Morgan's Hill Enclosure Explained

Morgan's Hill Enclosure
Map Type:Wiltshire
Map Size:200px
Coordinates:51.4024°N -1.9438°W
Gbgridref:SU 040 670
Epochs:Romano-British or earlier
Designation1:Scheduled monument
Designation1 Date:10 November 1964
Designation1 Number:1014032

Morgan's Hill Enclosure is an archaeological site in Wiltshire, England, on Morgan's Hill south-east of Calne, about north of the Wansdyke. It is a scheduled monument.

Description

The earthwork is a square, aligned west–east, with sides of length enclosing an area of about), with a bank of height up to and width about . Outside the bank is a ditch of width about and depth up to . There are three entrances around the rectangle, but it is not known if these are original.

There was some excavation in 1909: some medieval pottery was found at the surface, but nothing was found that could clearly relate to its original construction.

Purpose

Enclosures like this are considered to show evidence of agricultural practices, from the Neolithic period to the Romano-British period; they were stock pens or protected areas for crops. Several comparable enclosures are known in the area of the Avebury prehistoric complex, about to the east, which was in use in the Neolithic period and early Bronze Age.

See also