As can be seen, like the henge itself, the assemblage of worked flint from Durrington Walls is large and complex. Despite the potential of the assemblage, traditional techno-typological approaches are of limited use unless allied with a detailed contextual and spatial analysis. It is only through such an approach that the potential offered by the excellent degree of preservation of occupation surfaces can be realised.
The detailed approach adopted towards the analysis of the assemblage is aimed at revealing the choices made by the inhabitants of Durrington Walls. We know that episodes of building were important during gatherings at the henge, and feasting also seems to have had a central role. What potential did these contexts of activity provide for the negotiation of identity and status within and between different groups? Within such social arenas, the choices people made can indicate the manner in which identities were constructed. People needed to be fed but there were choices over how they would eat. If it was appropriate to feast, there were choices over how animals would be killed. Feasting necessarily produced a lot of waste so there were choices over how it was disposed of. Understanding the nature of these considered and unconsidered decisions and the consequences (intentional and unintentional) they had on Neolithic societies is the central concern of the current analysis. This is to be done through interpreting the character of the organisation of the settlement and the articulation of the practices that were carried out within it. Ultimately, it is the interpretation of practice at a micro-scale that will form the building blocks for our understanding of Neolithic society as a whole.
© Internet Archaeology/Author(s) URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue26/2/7.html
Last updated: Wed May 27 2009