Stonehenge Cursus
Greater Cursus · Stonehenge Cursus and Cursus Barrows
Early Neolithic 3800–3600 BCE·Early Neolithic Britons·🇬🇧 Wiltshire, United Kingdom
About
About Stonehenge Cursus
Neolithic cursus monument: 2.7 km long × 100 m wide rectangular enclosure of paired ditches and banks (3800–3600 BCE, one of earliest Stonehenge landscape monuments) running across Stonehenge plain north of stone circle; aligned east-west, predating Stonehenge Phase 1 by centuries. Associated Cursus Barrows bronze age mound cemetery. Function processional: barrier/cursus name from Stukeley chariot-race theory discredited.
Why it mattersLargest cursus in Britain and earliest landscape-scale monument of Stonehenge World Heritage
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function as processionway vs social barrier vs astronomical alignment
- 02Why so long vs typical 1 km cursus elsewhere
Theories
- 01Liminal boundary separating Stonehenge ridge ritual world
- 02Longhouse mimic thesis (Hodder)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 3800–3600 BCE (Peterborough Ware)
- Period
- Early Neolithic 3800–3600 BCE
- Culture
- Early Neolithic Britons
- Purpose
- Processional avenue, boundary or social gathering enclosure
- Abandoned
- ~2500 BCE ceased use after Beaker transition
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
3800 BCE
Western terminal built
3600 BCE
Eastern ditch extended
3000 BCE
Stonehenge Phase 1 begins 1 km south
On the ground
Structures & features
51.1797° N · 1.8220° W · 95 m · 3 mapped features
Western Terminal Bank
earthworkSquared west end bank+ditch terminal
51.1795° N · 1.8330° WEastern Terminal
earthworkTapering east end approaching Larkhill
51.1820° N · 1.8020° WCursus Round Barrow Cemetery
barrow cemeteryLinear Bronze Age barrows immediately SW of cursus
51.1785° N · 1.8230° W
Gallery