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Early Neolithic Structures of the Yorkshire Wolds
The Early Neolithic structures of the Yorkshire Wolds include Long Barrows, mortuary enclosures and Cursus monuments. The Long Barrows consisted of unchambered mounds between two parallel ditches from which the mound material was extracted. Whilst they are normally orientated East-West the larger example (TA075677) at Rudston is SE-NW. The second Rudston Long Barrow (TA077675) is evidenced by a pair of short linear ditches 200m to south of the above Long Barrow. The eastern ends of the Long Barrows at Rudston are slightly wider. Excavation at a number of sites suggests that many Long Barrows were converted to Round Barrows - thus many more may yet be discerned.
(Manby, 1988; Manby et al, 2003; Stoertz, 1997)
Excavations of some Long Barrows in the Wolds indicate timber-built mortuary structures beneath them. A number of elongated and rectilinear structures, identified through aerial photographic evidence, have been tentatively interpreted as such mortuary enclosures. (Manby et al, 2003; Stoertz, 1997) Kinnes sees the Yorkshire pre-mound structures as, Forecourt-Chamber-Mortuary, rather than the southern form of, Forestructure-Facade-Chamber or Facade-Mortuary-Chamber.
(Manby et al, 2003)
No causewayed enclosures have been securely recognised in this region. In their place cursus monuments abound - in particular around Rudston.
References:
Manby, T. (ed), 1988 Archaeology in Eastern Yorkshire University of Sheffield.
Manby, T., Moorhouse, S. & Ottaway, P. (eds), 2003 The Archaeology of Yorkshire - An assesment at the beginning of the 21st century Yorkshire Archaeological Society Occasional Paper No. 3, YAS, Leeds.
Renfrew, C., 1973 Before Civilisation Jonathon Cape, London.
Stoertz, C., 1997 Ancient Landscapes of the Yorkshire Wolds RCHME, Swindon.
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