Traditions of deposition in the neolithic of Wessex
This thesis seeks to demonstrate intentional selection, and spatial and associational patterning in the past deposition of artefactual, faunal and human remains in the British Neolithic. Drawing on theory from material culture studies and anthropology, it is suggested that depositional practices were the result of, and played a part in the creation and maintenance of, systems of cultural classification and symbolic order. Furthermore, that deposition was often actively employed in ascribing sets of meanings and references to places, events and practices through a process of material culture signification and connotation. A major part of the thesis takes the form of a series of detailed case studies of depositional practices within excavated sites in the Avebury and Stonehenge regions of Wiltshire. A variety of contexts, including pits, funerary monuments and enclosures of both Earlier and Later Neolithic date, are examined; within which consciously motivated acts of deposition are seen as a recurrent feature. In a broader discussion, implications developing from the case studies and analysis of depositional activity at other sites elsewhere in southern Britain are related to issues of Neolithic perceptions
Pollard, Carl Joshua
Traditions of deposition in the neolithic of Wessex. This thesis seeks to demonstrate intentional selection, and spatial and associational patterning in the past deposition of artefactual, faunal and human remains in the British Neolithic. Drawing on theory from material culture studies and anthropology, it is suggested that depositional practices were the result of, and played a part in the creation and maintenance of, systems of cultural classification and symbolic order. Furthermore, that deposition was often actively employed in ascribing sets of meanings and references to places, events and practices through a process of material culture signification and connotation. A major part of the thesis takes the form of a series of detailed case studies of depositional practices within excavated sites in the Avebury and Stonehenge regions of Wiltshire. A variety of contexts, including pits, funerary monuments and enclosures of both Earlier and Later Neolithic date, are examined; within which consciously motivated acts of deposition are seen as a recurrent feature. In a broader discussion, implications developing from the case studies and analysis of depositional activity at other sites elsewhere in southern Britain are related to issues of Neolithic perceptions
traditions deposition neolithic wessex seek intentional selection spatial associational patterning past deposition artefactual faunal human_remain british_neolithic drawing theory material_culture study anthropology suggest depositional_practice play_part creation_maintenance system cultural classification symbolic order furthermore deposition often actively employed ascribe set meaning reference place event practice process material_culture signification connotation major_part take_form series detail case_study depositional_practice within excavate_site region wiltshire variety context include pit funerary_monument enclosure examine within consciously motivate act deposition see recurrent feature broad discussion implication develop case_study analysis depositional activity site elsewhere southern_britain related_issue neolithic perception