Windmill Hill culture facts for kids
The Windmill Hill culture was a group of people who lived in southern Britain a very long time ago, around 3000 BC. They were early farmers from the Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age. These people lived mostly in the Salisbury Plain area, which is close to the famous Stonehenge. Their name comes from a place called Windmill Hill, where archaeologists found a special type of ancient site called a causewayed enclosure. Many experts believe that the Windmill Hill people, along with another group from East Anglia, started building Stonehenge.
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Who Were the Windmill Hill People?
The Windmill Hill people were among the first farmers in Britain. The word "Neolithic" means "New Stone Age," and it refers to a time when people started growing crops and raising animals instead of just hunting and gathering. This was a huge change in how people lived! They were named after Windmill Hill, a large, ancient site near Avebury. This site is a "causewayed enclosure," which means it's a big circular area on a hilltop with ditches and banks that have gaps, like causeways.
Life in the New Stone Age
These early farmers had a busy life. They built large structures, grew food, and made tools. Their way of life helped shape the landscape of ancient Britain.
Farming and Food
The Windmill Hill people were skilled farmers. They raised many different animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs. Dogs likely helped them with herding or guarding their homes. They also grew important crops like wheat, which they would have used to make bread or porridge. To get materials for their tools, they even mined flints from the ground. Flint was very important for making sharp tools.
Tools and Buildings
The things these people left behind tell us a lot about them. They built large, circular enclosures on hilltops, like the one at Windmill Hill. They also created long barrows, which were long mounds of earth used as burial places. For hunting and daily tasks, they made special leaf-shaped arrowheads and polished stone axes. These axes were very strong and useful for cutting wood or clearing land.
A Name That Changed
When archaeologists first found evidence of these people, they called them the "Windmill Hill culture." However, as they studied more sites and found more clues, they realized that this name was too general. It turned out that there were actually several different groups of people living in Britain at that time, each with their own unique ways. Some of these groups are now known as the Hembury culture and the Abingdon culture. So, while "Windmill Hill culture" was a good starting point, we now know the story is a bit more complex!
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