Paper short abstract:

In this paper I will consider the long term use of chambered tombs in western Britain. Most of these monuments seem to have been built fairly expediently in the early Neolithic (between 3800-3500 BC), but many were then remodelled and reused over the next 2000 years. Not only were the monuments themselves reworked and reused episodically over this long time-scale, but the landscapes in which they were located continued to be occupied and used. In this paper I want to think about why people returned to earlier sites and remodelled the architecture, often in quite subtle ways. I will think about the practices associated with the use and reuse of chambered tombs and finally I will consider the impact of these sites in the wider landscape. What did it mean to live alongside these monuments, and why did people, at certain times, return and re-engage with them?

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I will consider the long term use of chambered tombs in western Britain. Most of these monuments seem to have been built fairly expediently in the early Neolithic (between 3800-3500 BC), but many were then remodelled and reused over the next 2000 years. Not only were the monuments themselves reworked and reused episodically over this long time-scale, but the landscapes in which they were located continued to be occupied and used. In this paper I want to think about why people returned to earlier sites and remodelled the architecture, often in quite subtle ways. I will think about the practices associated with the use and reuse of chambered tombs and finally I will consider the impact of these sites in the wider landscape. What did it mean to live alongside these monuments, and why did people, at certain times, return and re-engage with them?