Re: Priddy Henges? | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Priddy Circles 6

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Priddy Henges?

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nigelswift Nov 23, 2006 07:51:51

Replying to Littlestone

"Could be, but depending on which side of the ditch the spoil is deposited reflects something very important; if it's on the inside of the ditch it surely suggests a defensive purpose. If the spoil is on the outside it suggests something quite different - certainly not defensive."

My point is that those are modern perceptions of what is there. They may be well founded but equally they may not. There is a (reasonable) certainty there was an intention to create a bank. There is no equivalent certainty that either the ditch or its position was of equal importance. If it had been created outside the bank (again, possibly for the mundane reason that they needed to get material for the bank) then no doubt we would be theorising about the ritual significance of having the ditch on the outside. Had they got their spoil from a mile away we'd be theorising about the ritual significance of the Beckhampton Hole. ;)

In essence, my point is : don't think ditch think quarry, and it all looks different... (Maybe).

FourWinds Nov 23, 2006 08:27:25

Replying to nigelswift

nigelswift wrote:

There is no equivalent certainty that either the ditch or its position was of equal importance.

I know one example does not a theory make, but I was recently listening to the latest Wessex Archaeology podcast. In it they were talking about a barrow they had recently excavated (I forget where the site is). The ditch was cut into the chalk (so that narrows its location down) and its bottom was flat and polished smooth. To go to that amount of effort must mean the ditch (at least in this instance) was important.

Another example was discovered during road building works in Finglas, north Dublin. There the ditch of a small henge was lined with animal bones. The circumference seemed to have been divided into sections with each arc carefully lined by a different kind of bone, so one section had jaw bones, another had leg bones etc.

However, I have often wondered why if the ditch at Avebury and other places was so important why they left it full of old antler picks.

Littlestone Nov 23, 2006 11:40:30

Replying to nigelswift

My point is that those are modern perceptions of what is there.

True - reminds me of the oft quoted "Every age gets the Stonehenge it wants" (or something similar). It's hard to believe, though, that a bank and ditch project the scale of Avebury would be undertaken without having a clear purpose for each of its components. The bank is clearly not defensive so what are the other possibilities? Could be to keep whatever went on inside screened from public view. Could be that at certain times of the year it served as a platform for viewing what did go on inside, while denying physical access to it (the ditch would see to that).

In some ways I hope we never do find out what Avebury was used for - part of the attraction of the place is being able to imagine so many different possibilities :-)

moss Nov 23, 2006 13:21:08

Replying to nigelswift

"In essence, my point is : don't think ditch think quarry, and it all looks different... (Maybe)."

You could be right there, same could go for Silbury its ditch is oddly shaped... any suggestions how they moved the earth (and I am being serious) its been puzzling me all morning - buckets, skins stretched on stakes or what...