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Cursus monuments have a wide geographical distribution within Britain, stretching from Devon to Tayside in Scotland. They consist of two parallel lengths of ditches and banks, set at some distance apart, and are closed at either end, forming very elongated rectangular enclosures. They can vary in length from a couple of hundred metres to the grandest example of all, the Dorset Cursus, which stretches for over 10km. This monument's course is rather unusual amongst its class, as it lies perpendicular to the prevailing local topography, which has a NE/SW axis.
| Image 1 - Gussage Sunset. |
Image 2 Cursus Plan. |
Image 3 - Cursus Section. |
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The South-West end crests the top of a ridge and during its North-Easterly course crosses two further significant ridges and three river valleys. The incorporation of natural features, particularly water, seem to be integral to its design. The three incorporated streams are close to their origins and only flow for a few weeks during most winters where they are crossed by the Cursus. Aerial photography has clearly shown that the ditches cut through two of these valleys with the course in the Gussage valley so far unresolved, which suggests a water table not dissimilar to today.
In fact the Dorset Cursus is really two separate cursuses, both 90m wide, about 5km long, and built end to end. The earlier Southern or Gussage Cursus maintains a pleasing symmetry along its course. Descending from Thickthorn Down it crosses the Gussage valley and climbs up to the next ridge, Gussage Down, where it incorporates a long barrow at approximately its half-way point. It then descends into the Allen Valley before climbing up to near the top of the next ridge where it terminates.
Interestingly, close to both ends, clear evidence of earlier Mesolithic activity has been found. Underneath the excavated Thickthorn long barrow, pits were found associated with worked flints, including a microlith found in the old land surface. In Chalk Pit Field, not far from the Bottlebush terminal, an important Mesolithic flint scatter was later overlaid by another of Neolithic date. It would seem that the two locations, with a long history as important places, were linked by the monument.
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