Time Team Special: Journey To Stonehenge | Classic Special (Full Episode) - 2005 (Durrington Walls)
Time Team Official・2 minutes read
Durrington Walls, Britain's largest henge, is believed to be linked to Stonehenge and offers insights into prehistoric ceremonies and feasting, with ongoing excavations uncovering its purpose. The site features a massive chalk ring, evidence of gatherings for the newly dead, and a Neolithic road indicating spiritual journeys and deposits into the river, challenging previous interpretations of ancient circles.
Insights
- Durrington Walls, Britain's largest henge, was a vibrant hub of activity in prehistoric times, serving as a transition site for ceremonies and feasting related to the newly deceased, supported by evidence of gatherings and rituals.
- The discovery of a Neolithic road at Durrington Walls, complete with a gully and river connection, sheds light on the spiritual significance of rivers in ancient societies, showcasing sophisticated farming practices and ceremonies involving the deposition of ashes or bodies into the water, enriching our understanding of the interconnected religious landscape of the era.
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Recent questions
What is the significance of Durrington Walls in prehistoric Britain?
Durrington Walls, Britain's largest henge, is a Neolithic site believed to be linked to Stonehenge. It was a bustling hub of activity for centuries, with diverse archaeological finds shedding light on ancient ceremonies and feasting practices. The immense effort put into its construction, involving antler picks and large chalk blocks, created a massive chalk ring with a wide ditch and tall bank dominating the landscape. The theory suggests that Durrington Walls served as a transition site into death, hosting gatherings for the newly deceased with feasting and rituals. Ongoing excavations aim to uncover its purpose and connection to Stonehenge, showcasing its importance in prehistoric Britain's history.
What evidence supports the theory of gatherings for the newly dead at Durrington Walls?
Evidence found at Durrington Walls strongly supports the theory of gatherings for the newly dead, involving feasting and rituals. The site contained timber circles, similar to those at Stonehenge, indicating its significance in ancient ceremonies. Analysis of animal bones revealed that pigs were fed a high-calorie diet, possibly with honey, and slaughtered nine months after birth. Neolithic pots at Durrington Walls contained a high percentage of pig fats, suggesting sophisticated farming practices like meat stews and dairy products. The presence of these elements at the site reinforces the idea of gatherings for the deceased, where people came together to commemorate life and death in a ceremonial manner.
What is the significance of the Neolithic road discovered at Durrington Walls?
The discovery of a Neolithic road at Durrington Walls is a groundbreaking find in Europe, showcasing evidence of spiritual journeys and deposits of ashes or bodies into the river. The road, 10 meters wide, includes a gully for palisade posts and a wide approach to the river, highlighting the importance of rivers as connections between monuments in the Neolithic era. This road provides insights into ancient rituals and ceremonies, shedding light on how the ancient people interacted with their landscape and conducted symbolic practices related to life and death. Its presence adds another layer of complexity to the historical significance of Durrington Walls and its connection to Stonehenge.
What is the Timber Circle reconstruction project at Durrington Walls?
The Timber Circle reconstruction project at Durrington Walls involves Phil Harding and experts working to recreate the Neolithic site's Southern Circle. The massive wooden posts, 2-2.5 meters wide and 2 meters deep, are aligned with the midwinter sunrise, symbolizing a focus on regeneration. The largest post, weighing over five tons, was erected by hand using Neolithic methods, showcasing the immense effort put into its construction. The Timber Circle would have had two large entrance posts and 166 other varying-sized posts, challenging previous interpretations of Stone and Timber circles. Radiocarbon dating confirms that the Timber Circle was built around 2500 BC, aligning with the construction of Stonehenge and offering new insights into ancient ceremonial practices and beliefs.
How does Durrington Walls offer a glimpse into prehistoric gatherings?
Durrington Walls, resembling a mix of Glastonbury and the Millennium Dome with added Motorways, provides a unique insight into a historical site where hundreds gathered for feasting, celebration, and commemoration of life and death over 4,000 years ago. The ongoing restoration and excavation work at the site reveal the immense effort put into its construction, with a massive chalk ring, wide ditch, and tall bank dominating the landscape. The theory suggests that Durrington Walls served as a transition site into death, hosting ceremonies and feasting for the newly deceased. The site's connection to Stonehenge as part of a religious landscape further emphasizes its significance in prehistoric Britain's history, offering a glimpse into ancient practices and beliefs surrounding life and death.
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Summary
00:00
Durrington Walls: Britain's Largest Neolithic Henge
- Stone Age featured henges, with Stonehenge being famous but not the largest.
- Durrington Walls, Britain's biggest henge, believed to be linked to Stonehenge by water.
- Henges are enclosures with outer banks, built from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, peaking around 2500 BC.
- Durrington Walls, a Neolithic henge, buzzing with activity for centuries, yielding diverse finds.
- Archaeologists excavating Durrington Walls, rewriting prehistoric Britain's history.
- Construction of Durrington Walls involved immense effort, with antler picks and large chalk blocks.
- Henge featured a massive chalk ring with a wide ditch and tall bank, dominating the landscape.
- Theory suggests Durrington Walls was a transition site into death, involving ceremonies and feasting.
- Evidence at Durrington Walls supports theory of gatherings for the newly dead, with feasting and rituals.
- Durrington Walls contained timber circles, rivaling Stonehenge, with ongoing excavations to uncover its purpose and connection to Stonehenge.
16:46
Neolithic Rivers and Roads Connect Ancient Monuments
- Stonehenge is not isolated, with an Avenue leading to it from the river.
- Durrington Walls is linked to Stonehenge as part of a religious landscape.
- Rivers were crucial to ancient people for movement.
- Timber circle and stone circle at Stonehenge signify the difference between the living and the dead.
- A Neolithic road, 10 meters wide, has been discovered at the Eastern entrance, a first in Europe.
- The road includes a gully for palisade posts and a wide approach to the river.
- Rivers were significant connections between monuments in the Neolithic era.
- The Neolithic road shows evidence of spiritual journeys and deposits of ashes or bodies into the river.
- Analysis of animal bones reveals pigs were fed a high-calorie diet, possibly with honey, and killed nine months after birth.
- Neolithic pots at Durrington Walls contained a high percentage of pig fats, indicating sophisticated farming practices including meat stews and dairy products.
32:23
"Midwinter Ceremony at Stonehenge Reconstruction Project"
- A special ceremony is held to remember the deceased as the midwinter sun rises.
- The ashes of the deceased are emptied into the river, flowing downstream.
- Stonehenge is mentioned as a location where ceremonies take place.
- The wooden posts of the Southern Circle are described as massive, 2-2.5 meters wide and 2 meters deep.
- The Timber Circle reconstruction project at Darrington involves Phil Harding and experts.
- The largest post weighs over five tons and is erected by hand, similar to Neolithic methods.
- The Timber Circle would have had two large entrance posts and 166 other varying-sized posts.
- The Southern Circle is aligned with the midwinter sunrise, indicating a focus on regeneration.
- The Timber Circle reconstruction challenges previous interpretations of Stone and Timber circles.
- Radiocarbon dating confirms the Timber Circle was built around 2500 BC, aligning with Stonehenge's construction.
48:25
Ancient site Durrington Walls reveals historical gatherings.
- Durrington Walls, resembling a mix of Glastonbury and the Millennium Dome with added Motorways, offers a glimpse into a historical site where hundreds gathered for feasting, celebration, and commemoration of life and death over 4,000 years ago, now being restored and understood through ongoing work.
