Water, landscape and Bronze Age society in S. England : a contextual study : with special reference to 'burnt mounds'
Water has always influenced where and how people have lived. In southern Britain during the Bronze Age, the transition to a more settled life-style would have affected how a community accessed water. It is mooted that these changes led to new ways of thinking and this study will consider both the functional and symbolic treatment of water in the context of contemporary communities. In a landscape in which field boundaries became more prominent, the watery 'edge' created by rivers, streams and marsh can be shown to have strongly influenced the behaviour and inhabitation patterns of the community. By the end of the Bronze Age the evidence suggests that water had become a significant conceptual and 'spiritual' element in people's lives. The new evidence from the study area, i.e. the adjoining coastal zone and downland block of West Sussex and East Hampshire, focuses on these issues. In particular, a contextual study investigates the deposition patterns of metalwork and the role and place of 'burnt mounds' in Bronze Age society is considered. A study of the bore-hole logs and hydrology of the region demonstrates how later post-Medieval abstraction has significantly lowered the water table. An assessment is made
Dunkin, David John
Water, landscape and Bronze Age society in S. England : a contextual study : with special reference to 'burnt mounds'. Water has always influenced where and how people have lived. In southern Britain during the Bronze Age, the transition to a more settled life-style would have affected how a community accessed water. It is mooted that these changes led to new ways of thinking and this study will consider both the functional and symbolic treatment of water in the context of contemporary communities. In a landscape in which field boundaries became more prominent, the watery 'edge' created by rivers, streams and marsh can be shown to have strongly influenced the behaviour and inhabitation patterns of the community. By the end of the Bronze Age the evidence suggests that water had become a significant conceptual and 'spiritual' element in people's lives. The new evidence from the study area, i.e. the adjoining coastal zone and downland block of West Sussex and East Hampshire, focuses on these issues. In particular, a contextual study investigates the deposition patterns of metalwork and the role and place of 'burnt mounds' in Bronze Age society is considered. A study of the bore-hole logs and hydrology of the region demonstrates how later post-Medieval abstraction has significantly lowered the water table. An assessment is made
water landscape bronze age society england contextual_study special_reference burnt mound water always influence people_live southern_britain bronze age_transition settle life style would affect community accessed water change lead new_way think study consider functional symbolic treatment water context_contemporary community landscape field boundary become_prominent watery edge created river stream show strongly_influence behaviour inhabitation pattern community end bronze_age evidence_suggest water become_significant conceptual spiritual element people life new_evidence study_area adjoin coastal zone block west sussex east hampshire focus issue particular contextual study_investigate deposition pattern metalwork role place burnt mound bronze age society consider study bore hole log hydrology region demonstrate later post_medieval abstraction significantly lower water table assessment_make