V99
The Long Mound - SE end, 1977-8
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Copyright (c) The Crickley Archaeological Hill Trust 1969-2021. The right to use, copy, distribute or otherwise disseminate this material is reserved to those specifically authorised by The Trust.
There had been a small trial trench to look at the Long Mound in 1975 (cutting DI), just to check it wasn’t a modern monument. However in 1977 the examination of the Neolithic enclosure here inevitably meant also looking at the SE end of the Long Mound. We had no idea what it might have been for, but it quite quickly became clear it had a ritual function. The stone slabs marking its boundary can be seen already in this photo from 1977. The far end, by the fence, was marked by a huge posthole, presumably the spot for a large marker pole, and a worn cobbled path around the end. By the end of the season, it was obvious that the Long Mound needed some serious investigation, and 14 more seasons of digging ensued.