Causewayed enclosure

A causewayed enclosure is a large prehistoric earthwork common to the early Neolithic in Europe. Causewayed enclosures are often located on hilltop sites, encircled by one to four concentric ditches with an internal bank. More than 100 examples are recorded in France and 70 in England.

About Causewayed enclosure in brief

Summary Causewayed enclosureA causewayed enclosure is a type of large prehistoric earthwork common to the early Neolithic in Europe. More than 100 examples are recorded in France and 70 in England, while further sites are known in Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Slovakia. Causewayed enclosures are often located on hilltop sites, encircled by one to four concentric ditches with an internal bank. Crossing the ditches at intervals are causeways which give the monuments their names.

Archaeological evidence implies that the enclosures were visited occasionally by Neolithic groups rather than being permanently occupied. The earthworks may have been designed to keep out wild animals rather than people. In Britain, such replacements include Stonehenge I, Flagstones, Duggleby Howe and Ring of Bookan, and later henge monuments.