THE Neolithic era, when humans began to grow crops and domesticate animals, is generally thought to have its origins some 8000 years ago in the Middle East and spread across Europe to the British Isles. Exactly when it “arrived” in Britain, however, has been the subject of a lively but unresolved debate. This revolves around the question of whether innovations such as domesticating plants and animals, and making pots, polished stone tools and monuments were introduced from the continent by a migrating population – or adopted by indigenous hunter-gatherers.
Recently, these debates have been further enlivened by the emergence of a more precise chronology for the period, based on research by Alasdair Whittle and Frances Healy at Cardiff University, UK, and Alex Bayliss at English Heritage. This provides better radiometric dating and applies Bayesian statistical modelling to radiocarbon dates.
At last, there is a decent timetable stretching from the first glimmerings of a Neolithic presence after 4100 BC to the construction of large enclosed sites used for gatherings in 3700 BC and beyond. The emerging picture is of a process of “Neolithisation” beginning in the south-east corner of England, and spreading north and west over three centuries or more.
This fine-grained chronology has also produced some challenges to our views of the Neolithic – one of the most important of which concerns houses. Neolithic archaeology has been bedevilled by a failure to find settlement sites, prompting the suggestion that relatively mobile social groups may have relied on ephemeral dwelling structures. A possible answer was initially thought to lie in the recent discovery of large rectilinear timber buildings in both the UK