Mesolithic Pits

You can read about how the mesolithic pits fit into our story here

During the Late Mesolithic a small stream flowed along the edge of the floodplain of the River Colne. The inhabitants of the area dug small pits close to a bend in the stream and filled them with flint tools and burnt stone. This location may have been on a traditional route through the Mesolithic forests and the site of the pits was probably marked by a clearing in the woodland, by distinctive vegetation or by a man-made mound.

The act of digging into the earth in a specific place and depositing materials made and collected by these Mesolithic people left a permanent mark on the landscape. They would have understood that their activities and beliefs could make the location significant. The pit groups may have been meeting places for ceremonies that involved settling claims to access and the resources of the surrounding landscape.