'Surprising but not always informative'? Archaeological investigations of the Hatfield Trackway and Platform

This paper outlines the discovery, excavation and interpretation of the archaeological site discovered in the north of Hatfield Moors in 2004. Although fragmentary and poorly preserved, the site was identifiable as a timber trackway and platform, with radiocarbon dates indicating that it had been built during the late Neolithic. Stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental study demonstrate that the structure had been laid down across a shallow pool which had formed during the earliest stages of peat growth on Hatfield Moors and hence prior to the development of raised mire. The architecture of the site is unusual and suggests that it may have had a 'ritual' function rather than a practical one such as crossing or accessing the incipient wetland.