The interpretation of surface lithic collections : case studies from southern England

Abstract

This thesis has two main aims: First to consider the potential for studying surface lithic collections as a means to understanding settlement and land-use strategies between the Mesolithic and Bronze Age periods in southern England. To achieve that, it was considered necessary to study surface material in an objective manner without resorting to the identification of `sites' or dating material on the basis of some morphological characteristic. Surface collections do not produce information concerning `precise moments in time' but rather overall aspects of land-use. It is such predominant patterns that are considered in this thesis. The second aim was to examine the nature and extent of prehistoric settlement in southern England from two perspectives. First, the distinction between valley and non-valley contexts and the extent to which each zone maintains a distinct pattern of land-use through time. The second was to consider to what extent settlement density varied between the `core areas' of Neolithic Wessex and areas outside of this monument zone. Two study areas were considered, one of which - the middle Avon valley - was peripheral to the core area of central Wessex, and one of which is separate from but equidistant between the areas of southern Wessex and the Sussex downlands. In both areas the evidence for settlement was intense but with an emphasis on different periods. The Meon valley for example seems to maintain a predominance of Mesolithic and early Neolithic activity, while the Avon valley sees a concentration in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age. In a final chapter the Avon and Meon valleys are compared and considered in the context of southern England as a whole. The off-site approach adopted for this thesis is considered a valid model for understanding regional land-use strategies while the distinction between valley and non-valley contexts - based upon the use of environmental evidence - is best seen in terms of human adaptation and is considered a useful starting point in any further regional survey such as those described in this thesis. (DX84127)

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