• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Archaeological excavation reveals quartz path in Dartmoor

by Dario Radley
October 3, 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a quartz-paved surface at Piles Hill, located within the expansive Dartmoor region in southwestern England. This exciting find was made during a week-long excavation that involved the collaborative efforts of Dartmoor National Park Archaeologists, Isca Archaeology, and a dedicated team of volunteers.

Archaeological excavation reveals quartz path in Dartmoor
Credit: Dartmoor National Park

The excavation, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, and the Dartmoor Preservation Association, is part of the “Our Upland Commons” initiative. This initiative is aimed at enhancing our knowledge of upland commons across Dartmoor and similar areas.

The setting for this discovery, Piles Hill, is home to a remarkable double stone row, a monument of considerable historical and ritual significance. Stretching over an impressive 850 meters across Ugborough and Harford Moors, this stone row aligns itself east to west and gently curves upwards, forming a shape akin to a smile.

It is believed to date back to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, and it’s comprised of around 40 visible stones. Some of these stones stand upright, while others lie recumbent on the ground, concealed by the surrounding vegetation.

The manner in which the stones lie flat has long intrigued archaeologists and posed questions about whether this positioning was intentional, a result of stones toppling over, or if the monument once had a different alignment. To answer these queries and delve deeper into the mysteries of Piles Hill, the recent excavation was undertaken. To everyone’s surprise, this excavation unveiled yet another enigmatic aspect of Dartmoor’s past—a quartz-paved surface.

RelatedStories

Enigmatic Carnac megaliths reveal Europe's earliest monuments

Enigmatic Carnac megaliths reveal Europe’s earliest monuments

June 27, 2025
Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds. (Illustration by Anja Schorneck). Credit: Caspari, G., Asian Archaeology (2025)

Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds

June 14, 2025

The leader of the excavation, National Park Archaeologist Andy Crabb, shared their findings, saying, “As we’d hoped, excavations uncovered large socket holes underneath the ends of the fallen stones, demonstrating that stones once stood upright. This confirmed findings from a geophysical survey last year. But we also made a new discovery. In our last trench, we uncovered a paved cobble-like surface made of angular rocks, consisting predominantly of white quartz. At first, we thought it was the natural geology, but further investigations showed otherwise. We think the rocks were brought to the site and laid there deliberately, possibly to enhance the setting of the stone row.”

The intriguing aspect of this discovery is that the paved path appears to have been intentionally created, potentially to enhance the significance and setting of the stone row. This sheds light on the careful thought and planning that went into the design of such ancient monuments.

This recent discovery of the quartz-paved path at Piles Hill is not unprecedented in the field of Dartmoor archaeology. A similar paved causeway was found at The Hurlers, a prehistoric complex situated on the granite uplands of Bodmin Moor, during an excavation in the 1930s.

The excavation at Piles Hill, conducted in August, has concluded, but post-excavation analysis is ongoing. The team aims to extract precise dating evidence and environmental information from the site samples. Moreover, efforts to secure funding for the restoration of the fallen stones to their original upright positions are underway, potentially making this site an even more prominent and visible scheduled monument.

ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds
Archaeology

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

July 1, 2025
Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact
Anthropology

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

July 1, 2025
British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet
Archaeology

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

June 30, 2025
Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome
Archaeology

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

June 30, 2025
DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük
Anthropology

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

June 29, 2025
Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier
Archaeology

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

June 28, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
110K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Genetic study reveals the origin and diversity of the Huns

European Huns were not of Turkic origin but had ancient Siberian roots, linguistic study reveals

June 24, 2025
Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

May 28, 2025
Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

June 28, 2025
Sinkhole in York uncovers remains of medieval St Leonard’s Hospital, one of northern England’s largest

Sinkhole in York uncovers remains of medieval St Leonard’s Hospital, one of northern England’s largest

June 22, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

July 1, 2025
Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

July 1, 2025
British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

June 30, 2025
Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

June 30, 2025
DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

June 29, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.