Later Prehistoric Shrines and Ritual Structures

An introduction to Later Prehistoric Shrines and Ritual Structures.

Two broad types of monument are described here: timber causeways and platforms with associated votive deposits in wetland or riverine contexts, which generally span the later Bronze Age and earlier Iron Age (about 1500 - 300 BC) and small ‘shrine’ buildings, sometimes within larger enclosures, which date to the later Iron Age (about 400 BC - AD 43), especially the last century or so before the Roman conquest.

The shrines have a variety of contexts, some are associated with centres of population, within hillforts or enclosed settlements, while others appear isolated, with some evidence that they may be located near tribal boundaries, as a manifestation of political or economic activities.

Human remains may be associated with both causeways and shrines, but rarely in large numbers. Identifiable features associated with shrines include pits, gullies, ditches and fence lines.