Monument record MWX1140 - Hengistbury Head Barrow Cemetery

Neolithic settlement and an Early Bronze Age barrow cemetery. Excavations have been undertaken on several occasions at Hengistbury Head, most notably by Bushe-Fox (1911-12), St George Gray (1919 and 1922) and Cunliffe (1980s). Evidence for Neolithic activity is primarily artefactual, while the Early Bronze Age is best represented among some of the burial assemblages from the round barrows in the area. See child records for full details of specific sites.

Evidence of Earlier Neolithic occupation (c. 3500 - 2000 bc) on Hengistbury Head is not well represented - only a small assemblage of leaf-shaped arrowheads is known. However, analogy with sites within the vicinity suggests some intermittent activity, if not a settlement, is likely to have taken place. Evidence for Later Neolithic and Earliest Bronze Age occupation (2000 - 1700 bc) is mainly artefactual. A large flint assemblage and grooved ware pottery have been interpreted as representing a Late Neolithic settlement of high status to both local communities and probably within Wessex as a whole. Occupation ceased c. 1400 bc when the headland was used as a burial ground. The cemetery comprises of 13 surviving round barrows and at least one unmarked flat grave (SZ 19 SE 86). Eleven of the round barrows were excavated; three by Bushe Fox in 1911-12 (SZ 19 SE 72, 75 and 77) (1) and eight by Gray in 1919 and 1922 (SZ 19 SE 73-74, 76, 78-81, 108). Two appear to be undisturbed (SZ19 SE 29 and 30).

One of the barrows (SZ 19 SE 72) contained a high status cremation accompanied by objects of amber, copper alloy
and gold which can be closely paralleled with the `Wessex Culture' burials, particularly those of the Wilsford and
Dorset Ridgeway series. (2)

<1> 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, pgs 22-59 (Monograph). SWX4038.

<2> 1915, Excavations at Hengistbury Head, Hampshire in 1911-12 (Article in serial). SWX4110.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458783 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:41PM