Durrington Walls

Durrington Walls. It is a massive Neolithic henge enclosure located near the River Avon on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Forming a key part of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, it is one of the largest known henge monuments in the British Isles. The site is widely interpreted as a major settlement and ceremonial complex intimately connected with the nearby Stonehenge circle.

Discovery and excavation

The site was first identified as an ancient monument in the 18th century by antiquarian William Stukeley, who noted its substantial earthworks. Modern archaeological investigation began with a research project led by Geoffrey Wainwright between 1966 and 1968, which uncovered the remains of timber structures. A major new phase of work, the Stonehenge Riverside Project, commenced in 2003 under the co-direction of Mike Parker Pearson of University College London. This project, involving institutions like the University of Sheffield and University of Manchester, has dramatically expanded understanding through extensive geophysical survey and targeted excavation, revealing numerous Neolithic house floors and midden deposits.

Description and layout

The monument consists of a large, circular enclosure defined by a massive bank and an internal ditch, breached by two opposing entrances. Within this enclosure, geophysical surveys have revealed the outlines of several concentric rings of massive timber posts, forming structures akin to Woodhenge, which lies just to the south. Excavations have uncovered the remains of many Neolithic houses, characterized by clay floors and central hearths, making it the largest known settlement of its period in northern Europe. The site is aligned on a solstitial axis, with its southern entrance facing toward the River Avon and the midwinter sunset.

Dating and chronology

Radiocarbon dating of animal bones and other materials indicates primary construction and occupation occurred around 2500 BC, during the Grooved Ware period. This places its floruit contemporaneous with the main stage of construction at Stonehenge, when the large sarsen stones were erected. Analysis of ceramic assemblages, particularly Grooved Ware, and butchered animal remains from vast feasting deposits has provided precise chronological data. The settlement appears to have been used for a relatively short period, perhaps only a few generations, before being formally closed with the deposition of antler picks in the ditch terminals.

Purpose and interpretation

Current interpretation, led by Mike Parker Pearson, posits that the site was a major living area and feasting centre for the builders and users of Stonehenge. The vast quantities of pig and cattle bones, particularly from juvenile animals, suggest large-scale communal feasting, likely associated with seasonal gatherings and rituals. The timber circles are thought to have been used for ceremonies relating to the life and the living, forming a complementary "domain of the living" to the "domain of the dead" represented by the stone circle of Stonehenge and the nearby West Kennet Long Barrow.

Relationship to Stonehenge

The two monuments are considered integral parts of a single ritual complex linked by the River Avon and the Stonehenge Avenue. The theory proposes a ceremonial route where the deceased would begin their journey at Durrington Walls, travel down the river, and proceed along the Stonehenge Avenue to Stonehenge for burial. This cosmological relationship is reinforced by their opposing architectural materials—timber versus stone—and their alignments to the winter and summer solstices. The entire landscape, including the Cursus and the Durrington Walls avenue, appears to have been carefully orchestrated within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.

Category:Neolithic settlements Category:Stonehenge Category:Archaeological sites in Wiltshire Category:National Trust properties in Wiltshire