Prehistoric Langstone Moor

SX 53 78, 54 78, 55 78, 53 79. 54 79 and 55 79

ILLUSTRATIONS.

(click for larger image, opens in separate window)

Fig. 1 Study Area

Fig. 2 White Tor

Fig. 3 Settlement

Fig. 4 Menhir & Row

Fig. 5 Stone Circle

Fig. 6 Reave

As part of my university assignments I had to prepare a presentation and a 2,500 word essay on a landscape of my choosing. Having now done so it seems a shame to consign the work to the oblivion of the filing cabinet and so should anyone be interested here it is. See also the field trip to Langstone Moor - HERE

The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor’s Langstone Moor

Today, the landscape of Langstone Moor mostly reflects aspects of agricultural use and military training. However, numerous features suggest that this tract of moorland has been used by man for millennia. There is evidence to indicate that during the prehistoric period Langstone Moor was an important settlement and ritual centre for those living there. New thinking has now revealed that the significance of the area could be much greater than once supposed. The aim of this discussion is to examine the prehistoric landscape evidence that exists in an effort to ascertain the relevance of the area.

Due to the word constraints of this discussion and the geographical size of the area it will only be possible to examine a small portion of Langstone Moor. Therefore the Ordnance Survey grid squares, SX 53 78, 54 78, 55 78, 53 79. 54 79 and 55 79 will be the centre of focus as depicted in figure 1.

Langstone Moor lies on the eastern edge of the Dartmoor National Park at an altitude range of between 370 and 468 metres. The southeastern sector of the area is bisected by the river Walkham and various other streams flow across its central and western regions. The moor takes its name from the standing stone or menhir which is located at the north end of the map. In the Devonshire vernacular lang equates to ‘long’ thus giving ‘long stone’ which is another local term for a standing stone.

The earliest evidence for prehistoric activity so far found was that of a flint scatter of some 441 worked flints and chips which English Heritage have dated to the Mesolithic period, (NMR_NATINV-439657). This assemblage was found to the south west of White Tor and indicates several things. Firstly there is no naturally occurrence of flint on Dartmoor so any such material had to be transported to the area which suggests a trading network was in place. Secondly, about two thirds of the flints were microlithic flakes with no secondary working which indicates a possible flint industry was present, (English Heritage, 2007 on-line source).

At Wedlake Farm a polished greenstone axe was discovered which English Heritage have suggested a Neolithic date, (NMR_NATINV-439886). As with the flint scatter this find also indicates some trading activity was taking place during the Neolithic period.

It can be seen from figure 1 that White Tor is described as a, “fort”, by the Ordnance Survey. Up until recently this has been reflected in the thinking of the early antiquarians and later topographical writers who have all considered White Tor enclosure to date to the Iron Age. However, Gerrard, (1997, p. 29) makes the following observation:

“Two settlement sites on Dartmoor have been recognised as being potentially Neolithic in date, although it is important to emphasize that because they survive as visible monuments, they are probably atypical of most settlement sites of the period. These sites are situated on the hilltops of White Tor and Dewerstone and are morphologically similar to other sites in south-west England which have evidence of Neolithic settlement”.

This type of settlement has been classified by English Heritage as a Tor Enclosure and is defined as being:

“A large hilltop or hillslope enclosure in South West England, located close to rock outcrops, and surrounded by one or more circuits of stone built walls. All are prehistoric; some are definitely Neolithic”, (English Heritage Thesaurus, 2007, on-line source).

Having established that White Tor is of a Neolithic date there is another interesting possibility insomuch as the tor enclosure may well have served the same purpose as a causeway enclosure. Oswald et al (2001, p.85) ask the following:

“Is it legitimate to consider the tor enclosures of the South-West simply as causewayed enclosures built in igneous, rather than Sedimentary geological situations?”

 They also consider that causeway enclosures served several functions, namely a site where people would gather for feasting, ritual activities, exchange of good, practice funeral rites and a centre for manufacture, (p.123 – 131).

To put this into context it will be necessary to briefly examine the findings of the only archaeological excavation of White Tor. This was carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1898 – 1899 and Baring Gould notes some relevant findings, (1982, pp. 98 – 101). Firstly, the whole of the summit of the tor is surrounded by segmented double walls inside which are the remains of several hut circles as can be seen in figure 2. One of these huts revealed an, “incredible number of flint chips, a scraper, and a flint core. Some pottery fragments were found, all of which appeared to be handmade and were indicative a cooking utensils. Inside the enclosure are several large cairns and excavation revealed no signs of internment but there was evidence that fires had been lit against them and that people had camped there for a short period. Just outside the enclosure another hut produced a piece of quartz crystal and a flint knife with a serrated edge. The very fact that the enclosure walls are of a double construction and segmented may well equate to those of a causewayed enclosure. In addition the discovery of the flint chips and core may indicate that some kind of manufacturing activity was taking place. The evidence of fires, cooking pots and temporary camping points to a gathering where feasting took place. The find of the imported axe head at nearby Wedlake is indicative of exchange as too could be the flint scraper. Crystal in prehistoric contexts often alludes to funerary rites and flint knife can be considered as being part of some ritual. All of the above possibilities serve to suggest that Oswald’s assumption is correct and White Tor was a causewayed enclosure built in stone as opposed to earth. Clearly the activities that appear to have taken place on the tor meet the criteria of a causewayed enclosure insomuch as there were temporary gatherings at which feasting, exchange, manufacture and ritual took place.

The next period represented in the landscape of Langstone Moor is that of the Bronze Age and as can be seen from figure 1 there are numerous features of this period. Butler, (1997, pp 138 -144) has suggested that the Bronze Age population of the river Walkham area was around 327 people. He arrived at this figure by assuming that a hut circle whose diameter was greater than 7 metres would have accommodated 4 adults and one of between 4 and 7 metres would house two adults. Working on this theory he then measured all the hut circles on Langstone Moor thus arriving at his estimate. By using the same methodology for the whole of Dartmoor he suggests that the total population was around 6,000 people. If this theory is correct it means that about 5% of the moorland population lived in and around Langstone Moor indicating that the area was of some significance. The map in figure 1 shows five areas of settlement which for some strange reason do not encroach on the Neolithic tor enclosure. Possibly this may suggest that the tor was held in some kind of reverence which is why the later settlements were sited around not on White tor? Most of the huts are enclosed in an area surrounded by a wall and on Dartmoor this kind of settlement is called a ‘pound’. The largest of these Langstone Moor settlements is the one located to the south of the stone circle. Here the pound is sited on a sheltered, south facing area with extensive views down the Walkham valley as can be seen from figure 3. Sadly there has been very little dating evidence from the settlement despite the Dartmoor Exploration Committee carrying out excavation work in 1894. This then leaves the question as to whether the settlement was contemporary with the nearby stone circle unanswered. If it is then this could give an explanation as to why the settlement is located where it is, if not then there is an enigma. Some of the smaller settlements such as that located to the west of the major pound may well have served as summer shielings as they are indicative of Fleming’s description of similar Dartmoor examples. Namely, the buildings have a temporary appearance, tend to be smaller than normal and are crudely constructed, (1988, p.103). However, Newman, (2003, p.12) suggests that these smaller settlements may have been used by mineral prospectors who were searching for alluvial tin.

There are numerous Bronze Age ritual features on Langstone Moor such as cairns, a stone row, a stone circle and a standing stone. Unfortunately all have been subjected to early investigations by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This means at best there are very few excavation reports and at worst the actual monuments have been re-erected with inaccurate interpretations. Both mean that today there are very few accurate conclusions to be drawn.

The standing stone or menhir is a highly visible feature in the landscape of Langstone Moor. Out of the 12 remaining menhirs on Dartmoor this one is the 7th tallest and altitude wise is the 3rd highest. The stone stands above ground at 2.73 metres and was subject to re-erection in 1893 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee who adamantly state it was replaced in its original socket hole. During the Second World War the stone became the attention of the U.S. army who used it as a target during training exercises. This particular menhir is the only one on Dartmoor not to be made from the natural granite.

The standing stone actually forms the southern terminal of a single stone row, this is orientated roughly 5º east of north, (Newman, p.4). Again this row drew the attention of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee who after a ‘spade investigation’ revealed that the stones were not very deeply set. Today there are 27 visible stones of which 22 are set into the ground. Compared with other Dartmoor examples this particular row could be described as unspectacular. Both the menhir and the standing stone are illustrated in figure 4.

Roughly 800 metres to the southwest of the menhir is the stone circle which again dominated the landscape above the main settlement. This too has suffered the attention of both the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and the U.S. army; both in different ways have inflicted a great deal of damage to the monument. The first assault took place in 1894 when the circle was ‘discovered’ by the Committee who examined it and then re-erected the fallen stones thus creating a circle of 16 standing stones. As was their wont the restoration was done according to their own interpretation and bore very little attention to factual accuracy. Then in the Second World War the stone circle was used for target practice the scars of which are very much in evidence today. This has now meant that the present monument has 10 stones which describe a circle whose diameter is 20.9 metres as can be seen in figure 5.

There are 4 cairns associated with the stone circle and are located to the south, one of which was excavated in the 1890s by the Exploration Committee who found and kist which was completely removed and placed in Plymouth Museum. Another group of five cairns can be found to the south of White Tor with a similar cluster of four to the east. Near to this eastern group is the remains of a barrow that was investigated in 1899 by the Committee who unearthed a, “spatula shaped instrument”, (Newman, p. 5)

As with many of the Dartmoor cairns and cists, the Langstone Moor examples have been ransacked by treasure seekers. Ironically, there has always been a tradition on the moor that the kists contained the burials of kings along with their treasure. Although very simplistic this idea was not wrong as the burials were of high status people whose grave goods were the ‘treasure’ of the day. Sadly, in later times the idea of treasure was gold and jewels not flint and crystal and so any such ‘worthless’ finds were immediately discarded. Today, these grave goods would be once again regarded as priceless in light of the information which could be gleaned.

The final Bronze Age feature that is visible in the Langstone Moor landscape is the network of reaves or field boundaries. The early antiquarians considered that the low banks which criss-cross much of the moor were early causeways built to assist the crossing of the moor. It was not until 1972 that Andrew Fleming and John Collis realised that they were field or tribal boundaries. Reaves can be dated to around 1700 – 1600 BC, (Fleming 1988, p.105) and in simplistic terms consist of low banks built of stone or earth. These marked tribal territories, settlement boundaries, field systems and geographical pasture zones. There are six main blocks of reaves on Dartmoor all of which are centred on river valleys. The examples that can be found on Langstone Moor belong to what is known as, “The Great Western Reave”, the section to the south of White Tor is depicted in figure 6. Once again it is interesting to note that the reave which runs up to White Tor stops short of the Neolithic enclosure and resumes its course on the eastern side. Was this out of some kind of reverence for what the tor once represented? It is highly likely that the purpose of the reave was to separate the high moors from the grazing pastures that were on the lower slopes, this type of reave is known as a contour reave, (Fleming, p.44). Although reaves are encountered in other parts of Britain it is only on Dartmoor that the term ‘reave’ is used.

Langstone Moor is one of the few of Dartmoor’s landscapes that can boast an almost complete set of prehistoric features in one location.  It is also an area than can show one of the longest time spans of occupation through physical evidence still within its landscape. It is now generally accepted that the tor enclosure, regardless of its purpose dates back to Neolithic times. The ritual monuments and settlements that abound on the Moor indicate that during the Bronze Age the area was a vibrant area used for a variety of purposes. Sadly, the lack of modern investigation and the attentions of the early antiquarians have left may questions unanswered. It would be useful to know if the period of prehistoric occupation continued on through to the Iron Age but at the present there is very little scope for such investigation. However there is some comfort in knowing that for whatever reason Langstone Moor was an important centre for man’s activities for possibly 10,000 years.

Bibliography.

Baring-Gold, S. 1982 A Book of Dartmoor, Wildwood House Pub., London.

Butler, J. 1997 Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - Vol. V, Devon Books, Exeter.

Butler, J. 1991 Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - Vol. II, Devon Books, Exeter.

Fleming, A. 1988 The Dartmoor Reaves, Batsford, London.

Gerrard, S. 1997 Dartmoor, Batsford/English Heritage, London.

Newman, P. 2003 The Langstone Moor Stone Circle and its Prehistoric Environs, English Heritage, Swindon.

Oswald, A., Dyer, C. & Barber, M. 2001 The Creation of Monuments, English Heritage, Swindon.

On-Line Sources.

English Heritage 2007 The English Heritage Thesaurus, found at:

http://thesaurus.english-heritage.org.uk/thesaurus.asp?thes_no=1

ADS 2007 NMR_NATINV-439886, found at:

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=NMR_NATINV-439886&CFID=320430&CFTOKEN=66222753

ADS 2007 NMR_NATINV-439657, found at:

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=NMR_NATINV-439657&CFID=320430&CFTOKEN=66222753