Monument record MDO28569 - Linear boundary, Eastern depression, Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth

A low linear earthwork bank and ditch crossing the eastern part of the headland of Hengistbury Head. Investigation of this bank suggests it is Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age in date and probably relates to the period of woodland clearance of Hengistbury.

A low linear earthwork bank and ditch crossing the eastern part of the headland of Hengistbury Head, oriented roughly NW-SE. It crosses the eastern depression and appears to be aligned on two barrows visible on the northwestern lip of the depression. The bank survives as a low earthwork with a U-shaped ditch about one metre wide and one metre deep on its western side. The bank seals an earlier buried soil horizon. Investigation of this bank included pollen and soil analysis of the buried soil and lower part of the bank, which suggested that the bank was constructed an oak woodland environment. A radiocarbon date of 3350 +/- 90 years BP (HAR-6186) was obtained from the buried soil horizon. The results suggest the bank and ditch are Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age in date and probably relate to the period of final woodland clearance of Hengistbury. (1)

<1> Barton, R N E, 1992, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 2: The Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic Sites, 12-15, 46-49, 54-59 (Monograph). SWX3704.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:39PM