|
If you would like to contribute
to this page...
...please
Contact-Us with references.
|
|
|
|
 Cursus
-
(Construction / Landscape feature)
A cursus comprises of two parallel
linear ditches with internal banks, closed off at the ends. There are
around 200 examples known from all over the British Isles, as
follows:
-: England - Over 100
(6), Scotland - 'Over 50' (4), Ireland - 3, Wales - 9 (at least) :-
There is still very little known about
these long, narrow earthwork structures date from the
Neolithic period - many from around 6,000 years ago - and thus
some of the oldest monumental structures in the British isles. They have been
found across Britain from southern England to Ireland and Scotland, and
stand beside some of the most famous archaeological sites in Britain,
such as at Stonehenge and Newgrange.
|
What is a Cursus?
Cursus monuments are essentially very long and relatively
narrow rectangular enclosures, with a near continuous boundary of an
interior bank and an exterior ditch. The only breaks in this boundary are
the 'causeways', or possible entrances. The ends of a cursus are either
squared-off or rounded. In Scotland, about half the known sites (which now
number over 50) have a boundary of pits or post-holes which held large
upright timbers, rather than earthwork perimeters. A few sites have a single
mound running along their centre, rather like a bank barrow.
(Return
to the top)
|
|
What were the function(s) of
Cursus'.
The name 'cursus' derives from the
16th century antiquarian, William Stuckley's nineteenth century idea that they were 'prehistoric racetracks'.
This idea has long since evaporated and current thinking suggests that
they may have served as processional or ritual gathering places.
It has been observed that cursus' often appear to
incorporate funerary monuments in their design, although these may have
been added later.
Manley (1), says 'It seems
likely that they were in some way utilised for astronomical purposes', (1)
an idea which appears supported by the observation that the
Dorset, Stonehenge,
and Newgrange cursus' appear to show significant alignments for
astronomy (2) (see below).
Manley (1) also suggests that the
Scottish 'double alignment of pits (often closed at one end)', could also
be related to cursus'.
A 'British Archaeology' article by K. Brophy (4), suggests that
there may be a connection between cursus monuments and streams and
rivers.
'The majority lie on flood-plains or river-terraces, close to the
river. The Dorset Cursus and the Eskdalemuir bank barrow in Dumfries and
Galloway are amongst several possible cursus which cross, or are crossed
by, rivers. Some sites are completely surrounded by waterways, like Maxey
Cursus in Cambridgeshire. Old Montrose Cursus in Angus sits on a raised
area of a valley floor which, in the event of flooding, could become an
island. Other sites may have had seasonally flooded ditches, creating a
powerful visual image when sunlight reflected off watery ditches
stretching across the landscape'.
He also noted that 'about half the known [Scottish] sites have a
boundary of pits post-holes which held large upright timbers, rather than
earthwork perimeters' (4).
(Return
to the top) |
|
When were Cursus
first made.
There are several curses
dated at before 3,000 BC (Dorset, Thornborough,
Boyne-valley,
Stonehenge). A
fact which shows how the location of certain important Neolithic sites have
been retained and re-used over time. The Scorton cursus, is dated at around
3,500 BC, with the oldest cursus appearing in Britain at around 4,000 BC (4).
The fact that both the Dorchester-on Thames Henge
in Oxfordshire, and the Thornborough cursus can be shown to have been built
over by henges, illustrates the antiquity of these mysterious structures. In
light of this finding, it seems a reasonable propose that the cursus and the
henge are in some way related, as they both share the same intrinsic design
features: being areas of flattened land surrounded by banks and ditches
(creating an artificial horizon line?).
(Return
to the top) |
|
Examples of Cursus'.
There are over a hundred cursus in England alone (6)
Dorset Cursus
- The longest known cursus in UK runs for nearly 10 Km and was laid out
sometime after 3,000 BC. The Dorset cursus is actually two cursus joined
end to end. with an elbow in the middle (1), with the southerly
Gussage Cursus pre-dating the northerly
Pentridge Cursus (Wilipedia.org). Service and Bradbury (2) say of the
Dorset cursus that it... 'aligns at various points with horizon markers
that indicate the rising or setting places of some important phases of the
moon'.
Stonehenge Cursus -
There are two cursus at Stonehenge. The main cursus is aligned with
nearby Woodhenge, and can therefore be considered astronomical in nature
as the Stonehenge-Woodhenge alignment is orientated along the path of the
midsummer sunrise. (see alignments
for more)
Rudstone cursus'- There are
four cursus' at
Rudstone, all converging on the great
menhir in the centre of the village (The largest standing stone in
Britain). The Rudstone complex offers us a tantalising glimpse of the
prehistoric ritual landscape, and reinforces the idea that cursus' may
have had a ritual or ceremonial function.
Thornborough - The
Thornborough cursus
was built over at around 3,000 BC with three henge-circles, suggesting that
the location itself had a significance to the builders. In a most
depressing reflection on today's society, one of the three henge-circles
itself is currently being used as a land-fill site (Apr. 2007)...How can
this be allowed to happen???.
Scorton Cursus - This cursus was
originally about 2.1km long and aligned SE-NW. Clustered round the
monument were a number of ring ditches, one that was excavated had a
single burial with a beaker. This would date the site as being in use from
around 3,500BC until at least the Bronze Age c.2,000 BC. The cursus was
cut almost 'dead-straight' over it's entire length and was 37.2m wide. The
cursus was constructed by digging two parallel ditches 4.10m wide on the
east side and 3.90m wide on the west.
Scottish Cursus.
The Twelve Apostles - The Twelve Apostles is Scotland's second
largest stone circle, and the seventh largest in the UK. The
importance of the area is reinforced by the fact that there were once two
long cursus' which passed close to the site. (3)
Irish Cursus:
Newgrange cursus - The cursus is barely visible
today but extended around 100 m from the valley of the River Mattock to
climb the ridge occupied by the
Newgrange tomb. Here
it is rounded off by a terminal bank. The cursus was around 20 m wide. The Boyne valley,
which includes Newgrange,
Knowth and
Dowth, is a huge celestial observatory,
enabling the builders to determine the phases of the solar and lunar
cycles. This reinforces the idea that cursus probably served an
astronomical function. The Boyne Valley cursus is orientated to the winter
solstice sunrise, as is the Newgrange passage mound.
(More about Boyne Valley)
Loughcrew - Archaeological attention has
recently focused on the land below Slieve na Calliagh, in particular to
the north. Here Conor Newman noted forthe first time a cursus-like
monument 150m SW of the Ballinvalley stone circle.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prehistoric/past/PAST051.pdf
Hill of Tara
- A reinterpretation of part of the iron age earthworks at Tara suggests
it is a 'reuse' of a Neolithic cursus
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/Absts1.htm
Welsh Cursus:
Spread eagle, Hay on Wye - In Alex Gibson's
description of the cursus monuments of Wales (5), he describes this site
thus:
"A cropmark of two parallel ditches orientated SE-NW,
15m apart and traceable for some 130m. It runs perpendicular to the
present course of the River Wye 50m to the NE. No terminals are visible,
but there is a large ring ditch across the river 450m to the NW. A
closely-grouped cluster of some 8 ring ditches is visible on a gravel
terrace some 150m to the E," but adds finally that "the identification of
this site is suspect and may represent a fossil field system."
SO162378 (52° 1' 54.43" N,
3° 13' 18.05" W).
The Walton Green Cursus - The south west end of the
site is at SO26195978 and north east end is at SO26826001.
Measures 660m long by 30m wide, with squared ends and rounded
corners.
http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/hsmr/db.php?smr_no=22951
Hindwell is set in an area full of
Neolithic activity, including two cursus monuments.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/BA/ba14/ba14news.html
Llandegai - Discovered as a cropmark during the long
dry summer of 1959 by air photographers from Cambridge
University, the prehistoric burial and ritual complex at
Llandegai is among the most important prehistoric landscapes
anywhere in Wales. The air photo mapping shows the main
features: with two circular henge monuments dating to circa
3000BC and the parallel ditches of a roughly contemporary
cursus, or ritual avenue, to the right.
http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/os/llandegai.shtml
Llandisillio - Aerial photography has
revealed an enclosure at Pencnwc while a most exciting
discovery, by Dyfed Archaeological Trust, has revealed a linear
crop mark across the village which may be evidence of a cursus –
part of some ceremonial complex, possibly dating from the
Neolithic period.
http://www.llandissilio.org.uk/local_history.html
Sarn -y-Bryn-Caled - The cursus complex
at Sarn-y-Bryn-Caled is a long, rectangular ditched enclosure
about 10 metres wide and 400 metres long. It had banks on the
outside of the ditches and had been dated to the Neolithic
period about 3700 BC(
http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item1/21625)
Welshpool - An important complex of
prehistoric ritual monuments occupies the fields to either side
of Dyffryn Lane, Berriew, about 4 miles south of Welshpool in
the Severn valley. The earliest sites appear to be a Neolithic
long barrow and a nearby enclosure, both of which are known to
date to about 3,500 BC. Two possible rectangular timber house
sites might be of either Neolithic or early medieval date and
the complex also includes a possible Neolithic cursus monument
which, like many of the other sites, has been identified by
aerial photography.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbawales/Newsletters/newsletter32/newsletter32.html
Brecknock - Another possible cursus monument has been
identified in Brecknock, lying close to the River Wye at Pipton.
(Return
to the top) |
|
|