Between design and construction : understanding the pre-construction processes involved with the building of British Neolithic and Early Bronze Age ritual monuments and earthworks
While the construction techniques associated with building British Neolithic and Early Bronze Age ritual monuments and earthworks have been widely discussed (for instance, the types of tools used for construction, the choice of timber, earth or stone materials and how the particular structure was to be used), archaeologists have often tended to overlook those events which took place before any structure was actually constructed, that is, the pre-construction processes of building a monument or earthwork. In this thesis, I focus on three important processes involved with the pre-construction phases of building structures. That is site selection, site preparation and, most significantly, the setting-out process. Importantly, through a series of archaeology experiments, I have explored in greater detail the processes of the setting-out of monuments and earthworks prior to their construction. In the main body of this thesis I present the results of three case studies in which I re-enacted the setting-out process for reconstructing the ground plans of three different types of prehistoric structures: the Capel Garmon long barrow, Arbor Low henge and the Barbrook I stone circle. The successes of these experiments
Hill, John
Between design and construction : understanding the pre-construction processes involved with the building of British Neolithic and Early Bronze Age ritual monuments and earthworks. While the construction techniques associated with building British Neolithic and Early Bronze Age ritual monuments and earthworks have been widely discussed (for instance, the types of tools used for construction, the choice of timber, earth or stone materials and how the particular structure was to be used), archaeologists have often tended to overlook those events which took place before any structure was actually constructed, that is, the pre-construction processes of building a monument or earthwork. In this thesis, I focus on three important processes involved with the pre-construction phases of building structures. That is site selection, site preparation and, most significantly, the setting-out process. Importantly, through a series of archaeology experiments, I have explored in greater detail the processes of the setting-out of monuments and earthworks prior to their construction. In the main body of this thesis I present the results of three case studies in which I re-enacted the setting-out process for reconstructing the ground plans of three different types of prehistoric structures: the Capel Garmon long barrow, Arbor Low henge and the Barbrook I stone circle. The successes of these experiments
design_construction pre construction process_involve build british_neolithic early_bronze_age ritual monument earthwork construction_technique associate build british_neolithic early_bronze_age ritual monument widely_discuss instance type tool_use construction choice timber earth stone material particular structure use archaeologist often tend overlook event take_place structure actually construct pre construction process build monument earthwork focus_three important process_involve pre construction phase build structure site selection site preparation significantly setting out process importantly series archaeology explore great_detail process setting out monument prior construction main_body present three_case_study enacted setting out process reconstruct ground plan three_different type prehistoric structure long_barrow low henge stone_circle success