Houses of the Dead

The chronological disjuncture, LBK longhouses have widely been considered to provide ancestral influence for both rectangular and trapezoidal long barrows and cairns, but with the discovery and excavation of more houses in recent times is it possible to observe evidence of more contemporary inspiration. What do the features found beneath long mounds tell us about this and to what extent do they represent domestic structures. Indeed, how can we distinguish between domestic houses or halls and those that may have been constructed for ritual purposes or ended up beneath mounds? Do so called 'mortuary enclosures' reflect ritual or domestic architecture and did side ditches always provide material for a mound or for building construction? This collection of papers seeks to explore the interface between structures often considered to be those of the living with those for the dead.
About the Author: As Archaeological Investigators for the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments of England and subsequently English Heritage, the authors spent well over 20 years working on the archaeological landscapes of southern England. During that time all the major monuments of the Neolithic period were investigated, Avebury, Stonehenge, Silbury Hill, and their particular brand of earthwork analysis and landscape investigation provides a unique large-scale interpretation of the period. They have prepared numerous reports and journal articles on the subject and written the definitive publication on ‘The field archaeology of Salisbury Plain Training Area’ as well as a companion volume ‘The Avebury Landscape’.
About the Author: Dr Jim Leary lectures in Archaeology at the University of Reading where he also directs of Archaeology Field School. Formally a prehistorian with English Heritage and 'Field Archaeologist in Residence' at Cambridge University, Jim Leary has many years of professional archaeological experience. He has directed major excavations, including into Silbury Hill and Marden henge, and has published widely on archaeology, specifically prehistory