Prehistoric Hatherleigh

Drew Campbell 3500-1500 BC

The period we refer to as prehistory began in this country between 840,000 and 950,000years ago,[1] and ended with the arrival of the Romans. To help understand and organise this vast period of time historians employ a three age system which includes the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.[2] Regarding Hatherleigh’s prehistory, the earliest evidence we have of a human presence here was discovered in 1972 by Sally Vick in a field at Moorhead (Figure 1a and b). Sally discovered a flint blade which has been dated as being Late Neolithic (which began c.3500BC) to early Bronze Age (which ended c.1500BC).

Figure 1a and b: the two sides of a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age flint found in Hatherleigh.

This find tells us that there was a human presence in the Hatherleigh area at an important time in our history. For hundreds of thousands of years, humans were nomadic hunter/gatherers, yet around the time this flint was in use – the Late Neolithic Period/Early Bronze Age, people were beginning to settle in one place and starting to farm.[3] It cannot be stated enough how important this change was. People were still hunting animals and foraging,[4] however, they were now more focused on using certain resources that were specific to a particular location and through constructing enclosures and clearing woodland, major changes to the landscape were taking place. Commenting on this transition the archaeologist Sandy Gerrard describes how during the Neolithic period ‘the seeds of innovation – development, observation and experimentation – germinated and grew, thus enabling humankind to become what it is today.’ [5]

An illustration of a Bronze Age round houses.

Figure 2. An illustration of a Bronze Age round houses.[6]

Whether the owner of the flint was simply passing through or living in a settlement in Hatherleigh we will probably never know. There have been other flint finds. The archaeologist, Debbie Lang has found that kicking mole hills occasionally delivers Bronze Age flints on Hatherleigh Moor and more recently a pupil at Hatherleigh Primary School, Amelie Campbell, discovered another flint which was dated as Late Bronze Age (c. 1000-700BC) (Figure 3a, 3b and 3c). Although the soil it was found in was on school property, it had been transplanted from a field which had recently had houses built upon them just behind the church. This find strengthens the argument that Hatherleigh’s history dates back to Prehistoric times, particularly the Bronze Age.

Figure 3 a, b and c: Various views of the flint found at Hatherleigh School.

Unfortunately these flints are to date the only physical evidence we have. We have no knowledge of prehistoric ruins in Hatherleigh, but that does not mean they did not exist. It may be the case that settlements were here, but their remains have been destroyed or hidden by various farming and development practices[7]. This notion is further supported by recent examinations of World War II aerial photographs of Mid and North Devon by the National Mapping Programme (NMP), where a considerable amount of Prehistoric activity has been discovered in the area’s surrounding Hatherleigh. The map below (figure 4) shows which areas where tested square boxes) and each dot represents a prehistoric site (many of which were new discoveries). Unfortunately Hatherleigh was not included in the studies’ catchment area; however with such a large amount of evidence surrounding Hatherleigh, there is every chance that Hatherleigh has similar features that await discovery.

Prehistoric settlements recorded by the National Mapping Scheme.

Figure 4. Prehistoric settlements recorded by the National Mapping Scheme.

Local News coverage of Early Bronze Age Flint Discovery


 

[1] The date for the earliest evidence of humans in this country is constantly being put back due to the findings of new research. For a report on this new evidence see I. Sample, The Guardian, .http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jul/07/first-humans-britain-stone-tools  (17/11/2013). It is important to note that Britain was inhabited intermittently during this period, with their departures and arrivals often linked to the climate changes that occurred. Furthermore, for the majority of Britain’s prehistory it was connected to the Continent. It became an island in 6100BC.

[2] To confuse matters there is also disagreement between historians regarding the start and end of certain periods. See S. Gerrard. Book of Dartmoor: Landscapes Through Time (London, 1997), for a good description of the various prehistoric periods including Mesolithic (c.10,000-4500BC),  Neolithic (c. 4500-2300BC), Bronze Age (c.2300-700BC) and Iron Age (700BC-43AD).

[3] S.R. Davies, ‘The early Neolithic Tor enclosures of southwest Britain’ (unpub. Ph.D. thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010), Davies, ‘The early Neolithic Tor enclosures of southwest Britain’, pp. 42-3.

[4] M. Todd, The South West to AD 100 (Harlow, 1987), p. 67.

[5] Gerrard, Book of Dartmoor, p. 27.

[6] See http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/learningabout/lab-printableresources/lab-factsheetshome/lab-prehistoricarchaeology

[7] There are two possible theories. Either upland areas were preferred by prehistoric settlers and that is why we find most of the evidence of their existence in such places, or the whole country was inhabited by people at this time but the as the lowlands have been developed upon most of the evidence of their existence has been lost.