Scordale, Cumbria: An Archaeological Survey and Investigation of a Bronze Age Field System and Dispersed Settlement
Author(s): Abby Hunt, A Oswald
In May 2006 English Heritage carried out an archaeological investigation of part of a probable Bronze Age field system with dispersed settlement remains, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The field system extends down to the flood plain of the Hilton Beck and is vulnerable to erosion. The main features can be characterised as a pattern of irregular, but generally quadrangular, fields, which are morphologically typical of the Bronze Age (2000BC - 750BC). These are associated with a scatter of cairns of various sizes, equally typical of Bronze Age agriculture, resulting from the clearance of unwanted stone, both exposed on the surface before cultivation and brought to the surface over time by ploughing. There are also a few probable roundhouse platforms, their distribution dispersed and generally adjacent to field boundaries. One or two smaller enclosures within the broader field system may be directly linked with the roundhouses. The cultivated area stretches across the whole of the south-facing slope down to the edge of the scarp defining the edge of the current flood plain. This exploitation of a south-facing slope is typical of Bronze Age cultivation.
- Report Number:
- 78/2006
- Series:
- Research Department Reports
- Pages:
- 8
- Keywords:
- Bronze Age Prehistoric Survey
