Description

Summary: The animal remains from the causewayed enclosure on Knap Hill, Alton, excavated by G Connah, 1961.

Research results

Marshall et al. (2020) have recently published the results of a Radiocarbon dating scheme carried out on the site in 2005. Samples were taken from a number of bones and a single antler, as part of a project to refine our understanding of the chronology of the site. The results support the conclusions of the original excavator, suggesting a short period of occupation, starting 3530-3375 cal BC, and ending 3525-3220 cal BC.

The animal remains from excavations on Knap Hill, Alton, excavated by Graham Connah and the University of Cambridge in 1961. The animal bone assemblage from the excavations is relatively small, and fragmentary. It is dominated by cattle bone at all layers, with a small amount of sheep or goat and pig remains recovered from securely Neolithic layers, although there are larger quantities in the upper fills and it may be that some of these are intrusive. A small group of red deer antler were also recovered in the early fills of the ditch, no red deer bones were confidently identified and these are interpretted as tools used in the construction of the ditch.