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Pit alignments

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31:, being morphologically well suited to identification by this method. Some alignments run for large distances, in straight or curving lines, and clearly represent massive undertakings by large numbers of people or by smaller numbers over long periods of time. Some examples appear to have been left open for some time rather than being immediately backfilled and do not appear to have held timber posts; they can sometimes be seen to interact with other pre-existing monuments. Such features would not have formed a significant impediment to travel even if the soil removed from them were used to create a bank running parallel and it seems likely that they would have been used more as markers. In some cases a bank has survived and these monuments are referred to as embanked pit alignments. They may also occur as a series of segments following the same line, and are then referred to as segmented pit alignments. 71:
a double alignment of pits, possibly evidence of a timber processional avenue, extends from the southern henge. However, double and single alignments have been found together at a number of sites, some of which show alignments that switch between the two forms, so that the form cannot be taken as
27:, the function of which is at present poorly understood. They consist of a series of evenly spaced and often relatively shallow pits arranged in lines. These monuments are most frequently discovered through 51:
and represent agricultural boundaries. They may represent a period of agricultural intensification and population growth in the later Iron Age. Double pit alignments are thought to date to the later
142: 137: 147: 20: 114: 68: 28: 60: 131: 24: 56: 47:. It has been suggested that single pit alignments date principally from the 52: 48: 64: 59:
and to be ritual in function, sometimes being found in relation to
8: 81: 7: 39:Pit alignments occur in two forms, 14: 143:Types of monuments and memorials 119:The Iron Age in Northern Britain 90:Prehistoric Britain from the Air 1: 103:European Bronze Age Monuments 164: 138:Stone Age sites in England 72:clear dating evidence. 115:Dennis William Harding 23:found throughout the 21:prehistoric monument 101:Martyn Barber 1999 148:Bronze Age Britain 69:Thornborough Henge 29:aerial photography 45:double alignments 41:single alignments 155: 122: 112: 106: 99: 93: 88:Timothy Darvill 86: 61:cursus monuments 163: 162: 158: 157: 156: 154: 153: 152: 128: 127: 126: 125: 113: 109: 100: 96: 87: 83: 78: 37: 12: 11: 5: 161: 159: 151: 150: 145: 140: 130: 129: 124: 123: 107: 94: 80: 79: 77: 74: 36: 33: 19:are a type of 17:Pit alignments 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 160: 149: 146: 144: 141: 139: 136: 135: 133: 120: 116: 111: 108: 104: 98: 95: 91: 85: 82: 75: 73: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 46: 42: 35:Possible uses 34: 32: 30: 26: 25:British Isles 22: 18: 118: 110: 102: 97: 89: 84: 44: 40: 38: 16: 15: 132:Categories 57:Bronze Age 53:Neolithic 49:Iron Age 117:(2004) 105:, p. 21 92:p. 137 65:henges 121:p. 75 76:Notes 67:. At 63:and 43:and 55:or 134::

Index

prehistoric monument
British Isles
aerial photography
Iron Age
Neolithic
Bronze Age
cursus monuments
henges
Thornborough Henge
Dennis William Harding
Categories
Stone Age sites in England
Types of monuments and memorials
Bronze Age Britain

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