THE CURSUS, FENCE TRAPS AND CARNAC

 

Chapter 12: Concerning the Stonehenge Cursus, Other Cursuses, Vuntut, Carnac and the Nature of Ducks

The main thrust of this chapter is the exploration and comparison of the Neolithic Cursus constructions and the Caribou Fence Traps found in the Vuntut region of the Yukon.
Further investigations in the chapter have us study the Stone Alignments of Carnac.

BBC Inside Out program
Stonehenge Cursus
photo courtesy of BBC Inside Out program

Black Fox Creek Caribou Fence Trap
photo by Robin Amour - courtesy of the Government of the Yukon


This is an aerial photo of the Stonehenge Cursus construction.
It consists of two long ditches 2.7 km long cut into the chalk substrate terminating
at each end with  a curved connecting ditch. There are many of these constructions
found in Britain, some as long as 13+ km. Possibly the most enigmatic of British Neolithic constructions, cursuses have defied being reasonably explained as to function.


This is an aerial photo of the Black Fox Creek Caribou fence trap
in the Vuntut. It was used to corral  and trap large numbers of caribou from the
local migrating herds. This is one of many such traps systems used in this area of
Canada from ancient times right up to the introduction of high powered rifles.
In this fence trap system were placed snare traps anchored to trees, rocks and log "toggles". These systems were ingenious and very efficient in 'harvesting' large numbers of animals.


The first and most obvious thing we notice is the similarity in shape. This observation may initially be thought to be of no great coincidence until we notice that not only
does this shape not occur  in nature but humans don't build anything else that uses this shape, (with the exception of a race track in Rome). We build constructions based on
circles, rectangles, ellipses, triangles, even spirals, but not parallel lines connected at the ends. With the two exceptions of cursus constructions and ungulate fence traps. Clearly,
one can speculate that the shape derives from the same function in both cases. Is this enough to propose that the British cursuses are the remains of ungulate fence traps?
In and of itself, I think not.

 

Are there any corroborating indicators that support the idea? As it turns out; Yes.

As would be reasonable and expected, the Vuntut fence traps are arranged on the local topography to intersect at right angles, (for maximum efficiency), the travel route of the migrating caribou. If the cursuses are also trap systems we should reasonably expect to find the same and indeed this is exactly what we find. The game trails and migratory routes of ungulates tend to follow the ridges and swales of the local landscape. Specifically, most of the better foraging is in the bottoms of the valleys or swales. As a consequence, the travel routes of these animals commonly follow these swales. In order to maximise a cursus trap system's efficiency, it should be oriented at right angles to the natural route of the animals. To wit: down from one ridge to the bottom of a swale and up the next slope to the top of that ridge. This orients the construction at right angles to the local swales and ridges.

The Stonehenge Cursus runs from ridge to swale to ridge and at a right angle to these. Functionally, it is correctly placed with respect to the local topography if it was a trap system. The Dorset Cursus , (at about 13km long), is also oriented at right angles to the local swales and ridges. As are the Rudston Cursuses. The Thornborough Cursus follows the same orientation with the variation that one end of the construction incorporates the River Ure as a natural barrier. The same can be found at most, if not all, cursus sites.

 


 

 
   

Are there any other indicators that we should expect to find if the cursuses are ungulate trap systems? A first thought might be a lot of ungulate bones in the cursus, and although there are red deer antler finds at cursuses, (notably the red deer antlers found at the Stonehenge Cursus, which may more likely have been the picks used to dig the ditches), this may be incorrect. The Vuntut Gwitchin did not butcher the caribou in the fence trap enclosure but rather dragged them out and a distance away. As ungulates have a good sense of smell this is understandable. Caribou and deer will avoid areas where they can smell death and/or humans. So, you process them somewhere away from your trap system.

Weapons debris, such as flint arrow or spear points, would not be unexpected and indeed at the south terminal of the Beacon cursus at Rudston were found just such flint arrowheads. 

 

 

This page is still being written and under construction. Please, return at latter date for more

 
 
 
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