Wiltshire

Also this from the Heritage Daily

heritagedaily.com/2017/07/ancestors-stonehenge-people-buried-inside-house-dead-discovered-wiltshire/115914

"In addition to the Cat’s Brain long barrow site, the University of Reading’s Archaeology Field School is working at Marden henge, the largest henge in the country, built around 2,400 BC, also within the Vale of Pewsey. Little archaeological work has been carried out in the Vale, especially compared with the well-known nearby sites of Avebury and Stonehenge. The project aims to fill this gap in our knowledge and highlight the importance of the area in the Neolithic period.

Amanda Clarke, co-director of the Archaeology Field School, said: “This incredible discovery of one of the UK’s first monuments offers a rare glimpse into this important period in history. We are setting foot inside a significant building that has lain forgotten and hidden for thousands of years.”

An Open Day will be held at Marden henge on Saturday 15 July to allow members of the public to see the excavation happening live, as the team searches for human remains and other artefacts."

Two very different excavations. The Marden one is concentrating on a mini 'Henge' within the larger one, An obvious circular bank (Just to the right of the line of bungalows on the southern limit ) with a possible flint revetment surrounding it. The archaeologists were a little puzzled that the proposed ditch was ill-defined. It is probably contemporary with the larger henge.

A slightly scary mini-bus ride to Cat's Brain (Name origin?) and its closest parallel seems to be Fussell's Lodge: trapezoidal structure in the middle with possible corner posts, semi-circular ditches. Is the Heritage Daily picture (above) exaggerating the apparent width of the ditches? A very small excavation on the N side suggests they were narrower. My own humble opinion is that the plough spread is extensive.

One can hope that there is another open day before the sites are closed and various theories can be confirmed (or refuted!). Nearly 700 visitors, they should have charged a modest car park fee to help pay for tea and biscuits for the diggers!

The ditches at Cats Brain seem to carry on around at least one end, which is more reminiscent of what is referred to as the Cranborne Chase type. Thickthorn down is a good example.

I dug at Marden last year, hoping to get down there again for a look before they pack up.

The diggers certainly looked for the continuation of the ditch around the W end but were surprised (for the moment) not to find it.

Interesting, seems so clear on the pics doesn't it?