26th June 2012, 05:02 PM
P Prentice Wrote:i dont think we should get bogged down with slight variation in profiles or the surviving contents - though evidence for long process silting would be interesting?
mostly the material evidence comes from the upper fills, occasionally spliced between sterile silts suggesting the open pits had a use but the pits are deliberatly backfilled with charcoal rich stuff potentially from feasting or the entire pit is sterile
ive seen similar postholes in ia pits and ive seen postholes adjacent to neo pits which i reckon to have been 'sign posts' but i wouldnt discount some kind of superstructure even if it is a house - though i have yet to see evidence for a permanent abode.
have you got ant neo hearths or fire pits with burnt edges?
as for tree throws they make great camp sites when the tree root provides a readymade bivouak.
the pits are everyday and commonplace but they are not evidence for permanent settlement
and the irish evidence is completely different - as if neolithicisation got there first (cartoon reality is from an older civilisation obviously)
whilst life on a small rocky island is never likely to be very mobile is it?
Yep. Irish evidence is very different, promoting a regional approach to studying neolithic archaeology.
But yes I like the idea of tree bole bivis...........though it only takes less than an hour to create a A-frame bivi. Seen big circular bivis that last 6 months or so being built by 1 person in a matter of hours. But at the very least a tree throw gives instant shelter from the wind.
Sign posts are a possibility (all jokes aside) but have you considered how few posts you need for a sturdy semi-permanent structure?
I dont see the need for an overall idea of permanent settlement or complete mobility during either the neo or late meso. Many people even now are fairly mobile. Its all grey areas blending in.
I would even venture that the environment (and availability of resources) would have a strong hand in the permanence of settlement.................:face-stir: