Bronze Age Dartmoor. 6
The triple stone row at Cosdon is particularly interesting. The positioning of the row is critical for the most economic route to the intended destination during wet weather. After heavy rain, the Dartmoor rivers soon become dangerous to cross.The Cosdon rows indicate a route which would avoid crossing all major rivers coming off Dartmoor.
It is positioned just North of the River Teign and is directed to the The ferry crossing point to Topsham which has been a traditional crossing point up to modern times. There is the remains of a Bronze Age settlement at Topsham. The Exe may not have been the intended destination, and if the line is continued it passes through Otterton which may have been the intended destination. The River Otter was navigable by small boats until a storm caused a shingle bank to block access in historic times. Otterton was an important port in ancient times and the hill North of Otterton is called Anchorage Hill.
The original length of the row is not clear, being either 146 m or 176.5m. ( See page 205 of Dartmoor Atlas Of Antiquities.)
If the intended length was 146m and multiply by three because it is a triple row we get an overall length of 438m. 438 m at a scale of 100 to 1 gives a distance of 43.8 K which is approximately the distance to Otterton.
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Monday, 9 December 2013
A Fresh Interpretation of Bronze Age Dartmoor 4
A Fresh Interpretation Of Bronze Age Dartmoor. 4
The Dartmoor Stone rows have always been a problem for archaeologists. Devon Archaeological Society published "Field Guide Number Eleven" entitled "The Drizzlecombe Stone Rows" The last paragraph headed "The Purpose Of The Rows", finishes with "The question of use has to remain open. Quite possibly the answer will never be known."
Jeremy Butler, in his "Dartmoor Atlas Of Antiquities" volume one page six, says " Despite several excavations and numerous theories the little that is known about them (stone rows) at present is open to almost any imaginative interpretation, and their function remains as mysterious as ever."
Any theory based on imagination is always suspect, but a theory based on observation and evidence is worthy of consideration.
When I first began to look for a solution to the stone row mystery I observed that the rows at Longstone Moor, Conies Down and Higher White Tor were not parallel. I extended the direction of the rows to the edge of the Dartmoor map and could see that the three lines were converging. I then transcribed these lines to a map that included the South Devon coastline and was surprised to find that the three lines converged at a single point, and that point was geographically significant.
The point where these three lines meet is at the head of the Cofflete Arm of the Yealm Estuary near to Brixton Tor. This happens to be the closest haven for small boats to the tinworks of Dartmoor. This was interesting, but could be a coincidence. Further work showed that three other stone rows also met at the same point. This was beyond coincidence and must surely have been an intended destination. the possibility that the rows contained information of distance and direction seemed to be a practical solution to the stone row problem.
The most important thing that a traveller needs to know is direction and distance to a destination. Modern roads have milestones, signposts and huge signboards giving this kind of information. What would we do without them? Get lost I suppose.
The idea that the stone rows could have served a similar purpose began to make sense. The direction of the row being the direction of travel to a specific destination, the length of the row giving an indication of the distance to that destination and perhaps the stones within within the row showing the amount of way mark stones to be found along that route.
It became clear that I would need to explain all the stone rows on Dartmoor and not just the ones that focused on the Yealm Estuary. I researched the stone rows of Exmoor, Bodmin Moor, and even Brittany. Most of the straight rows were not too much of a problem, but some of the bent and twisted rows like the two mile Upper Erme and the Stall Down did not at first fit the theory. It took several years of puzzling before I could see a solution. The Piles Hill double row was the last to be understood.
I had almost given up on the Upper Erme row when I realised that it was not intended to fit into the Devon landscape , but the whole length of the land from South to North. The massive alignments of Brittany began to make sense when I accepted that whatever the function it was something very important. It turned out to be giving directions for epic journeys from West to East. I will explain in more detail later.
The Bronze Age prospectors for tin may have originated in the Middle East. They would not have stropped at Dartmoor. The search for valuable minerals would have enticed them on to explore the whole island. It is also probable that other useful products were being traded from the North such as furs, hides, walrus ivory and skins, falcons and gold.
Travelling from Dartmoor to the North could not easily be done in a straight line. It would be more economical to go North to the Black Mountains in Wales, then a curving route round Morcombe Bay, the a couple of small changes in direction to arrive at the North coast of Scotland.
The upper Erme row depicts this route perfectly. The length of the row times 300 is the distance of the journey. Interestingly each section of the row times 300 is equal to each section of the journey. There are several standing stones along this route which may have been erected as way markers.
The curving double row on Piles Hill eventually began to make sense. The direct route from Piles Hill to Newquay in Cornwall would cross the Tamar Estuary at it's widest point. It would be far more economical to cross the Tamar at the narrowest point which is the ferry crossing to Torpoint, follow the coast and turn North to Newquay.The row length times 100 is the length of the journey. Once again each section of the row represents each section of the journey.
It became obvious that each row on Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor was sited to take advantage of an economical route, which suggested that the Bronze Age stone row builders had good knowledge of the landscape, and could measure distances.
I began to search for way mark stones along the routes suggested by the stone rows, and had considerable success.
Just as many of the more recent TA stones were purloined by land owners to make gateposts etc, these more ancient way markers would have been vulnerable. However I have found enough still in situe to be convincing evidence for the existence of the system. I suspect that there are many more out there to be found.
Some have been removed since I began to look for them. One Farmer showed me the pit where one had been removed. These smaller stones have not been listed and are not protected, and they are often thought to be "scratching posts" for cattle.
The Dartmoor Stone rows have always been a problem for archaeologists. Devon Archaeological Society published "Field Guide Number Eleven" entitled "The Drizzlecombe Stone Rows" The last paragraph headed "The Purpose Of The Rows", finishes with "The question of use has to remain open. Quite possibly the answer will never be known."
Jeremy Butler, in his "Dartmoor Atlas Of Antiquities" volume one page six, says " Despite several excavations and numerous theories the little that is known about them (stone rows) at present is open to almost any imaginative interpretation, and their function remains as mysterious as ever."
Any theory based on imagination is always suspect, but a theory based on observation and evidence is worthy of consideration.
When I first began to look for a solution to the stone row mystery I observed that the rows at Longstone Moor, Conies Down and Higher White Tor were not parallel. I extended the direction of the rows to the edge of the Dartmoor map and could see that the three lines were converging. I then transcribed these lines to a map that included the South Devon coastline and was surprised to find that the three lines converged at a single point, and that point was geographically significant.
The point where these three lines meet is at the head of the Cofflete Arm of the Yealm Estuary near to Brixton Tor. This happens to be the closest haven for small boats to the tinworks of Dartmoor. This was interesting, but could be a coincidence. Further work showed that three other stone rows also met at the same point. This was beyond coincidence and must surely have been an intended destination. the possibility that the rows contained information of distance and direction seemed to be a practical solution to the stone row problem.
The most important thing that a traveller needs to know is direction and distance to a destination. Modern roads have milestones, signposts and huge signboards giving this kind of information. What would we do without them? Get lost I suppose.
The idea that the stone rows could have served a similar purpose began to make sense. The direction of the row being the direction of travel to a specific destination, the length of the row giving an indication of the distance to that destination and perhaps the stones within within the row showing the amount of way mark stones to be found along that route.
It became clear that I would need to explain all the stone rows on Dartmoor and not just the ones that focused on the Yealm Estuary. I researched the stone rows of Exmoor, Bodmin Moor, and even Brittany. Most of the straight rows were not too much of a problem, but some of the bent and twisted rows like the two mile Upper Erme and the Stall Down did not at first fit the theory. It took several years of puzzling before I could see a solution. The Piles Hill double row was the last to be understood.
I had almost given up on the Upper Erme row when I realised that it was not intended to fit into the Devon landscape , but the whole length of the land from South to North. The massive alignments of Brittany began to make sense when I accepted that whatever the function it was something very important. It turned out to be giving directions for epic journeys from West to East. I will explain in more detail later.
The Bronze Age prospectors for tin may have originated in the Middle East. They would not have stropped at Dartmoor. The search for valuable minerals would have enticed them on to explore the whole island. It is also probable that other useful products were being traded from the North such as furs, hides, walrus ivory and skins, falcons and gold.
Travelling from Dartmoor to the North could not easily be done in a straight line. It would be more economical to go North to the Black Mountains in Wales, then a curving route round Morcombe Bay, the a couple of small changes in direction to arrive at the North coast of Scotland.
The upper Erme row depicts this route perfectly. The length of the row times 300 is the distance of the journey. Interestingly each section of the row times 300 is equal to each section of the journey. There are several standing stones along this route which may have been erected as way markers.
The curving double row on Piles Hill eventually began to make sense. The direct route from Piles Hill to Newquay in Cornwall would cross the Tamar Estuary at it's widest point. It would be far more economical to cross the Tamar at the narrowest point which is the ferry crossing to Torpoint, follow the coast and turn North to Newquay.The row length times 100 is the length of the journey. Once again each section of the row represents each section of the journey.
It became obvious that each row on Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor was sited to take advantage of an economical route, which suggested that the Bronze Age stone row builders had good knowledge of the landscape, and could measure distances.
I began to search for way mark stones along the routes suggested by the stone rows, and had considerable success.
Just as many of the more recent TA stones were purloined by land owners to make gateposts etc, these more ancient way markers would have been vulnerable. However I have found enough still in situe to be convincing evidence for the existence of the system. I suspect that there are many more out there to be found.
Some have been removed since I began to look for them. One Farmer showed me the pit where one had been removed. These smaller stones have not been listed and are not protected, and they are often thought to be "scratching posts" for cattle.
.A Fresh interpretation of Bronze Age Dartmoor. 3
A Fresh Interpretation of Bronze Age Dartmoor. 3
The modern traveller is very lucky. He has map and compas for remote situations and signposted roads, milestones, mobile phones, and satellite navigation systems.
The Bronze Age traveller had none of these. He had to rely on primitive navigation techniques and way marking. Way marking is the most ancient way of marking a route. Note I say route and not road. If roads or tracks existed on Dartmoor before the Bronze Age tin traders arrived they would have been for local use and would not have been of much use.The logistics of the tin trade was totally different from the local needs.
Dartmoor has several examples of purpose built logistic systems created to serve a particular enterprise. Granite is a resource that is plentiful on Dartmoor, but it was needed for building work in the London and other large cities.The existing road system was inadequate. A tramway and canal was constructed to get the granite from the quarry at Haytor to the port at Teignmouth where ships were waiting.
Peat was needed for fuel , but no proper tracks existed so rail and track systems were created.The china clay deposits at Lee Moor neded to have a purpose built tramway to get the clay to the Railway, and water was needed to power water wheels for the mines and mills. Miles of leats were dug for this purpose. Routes for wool traders were way marked with crosses, and the route from Tavistock to Ashburton was marked with the TA stones.
A resource without access is of little value. Creating access is the first rule of logistics. Recently in a BBC interview, a mining executive said that the biggest problem that the industry faces today is logistics. Getting the material from the mine to the port.
The Bronze Age tin traders had the same problem, The tin ore that they were looking for was hundreds of miles away on a remote island in the Atlantic. Worse still it could only be found high on a soggy wet peat moorland several miles from the coast.
The only way to get to that remote island was by ship, either by sailing out of the mediterranean into the Atlantic via the Pillars Of Hercules or risk the an overland trek from Marseilles to the North coast of France. The early navigators would have arrived at any of the coastal or estuary havens on the North or South coast depending on the weather.Getting to and from wherever they left their boats would have required way marking. No suitable roads or tracks would have existed. Way Marking would be essential.
Way Marking in the forest is simple. Blazing a trail is a term we still use today. Simply cut a slash in a tree so that the white wood shows in bothe directions.Way Marking in open moorland needed stones to be set up.
As the trade developed, way marking would become well established, and routes from the coastal havens to the tin mines would become well defined. Where possible the straight line would be the most economical but some situations required more devious routes.Stone was readily available on Dartmoor so the early traders set up permanent "sign posts" with information of direction and distance built in. A line of stones would be the perfect answer. The stone row was invented.
I will develop the concept of the stone row as an indicator of distance and direction in the next chapter.
The modern traveller is very lucky. He has map and compas for remote situations and signposted roads, milestones, mobile phones, and satellite navigation systems.
The Bronze Age traveller had none of these. He had to rely on primitive navigation techniques and way marking. Way marking is the most ancient way of marking a route. Note I say route and not road. If roads or tracks existed on Dartmoor before the Bronze Age tin traders arrived they would have been for local use and would not have been of much use.The logistics of the tin trade was totally different from the local needs.
Dartmoor has several examples of purpose built logistic systems created to serve a particular enterprise. Granite is a resource that is plentiful on Dartmoor, but it was needed for building work in the London and other large cities.The existing road system was inadequate. A tramway and canal was constructed to get the granite from the quarry at Haytor to the port at Teignmouth where ships were waiting.
Peat was needed for fuel , but no proper tracks existed so rail and track systems were created.The china clay deposits at Lee Moor neded to have a purpose built tramway to get the clay to the Railway, and water was needed to power water wheels for the mines and mills. Miles of leats were dug for this purpose. Routes for wool traders were way marked with crosses, and the route from Tavistock to Ashburton was marked with the TA stones.
A resource without access is of little value. Creating access is the first rule of logistics. Recently in a BBC interview, a mining executive said that the biggest problem that the industry faces today is logistics. Getting the material from the mine to the port.
The Bronze Age tin traders had the same problem, The tin ore that they were looking for was hundreds of miles away on a remote island in the Atlantic. Worse still it could only be found high on a soggy wet peat moorland several miles from the coast.
The only way to get to that remote island was by ship, either by sailing out of the mediterranean into the Atlantic via the Pillars Of Hercules or risk the an overland trek from Marseilles to the North coast of France. The early navigators would have arrived at any of the coastal or estuary havens on the North or South coast depending on the weather.Getting to and from wherever they left their boats would have required way marking. No suitable roads or tracks would have existed. Way Marking would be essential.
Way Marking in the forest is simple. Blazing a trail is a term we still use today. Simply cut a slash in a tree so that the white wood shows in bothe directions.Way Marking in open moorland needed stones to be set up.
As the trade developed, way marking would become well established, and routes from the coastal havens to the tin mines would become well defined. Where possible the straight line would be the most economical but some situations required more devious routes.Stone was readily available on Dartmoor so the early traders set up permanent "sign posts" with information of direction and distance built in. A line of stones would be the perfect answer. The stone row was invented.
I will develop the concept of the stone row as an indicator of distance and direction in the next chapter.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
A Fresh Interpretation of Bronze Age Dartmoor 2
A Fresh interpretation of Bronze Age Dartmoor. 2
The Bronze Age began 3300BC and continued for 2100 years. This was a vast expanse of time and has been divided into Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages.. Early Bronze Age lasted 1200 years, Middle 550years and Late 350 years. Huge changes in logistics and infrastructure could have taken place over this time. 2100 years ago the Romans had been in Britain for only 40 years. The changes over that amount of time have been enormous. Systems that were put in place at the beginning of the Bronze Age may well have been abandoned, replaced and forgotten by the end.
Stone circles, stone rows, settlements, hut circles, barrows, cairns, reaves cists and standing stones are all part of the Bronze Age legacy. I suggest that they are all part of an infrastructure put in place by the tin prospectors, traders and workers at various stages in the quest for tin.
Tin for making bronze became a much needed material and was almost as valuable as gold. It had to be located, extracted and delivered to the people who needed it.. This was not easy, and the logistics of the tin trade was full of problems. Trade routes change with time. Initially the people who need a material have to send out prospectors to find that material. Once they have found it, then they have to find workers to extract it. Then the long haul home to the people who use it.
As trade develops, the routes are refined, and the logistics are simplified. Whereas the first traders may have been coming to the source of the tin and returning with unrefined ore, later the ore was refined locally and the tin exported as ingots.
The current archaeological thinking concerning the Bronze Age is unhelpful. The stone circles are thought to have a religious or ceremonial function, the stone rows are thought to have religious ceremonial or processional function perhaps associated with burial ritual. The settlements and hut circles were obviously living quarters, but why were so many people living on Dartmoor is not properly answered. Barrows, and cairns are thought to be simply burial mounds although the evidence for burial in many of them is non existent. Long reaves have been "explained" as boundaries even though a glance at the map will confirm that they make no sense as boundaries.
No proper attempt has been made to link these Bronze Age remains to the tin trade or to show any practical purpose for them. The obvious solutions have been ignored, and religion, ceremonial, processional,funereal and boundary functions have been accepted with no real evidence to back them up.
In the following chapters i will attempt to provide evidence for practical functions for the stone circles,stone rows, settlements, hut circles, barrows, cairns, reaves and standing stones and show that they were all part of a Bronze Age infrastructure during the various stages of the quest for tin.
The Bronze Age began 3300BC and continued for 2100 years. This was a vast expanse of time and has been divided into Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages.. Early Bronze Age lasted 1200 years, Middle 550years and Late 350 years. Huge changes in logistics and infrastructure could have taken place over this time. 2100 years ago the Romans had been in Britain for only 40 years. The changes over that amount of time have been enormous. Systems that were put in place at the beginning of the Bronze Age may well have been abandoned, replaced and forgotten by the end.
Stone circles, stone rows, settlements, hut circles, barrows, cairns, reaves cists and standing stones are all part of the Bronze Age legacy. I suggest that they are all part of an infrastructure put in place by the tin prospectors, traders and workers at various stages in the quest for tin.
Tin for making bronze became a much needed material and was almost as valuable as gold. It had to be located, extracted and delivered to the people who needed it.. This was not easy, and the logistics of the tin trade was full of problems. Trade routes change with time. Initially the people who need a material have to send out prospectors to find that material. Once they have found it, then they have to find workers to extract it. Then the long haul home to the people who use it.
As trade develops, the routes are refined, and the logistics are simplified. Whereas the first traders may have been coming to the source of the tin and returning with unrefined ore, later the ore was refined locally and the tin exported as ingots.
The current archaeological thinking concerning the Bronze Age is unhelpful. The stone circles are thought to have a religious or ceremonial function, the stone rows are thought to have religious ceremonial or processional function perhaps associated with burial ritual. The settlements and hut circles were obviously living quarters, but why were so many people living on Dartmoor is not properly answered. Barrows, and cairns are thought to be simply burial mounds although the evidence for burial in many of them is non existent. Long reaves have been "explained" as boundaries even though a glance at the map will confirm that they make no sense as boundaries.
No proper attempt has been made to link these Bronze Age remains to the tin trade or to show any practical purpose for them. The obvious solutions have been ignored, and religion, ceremonial, processional,funereal and boundary functions have been accepted with no real evidence to back them up.
In the following chapters i will attempt to provide evidence for practical functions for the stone circles,stone rows, settlements, hut circles, barrows, cairns, reaves and standing stones and show that they were all part of a Bronze Age infrastructure during the various stages of the quest for tin.
A Fresh Interpretation Of Bronze Age Dartmoor. 1
Dartmoor, and to a lesser extent Bodmin Moor contain more Bronze Age remains than anywhere else in Europe. Both are granite uplands and both are rich in the oxide of tin, cassiterite. Dartmoor was the richest source of alluvial tin ore in Europe. The tin ore was on or near the surface in the river and stream beds and did not need deep mining.
Dartmoor became highly populated during the Bronze Age and less populated when iron began to take the place of bronze. It is probable that, because Dartmoor contained large amounts of tin, that it became highly populated. The two facts must be related. Just as parts of Alaska became highly populated when they discovered gold, parts of Britain became highly populated when they discovered tin.
Although there is little hard evidence of exploitation of tin in the Bronze Age, the circumstantial evidence is obvious. The Bronze Age prospectors were not likely to have overlooked such a rich and readily available source of tin.
Before the Bronze Age, the people who lived in the agriculturally rich lands of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia were experimenting and working with metals such as copper gold and silver. Gold was in great demand for jewellery and decoration, but was of little practical value. Copper was used for weapons and tools but was easily broken and blunted. The need was for something more durable, that could be worked at low temperatures and was easily moulded.
It was found that copper with a little arsenic formed a excellent alloy, but the metal workers began to suffer from arsenic poisoning. The industry needed to find a substitute for the dangerous arsenic.
A variety of metals would have been tried, until they realised that a small amount of tin mixed with the copper formed the perfect and safe alloy. Tin was a rare mineral and all the local sources were soon worked out. Prospectors and traders travelled great distances in search of the rare and by now very valuable mineral.
The Minoans and Phoenicians were both accomplished seafarers and traders and had ships that could sail out of the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic. The quest for tin was on..
The extraction and export of tin ore became an industry on Dartmoor, and all industries require an infrastructure and a logistics system. In the next chapters I will show how the various Bronze Age constructions on Dartmoor may have been elements in this infrastructure.
Dartmoor, and to a lesser extent Bodmin Moor contain more Bronze Age remains than anywhere else in Europe. Both are granite uplands and both are rich in the oxide of tin, cassiterite. Dartmoor was the richest source of alluvial tin ore in Europe. The tin ore was on or near the surface in the river and stream beds and did not need deep mining.
Dartmoor became highly populated during the Bronze Age and less populated when iron began to take the place of bronze. It is probable that, because Dartmoor contained large amounts of tin, that it became highly populated. The two facts must be related. Just as parts of Alaska became highly populated when they discovered gold, parts of Britain became highly populated when they discovered tin.
Although there is little hard evidence of exploitation of tin in the Bronze Age, the circumstantial evidence is obvious. The Bronze Age prospectors were not likely to have overlooked such a rich and readily available source of tin.
Before the Bronze Age, the people who lived in the agriculturally rich lands of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia were experimenting and working with metals such as copper gold and silver. Gold was in great demand for jewellery and decoration, but was of little practical value. Copper was used for weapons and tools but was easily broken and blunted. The need was for something more durable, that could be worked at low temperatures and was easily moulded.
It was found that copper with a little arsenic formed a excellent alloy, but the metal workers began to suffer from arsenic poisoning. The industry needed to find a substitute for the dangerous arsenic.
A variety of metals would have been tried, until they realised that a small amount of tin mixed with the copper formed the perfect and safe alloy. Tin was a rare mineral and all the local sources were soon worked out. Prospectors and traders travelled great distances in search of the rare and by now very valuable mineral.
The Minoans and Phoenicians were both accomplished seafarers and traders and had ships that could sail out of the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic. The quest for tin was on..
The extraction and export of tin ore became an industry on Dartmoor, and all industries require an infrastructure and a logistics system. In the next chapters I will show how the various Bronze Age constructions on Dartmoor may have been elements in this infrastructure.
Monday, 1 December 2008
The Importance of TIN
The importance of tin in the Bronze Age cannot be over emphasised. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Copper was found in relative abundance in the Sinai and Cyprus. Tin was extreemly rare in the Middle East, and what little there was, was soon used up.
Before the discovery of tin, the metal workers of Sumer were using arsenic with the copper to create a form of bronze. Arsenic was poisoning the metal workers, so prospectors searched the world for cassiterite the oxide of tin. Trade in tin became very lucrative.
People of the levant, Phoenicians and Danites, were the merchants of the Middle East, and they controlled most of the Tin trade. Some tin was found in Spain and Brittany, but the best source of tin ore was South West England which was later called The Cassiterides (Land of tin ore) and Danmonia (Mines of Dan). Cassiterite could be found in the streams coming from the granite upland. At this early stage of the Bronze Age both copper and tin was picked off the surface; deep mining was not yet develloped. Although Bodmin Moor, had some tin on or near the surface, Dartmoor was the best source in all Europe and the Middle East. Archaeologists have not found any positive physical proof that tin was exploited during the Bronze Age, but it is inconceivable that the people livng within yards of the tin ore deposits would have not noticed the valuable mineral. It would seem obvious that the reason for the settlement of dartmoor during the Bronze Age was to exploit the Tin.
Before the discovery of tin, the metal workers of Sumer were using arsenic with the copper to create a form of bronze. Arsenic was poisoning the metal workers, so prospectors searched the world for cassiterite the oxide of tin. Trade in tin became very lucrative.
People of the levant, Phoenicians and Danites, were the merchants of the Middle East, and they controlled most of the Tin trade. Some tin was found in Spain and Brittany, but the best source of tin ore was South West England which was later called The Cassiterides (Land of tin ore) and Danmonia (Mines of Dan). Cassiterite could be found in the streams coming from the granite upland. At this early stage of the Bronze Age both copper and tin was picked off the surface; deep mining was not yet develloped. Although Bodmin Moor, had some tin on or near the surface, Dartmoor was the best source in all Europe and the Middle East. Archaeologists have not found any positive physical proof that tin was exploited during the Bronze Age, but it is inconceivable that the people livng within yards of the tin ore deposits would have not noticed the valuable mineral. It would seem obvious that the reason for the settlement of dartmoor during the Bronze Age was to exploit the Tin.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Dartmoor. The unexplained Bronze Age landscape.
Dartmoor is a granite upland in the county of Devonshire South West England. It is a National Park with probably the greatest concentration of Bronze Age remains in Europe. Unfortunately this important prehistoric landscape has not been adequately explained.
I have been a guide for the National Park since the "Guided Walks" began over thirty years ago, and have taken a special interest in the Bronze Age Landscape.
These articles are my personal understanding of the situation, and not the accepted view of the National Park Authority. Many of my findings will be in direct conflict with the officially accepted interpretations.
Although Dartmoor has been one of the most explored and studied regions of Britain, there are still many unanswered questions.
1. Why was dartmoor so heavily populated in the Bronze Age and why did the population diminish so dramatically in the Iron Age?
2. Why were so many settlements created in places that would appear to be difficult to find adequate food?
3.Who were the people that settled on dartmoor in the Bronze Age, and why did they choose to live there?
4. What was the thinking behind the strange parallel field systems?
5. What was the purpose of the Long Reaves?
6. What was the purpose of the Stone Rows?
7. What was the purpose of the Stone circles?
8. What was the purpose of the Standing Stones?
9. Was the tin ore exploited in the Bronze Age?
10. Were the large Cairns and Barrows Burial mounds, or did they have a more practical purpose.
I have been a guide for the National Park since the "Guided Walks" began over thirty years ago, and have taken a special interest in the Bronze Age Landscape.
These articles are my personal understanding of the situation, and not the accepted view of the National Park Authority. Many of my findings will be in direct conflict with the officially accepted interpretations.
Although Dartmoor has been one of the most explored and studied regions of Britain, there are still many unanswered questions.
1. Why was dartmoor so heavily populated in the Bronze Age and why did the population diminish so dramatically in the Iron Age?
2. Why were so many settlements created in places that would appear to be difficult to find adequate food?
3.Who were the people that settled on dartmoor in the Bronze Age, and why did they choose to live there?
4. What was the thinking behind the strange parallel field systems?
5. What was the purpose of the Long Reaves?
6. What was the purpose of the Stone Rows?
7. What was the purpose of the Stone circles?
8. What was the purpose of the Standing Stones?
9. Was the tin ore exploited in the Bronze Age?
10. Were the large Cairns and Barrows Burial mounds, or did they have a more practical purpose.
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