Talk:Neolithic British Isles

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Causewayed enclosures[edit]

Causewayed enclosures are an important early feature of the Neolithic in Britain, and I was surprised that this page has not (yet) included them. Davidc (talk) 19:04, 25 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Why does this page give multiple dates for when farming arrived?[edit]

the introduction says farming arrived around 4000 BC but the Characteristics section says the earliest evidence for land being cleared for agriculture comes from around 5000 BC, which is it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:23C4:D580:3900:A90B:D344:4826:8F6F (talk) 14:11, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

It depends who you ask. Opinions among archaeologists vary. According to the article, Mike Parker Pearson says some land was cleared 5000 BC, but in some areas forest later grew back. David Miles in The Tale of the Axe, 2016, p. 226 says late 5th millennium BC. Barry Cunliffe in Britain Begins, 2012, p. 133 says 4200 BC. This seems to be the consensus according to my very limited trawl of sources. Dudley Miles (talk) 15:18, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

So the general consensus is around or a bit before 4000BC but the article mentions 5000BC because some experts claim evidence for an earlier date? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:23C4:D580:3900:A90B:D344:4826:8F6F (talk) 18:08, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. There is also the question of how you define the start. If a few communities are doing mixed farming and hunter gathering and the great majority are sticking to the Mesolithic lifestyle for hundreds of years then do you say the Neolithic starts with the first evidence of farming or when it becomes a widespread lifestyle? Dudley Miles (talk) 18:25, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This is the exact answer. Regrettably, too many citations or even sources fail to describe their definition or the details.HJJHolm (talk) 06:38, 22 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Diappearance of farming before beaker people?[edit]

This article doesn't mention at all the population decline and disappearance of farming, is that take controversial? --SchallundRauch (talk) 13:04, 20 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]