Ishmael wrote: "The excavations at the top do appear to show that the top was flat because of the chalk-stone work that was found when trenches were dug in the 1960's and a few years ago,
But that does not mean that it was an observation point that had to be climbed (processionaly or otherwise.)"
That is the key to understanding the nature of the flat top. What shape was the original summit? Was it rounded, pointed or flat and can archaeology tell us with reasonable certainty? Before people go off imaginging all sorts of rituals and observations on the flat top we now have, we really have to know at what period the top WAS flat. Being concerned only about prehistoric Britain means that we tend to ignore all that happened afterwards. In other words - what happened to the summit after the hill was constructed? How did the Romans use it and did THEY flatten the top? Did it become a Saxon "toot" hill -ie a lookout post and did THEY flatten the summit? Was it flattened when the shaft was dug? Only if it can be shown that the original build was for a flat top can you begin to consider the original purpose of a flat top.