The ‘ritual landscape’ concept in archaeology: a heritage construction

Abstract

The early 1980s saw the emergence of the term ‘ritual landscape’ in British archaeology. This concept departs from more conventional studies of monuments and sites concerned with classification, dating and political territories. It concerns extensive ‘sacred’ tracts which were seemingly dedicated to ceremonial purposes by an ascendant ritual authority in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age (roughly 3500–1800 BC). In these ‘ritual landscapes’ the evidence for contemporary settlement is often sparse or absent, but that for non‐utilitarian structures and deposits is abundant. This paper explores the pattern of adoption and criticism of this concept within academic archaeology and traces the development of related ideas in non‐academic realms of interpretation such as broadcasting, publishing, the Internet and heritage tourism, identified as a ‘landscape heritage’ market. An influential section of this market is the earth mysteries movement, with its own vision of contemporary ‘ritual landscapes’. The heritage possibilities, and problematics, of ‘ritual landscapes’ are considered in a case study of West Penwith, Cornwall.