The Poulton Research Project

The discovery of Bronze Age timber circles, ring-ditches or cemetery sites in SW Cheshire is a rare occurrence. The fact that all three are present at Poulton is adding greatly to the archaeological record of the region.

Poulton lies barely 40 metres from the present-day border with NE Wales. The Bronze Age is the most productive period for sites and monuments in NE Wales, predominantly habitation, field systems stone circles and burial sites. It has, arguably, the densest concentration of burial mounds in the country. Many of the barrows situated in the lower hills and river valleys have been badly damaged by plough action leaving the mound completely destroyed; many survive purely as 'ring-ditches'.

Given Poulton's proximity to such a densely packed Bronze Age landscape, it is perhaps not all that surprising to find similar prehistoric elements on the site. Work is still ongoing as to the gradual evolution of the Neolithic/Bronze Age landscape at Poulton and the surrounding area. However, a broad chronology has been established for the site (which may well change after this summer's excavation programme!).

Neolithic

Sometime in the Late Neolithic (c.3,000-2,300 BC) a timber circle was constructed, composed of silver birch posts surrounding a single central oak post.

Bronze Age

This was superseded by a smaller circle of silver birch posts, roughly aligned on the same site, surrounded by a low external bank and shallow ditch. The post-settings show no signs of recuts, suggesting a limited life-span. The possibility remains that they were originally covered, probably by an earthen mound.

Two entrance-ways, not quite opposing each other, were located on the SE and NW of the circle.

Four pits were dug inside the timber circle, all of which contained fragments of hand-made pottery and cremated human bone. Several of the timber post settings also contained similar deposits.

Deposits within the ring-ditch were almost solely confined to either side of the SE entrance-way. These included fragments of human cremated bone, deliberately 'sawn' or broken antler-picks (Red Deer) and pig bones. The rest of the ring-ditch was notably devoid of such deposits. The pottery has been tentatively dated to the: Early-Mid Bronze Age (2,000-1,600 BC). The small quantity of cremated human bone recovered suggests a single burial.

Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age

The site appears to have been abandoned c. 900-700 BC (Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age). The ring-ditch showed evidence for a long period of silting. Its abandonment is marked by a final re-cutting of the ditch, much shallower than the original, which completed the circle, i.e. no entrance-ways.

This site is one of 4 known circular features surrounded by a large enclosure ditch (c.6 metres wide). This was established through extensive geophysical survey generously sponsored by Channel 4's 'Time Team'.

The reconstruction of the timber circle is part of an ongoing programme of archaeological experiment; one of the main questions that we hope to answer is how long the posts would have survived, before having to be replaced? Or were they replaced?

The summer programme of work will concentrate on a second ring-ditch located 5 metres to the south, and the excavation of the large enclosure ditch. In the meantime, the winter programme will concentrate on the reconstruction of a late Iron Age/Roman Roundhouse, donated by Liverpool's 'Museum of Life'.

Everybody connected with the Poulton project participated in the reconstruction; a real community effort! However, especial thanks are owed to Shane O'Callaghan for his paintings (above) and his tireless efforts with Gary Crawford in bringing the reconstruction to fruition.