Back to the Stone Age calendar
It was around this time, still nothing definite with dates, that people started to be buried in stone built burial chambers.
Luckily, this was usually after they had died. No one knows why this started but it may well also have been brought over from the Middle East by the same people
who brought the knowledge of farming. The chambers with stone walls would, after the burial, be covered in grass and earth. They were known as barrows and because
at this time they were usually rectangular they were known as long barrows.
Barrows would be built large enough so that all family members could be buried there and the chamber would often have an opening, sealed with a stone,
into which newly deceased relatives could be taken. These people believed that after death you moved into another life and so the dead would be buried with some of
their most treasured possessions, especially swords.
Usually, these barrows would be built some way from the main settlements. People would make occasional visits to the long barrow with offerings to
their ancestors. They believed that these ancestors, who had moved into another life, could still influence life in the community such as harvests and good weather.
The picture below is of a long barrow which you can visit. It is in Winchcombe in Gloucestershire and we shall definitely be visiting. It is known as
Belas Knap. We also talk about barrows and burials in our hoots section.
Forward to 3500BC
