Introduction

The rather traditional division drawn here between the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age is simply one of convenience. It allows us to focus upon the development of round barrows, the construction of which show an essential continuity with developments during the previous period. However, henge monuments are no longer constructed in our area, and the barrows evidence a monumentality with an almost exclusive emphasis upon the dead. It is the changing emphasis in the practices associated with monumentality which is the issue here, rather than a simple technological division in the artefact sequence (Fig. 4.1).

Burgess has suggested a series of period divisions for the second millennium be (Table 4.1) in which his Mount Pleasant Period (c. 2150–1700 be) sees the introduction of copper, and then the full adoption of bronze metallurgy (metal Stages I-IV), along with most of the ‘steps’ of Beaker development (n.d. [1980]; 1980, 71; 1986). Although there remain considerable doubts about the detail of the Beaker chronology in Britain (see Longworth in Wainwright 1979b, 90), it seems most likely that the main currency of this material pre-dates 1700 be. The Beaker and early metal finds from the region are discussed below and, although sparsely represented, they are likely to have been contemporary with the final history of the Wyke Down henge. It is also probable that they fall within the period of use of the Knowlton henges.