About
Cursuses are among the largest yet most difficult to notice structures of Neolithic Britain and Ireland. Built exclusively in these areas from 3400 to 3000 BCE, they are pairs of earthworks surrounded by ditches and trenches, separated by up to 100 yards and stretching as much as 6 miles long. Their exact purpose remains unknown, but judging from their placement with regard to funeral long barrows, they may have been used to venerate ancestors. Alternatively, they may have been used for ceremonial competitions or journeys, or served an astronomical purpose.
The Dorset Cursus is the longest cursus ever found, snaking for 6.25 miles across the Cranborne Chase hills. Actually two different cursuses linked together head-to-head, its path seems to ignore natural features of the landscape. Dating from 3300 BCE, it likely shares a common ritual purpose with nearby longbarrows, including some on either end. Only fragments of it are visible from the ground, with other features identifiable from cropmarks on aerial images and some portions having disappeared altogether.
Know Before You Go
Portions of the Dorset Cursus which are still visible include: a longbarrow at Salisbury Plantation (50° 57′ 5.5″ N, 1° 57′ 56.81″ W), a bank by the B3081 Road (50° 56′ 39.61″ N, 1° 58′ 27.58″ W), and the termini at Thickthorn Down (50° 54′ 39.81″ N, 2° 2′ 43.67″ W) and Martin Down (50° 58′ 16.69″ N, 1° 56′ 39.86″ W).
