Long Barrow (2021)


"On the brow of the hill, south from west Kynnet, is this monument, but without any name ... but at the end, only rude grey-wether-stones tumbled together: the barrow is above halfe a yard high." - John Aubrey (ca 1660)


"It stands east and west, pointing to the dragon's head on Overton-hill. A very operose congeries of huge stones upon the east end, and upon part of its back or ridge, piled one upon another, with no little labour—doubtless in order to form a sufficient chamber for the remains of the person there buried-not easily to be disturbed. The whole tumulus is an excessively large mound of earth, 180 cubits long, ridged up like a house. ." - William Stukely (ca 1725)


The floor of the chamber and gallery consisted of the gravelly clay, which here forms the natural subsoil; and the upright stones, which had been sunk a foot or two in the earth, were supported by small blocks of sarsen stone, closely rammed down in the floor. Both the gallery and chamber were filled with chalk rubble, covered at the top, to the depth of about a foot, with recent rubbish ... In a clearing out of the gallery, a few scattered bones of animals, flakes and knives of flints, and fragments of British pottery, of various patterns were picked up. There were also part of a rude bone pin and a single bead of Kimmeridge shale, roughly made by hand ... Beneath the black stratum, the chalk rubble, of a dirty white colour, extended to a depth of two feet; in this were found four human skeletons, and parts of two others, all resting on the floor of the chamber." - John Thurnam (1860)


"It was originally estimated that at least 43 individuals were represented in the primary deposits ... Subsequent re-analysis has shown ... that Piggott’s original estimate of numbers was too high; a better estimate is ... that 36 individuals are represented ... Thirty-one radiocarbon results are now available from the West Kennet long barrow ... the construction ... as dated from the primary mortuary deposits, occurred in 3670–3635 cal. bc, probably in the middle decades of the thirty-seventh century cal. bc. The last interments of this initial use of the chambers probably occurred in 3640–3610 cal. bc.". - Bayliss, A. Whittle, A & Wysocki, M (2007)











Olympus OMD EM1 MkII. Processed in On1PhotoRAW 2022 and Affinity Photo 1.10.4. Printed on Marrutt Smooth Fine Art Production, 312gsm.