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<< Text Pages >> Fenstanton Cursus - Cursus in England in Cambridgeshire

Submitted by EssexMan on Monday, 02 August 2010  Page Views: 6855

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Fenstanton Cursus
Country: England County: Cambridgeshire Type: Cursus
Nearest Town: Huntingdon  Nearest Village: Fenstanton
Map Ref: TL326689  Landranger Map Number: 153
Latitude: 52.302221N  Longitude: 0.056741W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4

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External Links:

Cursus in Cambridgeshire

[Article about exciting Rock Art doodle added to this page to show background of other possible neolithic activity in the immediate area - MegP Ed]

Status: Possible
NMR No. TL 36 NW 56

Note: Neolithic Doodle Rock Art found in quarry near village of Over, Cambridgeshire
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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TL3268 : Extensive Cereals by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2018(licence)
TL3268 : Track to the north east of Fenstanton by Peter S
by Peter S
©2021(licence)
TL3268 : Fields near Fenstanton by Matthew Chadwick
by Matthew Chadwick
©2018(licence)
TL3268 : Wheat field near Fenstanton by Bill Boaden
by Bill Boaden
©2014(licence)
TL3268 : Footpath crossing field by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2018(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.0km NE 48° Low Hill Bowl Barrow, Fen Drayton RSPB Reserve* Round Barrow(s) (TL33336960)
 2.1km NNE 31° Holywell (Cambridgeshire)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL336707)
 4.2km SW 233° Hilton (Cambridgeshire)* Turf Maze (TL293663)
 6.0km S 170° Knapwell* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL33816300)
 7.3km WNW 288° Godmanchester Cursus Cursus (TL25557092)
 7.3km WNW 288° Godmanchester Cursus Cursus (TL25557092)
 8.3km ESE 113° St Michael's Well (Cambridge)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL40326584)
 8.7km SW 224° Nill Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL26786248)
 9.1km WNW 291° Horse Common Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL2472)
 9.8km ENE 63° Haddenham Enclosure Causewayed Enclosure (TL412736)
 9.9km E 83° Belsar's Hill* Hillfort (TL424703)
 11.6km W 259° Buckden A Cursus Cursus (TL212664)
 12.2km NE 52° Haddenham Long Barrow (TL420767)
 12.4km WNW 284° Brampton Long Barrow (TL204715)
 12.5km W 261° Buckden B Cursus Cursus (TL20266659)
 12.6km WNW 284° Brampton Cursus Cursus (TL203716)
 12.6km W 260° Buckden C Cursus Cursus (TL202664)
 14.0km SSE 160° The Mazles Turf Maze (TL377559)
 15.4km NE 51° Sutton in the Isle Round Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TL443790)
 16.4km SE 133° Cambridge Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology* Museum (TL450581)
 16.5km SE 133° Cambridge Fitzwilliam Museum* Museum (TL44955790)
 17.5km NW 311° Monk's Hole Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TL1896479957)
 17.6km SW 235° Eynesbury Hardwicke B Cursus Cursus (TL184584)
 17.9km SW 236° Eynesbury Hodwick 1 Long Barrow (TL180585)
 18.0km SW 235° Eynesbury Hardwicke A Cursus Cursus (TL181582)
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"Fenstanton Cursus" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Neolithic Doodle or Art? by Andy B on Monday, 02 August 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
[To see the find location on the map above, scroll a couple of miles up the river Great Ouse to the to the North East]

Cambridge University experts believe the crudely etched circles are the Neolithic version of a modern office worker's scribbles on a post-it note. The 6.6in (17cm) chunk of sandstone was discovered by an amateur archaeologist from the bottom of a deep quarry in Over, Cambs., during a university fun day.

Christopher Evans, director of the university's Archaeological Unit, thinks the concentric circles were created by one of our early ancestors ''killing time'' as opposed to a work of art. Mr Evans said: ''I think it was a doodle. I don't think it has any deep and meaningful religious significance. In this era of the Neolithic period they had a lot of time on their hands. It could show they were quite bored at times, but we don't know for sure. We do know when they weren't out harvesting or planting crops they had to find a way of killing time. There are Megalithic tombs with concentric circles like this carved into stones - the circles are a form of Megalithic art and typical of the grooved ware pottery of the time. They liked to use the concentric circle but we don't know why, it may have been some kind of way to express their world view. Although I don't believe they had a concept of art, these types of circles were used as a form of decoration.''

The rock was discovered by business language teacher Susie Sinclair, 48, at Needingworth Quarry, alongside the River Great Ouse, near Over, on Saturday July 3. Ms Sinclair was on a geological weekend course being run by the University of Cambridge's Institute for Continuing Education. She said she was ''delighted'' to discover the work by a Neolithic caveman, made at the time the pyramids were being built. She said: ''I had not found many fossils when this rock caught my eye. It was just resting against a pile of rocks and the sun was shining onto these two circles. I thought it was a fossilised worm. I picked it up and showed it to our course leader Dr Peter Sheldon who realised it was more significant than a fossilised worm. He took a photo and sent it to Christopher Evans and the director of Stonehenge and that is when we realised it was serious. I'm an accidental archaeologist so I didn't know what it was. It's really quite a beautiful object and amazing to think someone did this 4,500 years ago. Everyone who has seen it has interpreted it differently. It's a talking point whether it's a piece of art or a meaningless doodle. Some people think it is a pair of eyes or a map. I think it's more than just a doodle and I hope one day we'll find out.''

Historians agree concentric circle "Grooved Ware" art has been found on pottery in other areas of the country, but never encountered in Eastern England before. The stone will make its first public appearance since it was discovered at the Over Village Carnival today(SAT).

The remains of several prehistoric villages have been discovered in recent years in areas surrounding Over. According to the latest research at the time the Over Stone was being carved, the countryside was dominated by the snaking River Ouse which broke up the area into a delta-like landscape of small islands, channels and marshlands.

Source, The Telegraph which also has a photo:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7894635/Worlds-oldest-doodle-found-on-rock.html
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