Ritual, Rubbish or Everyday Life? Evidence from a Middle Bronze Age Settlement in Mid-Cornwall

Abstract

The recognition of ritual and ritualized practices within the setting of Middle Bronze Age settlements has undoubtedly provided a useful way of interpreting archaeological deposits. There is, however, a danger that now that ritual has become widely accepted, the application of ‘meta’ or generic paradigms for explaining the archaeological record will lead to a loss of subtlety in interpretation, and that variation and diversity between settlements will be overlooked.This article addresses the evidence for the ritualized behaviour which has emerged from large-scale excavations of a Middle Bronze Age settlement at Scarcewater in mid-Cornwall and its adjacent surroundings. The character of overtly ritual and more subtle ritualized activity within the settlement, as well as the surrounding landscape will be considered for its individual character, and linked to a discussion of the influence of the ‘past’ upon Middle Bronze Age ritual traditions.