| Abstract: |
The book documents the archaeological remains surviving in the Salisbury Plain Training Area, which covers an area of 37,000 hectares. The area has been out of bounds to all except military personnel since land purchases began in the late-nineteenth century, before which it was largely desolate; this has ensured a high level of survival of archaeological sites. The earliest monuments identified are Neolithic long barrows and causewayed enclosures; these were followed by large numbers of round barrows, especially along river valleys, often occurring in groups. Permanent fields and settlements are evidence from the Middle Bronze Age through to the Romano-British period. There are five confirmed late prehistoric hillforts, and large numbers of smaller enclosures. A large Early Iron Age midden mound and associated enclosure was identified at East Chisenbury. The Roman period, from the first to fourth centuries AD, saw the most intense period of settlement and agricultural intensification, although there is little evidence of military activity. The settlement on Coombe Down indicates that activity continued into the sixth century, although there was a gradual decline in upland occupation as the majority of the population became established in the river valley and lowland villages, the downs continuing to be used as part of a fixed pattern of agricultural exploitation. Anglo-Saxon burials are evident during this period, both in pre-existing burial mounds and in newly constructed graves. There are no medieval settlements evident on the higher Plain, only sheep enclosures, pasture and the remains of ridge-and-furrow cultivation. Modern settlements in the river valleys and more sheltered zones display traces of older settlement. During much of the later medieval period the downs were used as sheep walks, and an integrated system of management was evidence involving the use of a long-established division of the landscape into areas of pasture, arable and meadow. Following purchase of the area by the military, features associated with military training such as impact zones, rifle ranges and trench systems developed, many of the larger settlements becoming garrison towns. Includes French and German summaries, and |
