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Milfield North

Henge

Miscellaneous

Details of henge on Pastscape

A late Neolithic henge, ploughed flat and visible only as a cropmark. Excavations in 1975 and 1977 confirmed that the site comprised a sub circular enclosure (internal diameter circa 15 metres) with two opposed entrances, one to the north and the other to the south, the latter much narrower than the former. Within the enclosure, and concentric to the ditch, was a circle of 30 small pits. 15 were excavated, but none showed any evidence for a post. Within this circle were three large pits and a fourth containing what was interpreted as an empty cist, although there was no evidence that the feature had ever contained a burial. Outside the henge was a circle of large pits (up to 50 metres in diameter), some of which appear to have held posts. 35 metres to the south of the henge was a large pit which had held a large post in its later stages of use. Datable finds included possible Neolithic and Beaker sherds from the henge ditch; Beaker and Food Vessel sherds from the central pits; and six flint barbed and tanged arrowheads from one of the external pits. Radiocarbon dates were obtained on samples from several features, and ranged from 1851+/-62 bc (uncalibrated) to 1655+/-80 bc (uncalibrated). The henge interior was later re-used as an Early Medieval inhumation cemetery (NT 93 SW 60). A double alignment (NT 93 NW 34) circa 180 metres to the north produced Grooved Ware sherds and a broadly similar range of radiocarbon dates.
Chance Posted by Chance
4th January 2015ce

Comments (1)

Hi Chance,

Believe it or not I found the six arrowheads back in 1975 (at a ripe age of 17).

Myself and Prof Harding from Newcastle Uni were the last ones on site as the tractors began ploughing around us.

The Prof asked me to hack out a post hole as quickly as possible and out came the arrowheads.

That was the last time I went on a dig as I joined the Army.
Posted by Tommyo
18th August 2015ce
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