Abstract
Hawkcombe Head, near Porlock in West Somerset has the earliest evidence for human activity on Exmoor. The site has been known for over fifty years from an extensive collection of worked flint which has been recovered from the area around the Hawkcombe Head spring. This is held privately in the Wedlake collection and in the County Museum, Taunton. Two seasons of excavation carried out by the University of Bristol and Exmoor National Park Authority have revealed a series of features and structures which add significantly to the interpretation of the site. The evidence recovered suggests that small groups of hunter-gatherers were moving between the coast and upland to bring in raw material from some distance away. They erected temporary shelters, built hearths and carried out tool production around two spring heads, which themselves occupy a significant position in the Exmoor landscape.
| Translated title of the contribution | Mesolithic Activity at Hawkcombe Head, Somerset. Interim Report of Excavations 2002-3 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Title of host publication | Mesolithic Studies in the North Sea Basin and Beyond: Proceedings of a Conference held at Newcastle in 2003 |
| Editors | Clive Waddington, Kristian Pedersen |
| Publisher | Oxbow Books |
| Pages | 81 - 95 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781842172247 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |