All Cannings Cross
Encyclopedia
All Cannings Cross is the name of farm and an archaeological site
close to All Cannings
near Devizes
in the English
county of Wiltshire
.
It is famous as being the first site where the emergence of iron age
technology in Britain was identified by archaeologists. In 1911 it was first investigated by Ben and Maud Cunnington
after they were informed of finds of numerous hammerstone
s in a plough
ed field in the Vale of Pewsey
.
Subsequent excavation by the Cunningtons encountered a thick layer of humic material containing a high concentration of pottery and animal bone as well as both bronze
and iron
tools. The date of the site was estimated at c. 500 BC, a time of transition from the Bronze Age
to the Iron Age
.
The Cunningtons returned to the site between 1920 and 1922 and study of the wide range of pottery they excavated became highly influential on the understanding of the period. From the eighth century to the seventh century BC the area Wessex
boasted an elaborate array of different vessel types, often highly decorated and very well-made. Some were covered with iron oxide and fired in oxidising conditions which produced pottery which could be burnished to shine like bronze vessels. The distribution of this pottery, which has All Cannings Cross as its typesite, has since been found in an area of southern Britain from the Somerset Levels
to eastern Hampshire
. This suggests a high degree of interaction during the period and some kind of shared values which indicate that communities in the region were in close contact with another, likely through exchange networks used to trade bronze..
There is evidence for some post-built buildings and other settlement features such as hearths and floors.
More recent work by the University of Sheffield
in 2003 and 2004 has interpreted the humic deposit as being part of a group of large midden
s, analogous to similar sites at nearby Potterne
or East Chisenbury. The nature of the settlement itself is still poorly-understood and it is uncertain whether the middens represent waste materials from a farming economy of whether the midden pits were ritual
ly created through group feast
ing activities for example.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
close to All Cannings
All Cannings
All Cannings pr Allcannings is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey in the English county of Wiltshire. The parish includes the nearby smaller settlement of Allington.-History:...
near Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
It is famous as being the first site where the emergence of iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
technology in Britain was identified by archaeologists. In 1911 it was first investigated by Ben and Maud Cunnington
Maud Cunnington
Maud Edith Cunnington , was a Welsh-born archaeologist, most famous for her pioneering work on the prehistoric sites of Salisbury Plain....
after they were informed of finds of numerous hammerstone
Hammerstone
In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble used to strike off lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. The hammerstone is a rather universal stone tool which appeared early in most regions of the world including Europe, India and North America...
s in a plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
ed field in the Vale of Pewsey
Vale of Pewsey
The Vale of Pewsey or Pewsey Vale is an area of Wiltshire, England to the east of Devizes and south of Marlborough, centred on the town of Pewsey.-Geography:...
.
Subsequent excavation by the Cunningtons encountered a thick layer of humic material containing a high concentration of pottery and animal bone as well as both bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
tools. The date of the site was estimated at c. 500 BC, a time of transition from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
to the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
.
The Cunningtons returned to the site between 1920 and 1922 and study of the wide range of pottery they excavated became highly influential on the understanding of the period. From the eighth century to the seventh century BC the area Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
boasted an elaborate array of different vessel types, often highly decorated and very well-made. Some were covered with iron oxide and fired in oxidising conditions which produced pottery which could be burnished to shine like bronze vessels. The distribution of this pottery, which has All Cannings Cross as its typesite, has since been found in an area of southern Britain from the Somerset Levels
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, South West England, between the Quantock and Mendip Hills...
to eastern Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. This suggests a high degree of interaction during the period and some kind of shared values which indicate that communities in the region were in close contact with another, likely through exchange networks used to trade bronze..
There is evidence for some post-built buildings and other settlement features such as hearths and floors.
More recent work by the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
in 2003 and 2004 has interpreted the humic deposit as being part of a group of large midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s, analogous to similar sites at nearby Potterne
Potterne
Potterne is a village in the English county of Wiltshire. The civil parish of Potterne includes the hamlet of Potterne Wick. In the census of 2001, the village had a population of 1,570. It is located slightly to the south of Devizes and lies on the A360 which passes from Devizes to Salisbury...
or East Chisenbury. The nature of the settlement itself is still poorly-understood and it is uncertain whether the middens represent waste materials from a farming economy of whether the midden pits were ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
ly created through group feast
EAT
EAT or eat may refer to:* Eating, the process of consuming food, for the purpose of providing for the nutritional needs of an animal* To take a loss in a transaction. The one who absorbs the loss is said to eat the cost of that loss...
ing activities for example.