final Neolithic enclosure and replaced by a stone cairn, later truncated by a small stone circle which incorporated stone from the shrine. The cairn was composed of a mound of topsoil and turf, c. 100m in length, the sides marked out by large stone slabs, some sealing butchered animal bone. The extreme eastern end of the mound was marked by a large post. The date of the the cairn and long mound is uncertain but appears to predate the construction of the hillfort. (1)(5)

An alternative interpretation of the long mound is a pillow mound. This has been suggested by Tom Williamson and Roy Loveday (6).

The excavation report of the long mound and associated features will be published as volume 5 in a series summarizing the 1969-1993 excavations.

The site was included in RCHME's national project to record Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic; a number of site visits were carried out but no detailed survey was undertaken, given the intensive fieldwork already carried out on the site. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) edited by Colin Burgess, Peter Topping, Claude Mordant, Margaret Maddison 1988 Enclosures and defences in the Neolithic of western Europe

BAR international series Dixon, P. The Neolithic Settlements on Crickley Hill. Page(s)75-87

(2) Scientific American

Dixon, P. A Neolithic and Iron Age Site on a Hilltop in Southern England. Nov. 1979 Page(s)143-9

(3) General reference

Savile, A. 1984. Archaeology in Gloucestershire

(4) by Philip Dixon 1994 Crickley Hill, volume 1 : the hillfort defences

(5) General reference

Savage, R. 1988. Village, Fortress, Shrine: Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire, 3500 BC- AD500. (Gloucester: Crickley Hill Archaeol Trust).

(6) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

Williamson, T and R Loveday. Rabbits or ritual? Artificial warrens and the Neolithic long mound tradition. 45, 1988 Page(s)290-313

(7) General reference

RCHME: Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic

(8) by Philip Dixon and Patricia Borne 1977 Crickley Hill and Gloucestershire prehistory

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CRICKLEY HILL
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Crickley Hill is a multiperiod site with occupation ranging from the early Neolithic until the fifth century AD. Features include a Neolithic causeway...

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Late Bronze Age - Early Iron Age promontory hillfort, with two phases of construction, and a later Iron Age unenclosed settlement.

CRICKLEY HILL
COBERLEY

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Late Roman or sub Roman settlements on Crickley Hill

CRICKLEY HILL CAUSEWAYED ENCLOSURE
COBERLEY

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The site of an Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure at Crickley Hill, Coberley. The enclosure is in excellent condition, having never been ploughed, a...

MONUMENT TYPES

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NEOLITHIC CAUSEWAYED ENCLOSURE -4000 to -2200

NEOLITHIC HOUSE -4000 to -2200

NEOLITHIC HUT -4000 to -2200

NEOLITHIC PALISADE -4000 to -2200

NEOLITHIC PIT -4000 to -2200

NEOLITHIC POST HOLE -4000 to -2200

EARLY NEOLITHIC HUT -4000 to -3300

EARLY NEOLITHIC PIT -4000 to -3300

EARLY NEOLITHIC POST HOLE -4000 to -3300

LATE NEOLITHIC BUILDING -2900 to -2200

LATE NEOLITHIC CAIRN -2900 to -2200

LATE NEOLITHIC LONG MOUND -2900 to -2200

LATE NEOLITHIC PLATFORM -2900 to -2200

LATE NEOLITHIC STONE CIRCLE -2900 to -2200

EARLY BRONZE AGE BUILDING -2600 to -1600

EARLY BRONZE AGE CAIRN -2600 to -1600

EARLY BRONZE AGE LONG MOUND -2600 to -1600

EARLY BRONZE AGE PLATFORM -2600 to -1600

EARLY BRONZE AGE STONE CIRCLE -2600 to -1600

MEDIEVAL PILLOW MOUND 1066 to 1540

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