Seahenge, Norfolk: The ancient Bronze Age circle that lay hidden for 4,000 years

[Judi Lynn]

3. Bronze Age monument uncovered in the New Forest

Excavations on the Beaulieu Estate have revealed a Bronze Age monument with a possible entrance.
CREDIT: New Forest National Park Authority

Community excavations on the Beaulieu Estate in the New Forest have uncovered an enigmatic Bronze Age monument, as well as evidence for Mesolithic activity, greatly adding to our knowledge of how this area of Hampshire was used during prehistory.

Aerial photographs and LiDAR surveys provided the first hints of a possible Bronze Age round-barrow ditch on the site, and this was confirmed by a geophysical survey in the spring of 2018, which also showed signs of disturbance in the monument’s interior. A week-long excavation followed later that year, led by the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) and archaeologists from Bournemouth University along with over 40 volunteers, exposing part of the ring ditch.

This investigation revealed that the ditch had two distinct phases, and that a small cluster of four inverted cremation urns had been inserted into its backfill. Three of the urns were lifted for post-excavation analysis, which revealed that two of them contained cremated human bone. One urn held the remains of a child and in the other were the combined remains of an adolescent or adult and another juvenile. Radiocarbon analysis dated the bones to the Middle Bronze Age, c.1300 BC.

. . .

In addition to the Bronze Age finds, charred hazelnut shells were discovered within the basal fill of the earliest ring ditch. These were selected for radiocarbon dating, as it was hoped they would provide a conclusive date for the monument’s foundation. The results, however, were very surprising as the shell was dated to between 5736 BC and 5643 BC, meaning it was actually from the Mesolithic period. As well as the shells, two Mesolithic flint tools were identified. This discovery adds to a handful of probable Mesolithic camping sites that have previously been found along the banks of the Beaulieu River.

More:
https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/bronze-age-monument-uncovered-in-the-new-forest.htm