Monument record MWX1092 - Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth

A multi-period site with occupation ranging from the Palaeolithic through to the Roman period. See child records and related records for details about specific sites.

HENGISTBURY HEAD AND ITS ANTIQUITIES (SZ 1790) The name appears to be more or less modern, earlier versions being `Hednesburia' (12th c) and 'Hynesbury' (17th c) (a); `Hengistbury' or `Hengist's Hill' occurs in the 18th c, when it was also called `Stone Horse Hill' (b). The Head is a narrow peninsula with low-lying land on the north side, and Warren Hill, rising to about 100 ft above sea-level on the south. It is composed of Bracklesham Beds containing concretionary masses of ironstone and sandstone, the former of which was once extensively worked (a). The peninsula has evidence of occupation from Upper Palaeolithic to Roman, and was particularly active in the Bronze Age (12 extant barrows) and in the Iron Age/Romano-British period, when it was wholly cut off by a rampart-and-ditch complex (the 'Double Dykes') and occupied by a trading station, yielding large numbers of Iron Age coins. Major excavation, chiefly concerned with the Iron Age/RB aspect, but including 3 barrows, was carried out by J P Bushe-Fox in 1911-12, and other excavations, mainly of barrows, were done later. See annexed Map Diagram and records. (1) Hengistbury Head is a promontory within the Solent, c.2km in length and 0.5km wide and has evidence of multi-period occupation ranging from the Palaeolithic through to the Roman period. The Neolithic settlement has been interpreted as one of high status, an ongoing trend reflected later in the presence of a `Wessex Culture' burial recovered from one of the round barrows. Late Iron Age occupation featured a range of industrial activities including metal working, shale and glass working and salt production. Trade links were also much in evidence, notably with western Britain and France. The earliest archaeological survey and description of Hengistbury Head, showing the round barrows and Iron Age defences was published in 1779 (b). However, no significant discoveries were made until 1909 when Iron Age and Roman pottery and coins were found. Excavations carried out by Bushe Fox (a) in 1911-12 located Iron Age and Roman features, three of the round barrows were also excavated. Eight more round barrows and addition Iron Age and Roman features were excavated in 1918-1922 by H St George Gray. Excavations by Calkin during the 1950s, Mace in 1957 (2) and Dr John Campbell in 1968-9 (3). A Mesolithic site was identified by Ronald Powell in 1977. An excavation programme was devised in 1979 associated with a research programme into social and economic change in the South British Iron Age, undertaken by the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford. Excavations took place on the north side of the Head close to the shore of Christchurch Harbour where previous excavations indicated that the Iron Age/Roman occupation was most intense. Research was also carried out on aspects of the Neolithic and Bronze Age activity in the area and an investigation of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites was also undertaken. (4-5)

<1> 1915, Excavations at Hengistbury Head, Hampshire in 1911-12 (Article in serial). SWX4110.

<1> Aldsworth, F G, Various, Field Investigators Comments FGA, F2 FGA 19-MAR-69 (Unpublished document). SWX1161.

<2> Mace A, 1959, The Excavation of a Late Upper Palaeolithic open site on Hengistbury Head, Christchurch, Hampshire., p233-59 (Article in serial). SWX3701.

<3> Campbell, J, 1977, The Upper Palaeolithic of Britain: a study of man and nature in the Late Ice Age, p177-181 (Monograph). SWX3702.

<4> Cunliffe, B, 1987, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 1: The Prehistoric and Roman Settlement, 3500BC- AD500, Excavations at Crouch Hill, 1921, 1969. in Oxford University Committee for Archaeology monograph series Vol no.13 Page(s) 40-7 (Monograph). SWX4038.

<5> Barton, R N E, 1992, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 2: The Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic Sites (Monograph). SWX3704.

<7> Campbell, J B, 1977, The Upper Palaeolithic of Britain: a study of man and nature in the Late Ice Age, p177-178 (Monograph). SWX9224.

<8> Barton, N, 1982, Hengistbury Head, Dorset, Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Project, 1982, p169 (Article in serial). SWX9223.

<9> Grose, F, 1779, Archaeologia 5, p237 (Article in serial). SWX8332.

<10> 2002, Interpretation centre for Hengistbury Head; environmental assessment (Unpublished document). SDO17225.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive (Index). SDO14738.

BB85/01231 CLASS B
BB85/01232 CLASS B
BB85/01233 CLASS B
BB85/01234 CLASS C
BB85/01235 CLASS C
BB85/01236 CLASS F
BB85/01237 CLASS G
BB85/01238 CLASS H
BB85/01239 CLASS I
BB85/01240 CLASS J
BB85/01241 CLASS J
BB85/01242 CLASS K
BB85/01243 CLASS L
BB85/01245 DRAWINGS OF BROOCHES
BB85/01246 CLASS K
BB85/01247 DRAWINGS OF SMALL METAL OBJECTS
BB85/01248 THREE LOOMWEIGHTS
BB85/01249 THREE QUERNS AND ONE QUERN FRAGMENT
BB85/01250 THREE LOOMWEIGHTS
BB85/01251 THREE QUERNS AND ONE QUERN FRAGMENT
BB85/01252 THREE QUERNS AND ONE QUERN FRAGMENT
BB85/01253 THREE QUERNS AND ONE QUERN FRAGMENT
BB85/01254 TWO QUERNS AND VARIOUS FRAGMENTS
BB85/01255 TWO QUERNS AND VARIOUS QUERN FRAGMENTS
BB88/01883 THE DOUBLE DYKES, HENGISTBURY HEAD. SEE ALSO HENGISTBURY REPORT BY SOC. ANT.
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
IC129/003
Reconstruction illustration depicting trade at the important Iron Age port of Hengistbury Head in Dorset, in about the first century BC. Two men are trading metalwork for wine imported in amphorae from the region of modern-day Italy.
This illustration was reproduced as colour plate 10 in the English Heritage publication entitled 'Iron Age Britain', by Barry Cunliffe, published in 1995.
P04036 DUST STORM NORTH OF HENGISTBURY HEAD
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN
P04037 DUST STORM NORTH OF HENGISTBURY HEAD
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN
P04038 VIEW OF HEADLAND FROM EAST
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN
P04039 HENGISTBURY HEAD IN MIDDLE DISTANCE FROM HIGH GROUND TO SOUTH. Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN
P11327 BARROW NO.1 - NORTH-EAST OF DOUBLE DYKES - THE ONE THAT CONTAINED THE 'WESSEX GRAVE GROUP'. Photographer: UNKNOWN
P11328 BARROW NO.1 - WHICH CONTAINED THE 'WESSEX GRAVE GROUP'. Photographer: UNKNOWN
P11329 BARROW NO.2. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458641 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:44PM