25th June 2012, 09:18 AM
Lots of fascinating stuff.
But I'd also point out............there is no reason why the fill of a pit has to have anything to do with its original function.............unless you can prove so.
It is clear that some archaeologists think or assume that the neo folks were digging the pits for the specific purpose of burying the deposits and artifacts that we find. This is not necessarily the case.
The pits may have equally been dug for a different purpose, the deposits that we excavate then being an end to the history of the feature.
The answers lie in the details in the evidence.
Absolutely more scientific dating of undated pits............in them, and those undated circular structures, lies the missing neolithic and Bronze Age..............and yes mesolithic cut features exists when you look for them.
It is a myth that mesolithic people didn't dig holes and build structures and neolithic people did.
The evidence for those types of pits, the mixing, the charcoal mixed through the fills, the abraded/weathered and some burnt sherds, cross-matching of sherds, multi-periodness of finds points towards the fill being derived from an above ground 'midden' or similar deposit. Bit like those layers of material sometimes found in natural hollows.......e.g. Sewerby Farm, Eton rowing Course.
The evidence is very, very like the recent analysis of the fills of Grub Huts in the UK see Tipper 2004 'The Grubenhauser in Anglo-Saxon England.'
Same depositional processes same process?
But I'd also point out............there is no reason why the fill of a pit has to have anything to do with its original function.............unless you can prove so.
It is clear that some archaeologists think or assume that the neo folks were digging the pits for the specific purpose of burying the deposits and artifacts that we find. This is not necessarily the case.
The pits may have equally been dug for a different purpose, the deposits that we excavate then being an end to the history of the feature.
The answers lie in the details in the evidence.
Absolutely more scientific dating of undated pits............in them, and those undated circular structures, lies the missing neolithic and Bronze Age..............and yes mesolithic cut features exists when you look for them.
It is a myth that mesolithic people didn't dig holes and build structures and neolithic people did.
Dinosaur Wrote:...oh and the charcoal rarely happens in the bottom of the pits, its more usually flecked evenly through the soil backfill which seems like a lot of effort just to make sure its gone out...
The evidence for those types of pits, the mixing, the charcoal mixed through the fills, the abraded/weathered and some burnt sherds, cross-matching of sherds, multi-periodness of finds points towards the fill being derived from an above ground 'midden' or similar deposit. Bit like those layers of material sometimes found in natural hollows.......e.g. Sewerby Farm, Eton rowing Course.
The evidence is very, very like the recent analysis of the fills of Grub Huts in the UK see Tipper 2004 'The Grubenhauser in Anglo-Saxon England.'
Same depositional processes same process?