On the Scottish island of Arran, a team of archaeologists unearthed what is thought to be a full Neolithic cursus placed within a magnificent prehistoric landscape.

This monumental structure, which is enormous and is 1.1 km long and 50 m broad, is among the earliest of its kind constructed by farmers in Neolithic Britain.

An enormous Neolithic structure made up of one or more rectangular enclosures is known as a cursus. A substantial stone, earth, and turf bank encircling the entire enclosure serves to delineate the cursus on Arran. This monument's construction would have required enormous labor, completely altering the nearby environment.

Researchers estimate that this monument type may have existed as early as 3500 BC. It is the most comprehensive example of this site type that can be found in Britain, and it is incredibly uncommon and thrilling to have the chance to explore a cursus bank.

The same area has also yielded the remains of prehistoric field boundaries, clearance cairns, and round huts, some of which may have existed at the same time as the monument and were all preserved by peatland, which sealed the archaeological layers. An unrivaled opportunity to comprehend how contemporary farming practice and settlement interacted with the cursus monument and how early farmers changed this place is provided by ancient soils that represent the original Neolithic land surface in combination with cultivated soils from the Bronze Age.

The landscape geoarchaeology and environmental science study at the site was co-led by Dr. Emma Jenkins, Associate Professor in Archaeology at Bournemouth University, with assistance from Dr. Sarah Elliott, Deputy Head of Department, Life and Environmental Sciences (LES), and Harry Manley, Demonstrator in LES.

Excavations were made nearby the cursus into Neolithic and Bronze Age field systems, allowing for the collection of material for dating and other environmental evidence. Having a better understanding of how people have used and maintained this significant environment will help the team develop a more effective rewilding approach.

Dr Jenkins mentioned, “The Isle of Arran is well known for Machrie Moor with its Prehistoric stone and timber circles; standing stones and burial cairns but the discovery that these may be part of a much larger complex which included this enormous cursus elevates this into a region of global significance on a par with other ceremonial landscapes like Stonehenge. As an environmental archaeologist I am particularly excited by the discovery of well-preserved soils, contemporary with the creation of the cursus which means we can investigate how people used and modified this landscape from the time of the first farming communities in Britain.”

The Northwoods Rewilding Network, landowner David Bennett, and the Arran Geopark's larger efforts will all benefit from the invaluable information about the history of the environment and previous ecosystems that will be gleaned from this research. Additionally, the team encouraged community members to participate in the research process, and they are investigating potential future learning and creative opportunities in response to the studies. North Ayrshire Council and Arran Theatre and Arts Trust gave local artists funding to investigate the excavation.

Professor Nicki Whitehouse, Professor of Archaeological Science, University of Glasgow, said: “The initial discoveries reveal a highly unusual combination of a ceremonial monument within a prehistoric farming landscape. It is part of a continuum that likely linked to the ritual site at Machrie Moor, probably forming part of something much more extensive. The science work will allow us to understand about the animals and plants people farmed, how people impacted the landscape and its ecosystems and transformed their soils for cultivation – and what we may learn from this today.”

It is exceedingly unusual to combine the investigation of all these factors at once, and experts from the universities of Birkbeck, Reading, Coventry, Birmingham, and Southampton as well as archaeologists from Archaeology Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland have contributed to this effort.