Timeline

The earliest evidence of human activity in the landscape of the AONB dates from the Palaeolithic period. Our earlier human ancestors were hunter gatherers who led a nomadic existence using temporary camps or shelters. The main evidence of their activity is the stone tools they used and which can be picked up on the surface of the soil. Click to find out more...

Mesolithic means 'Middle Stone Age'. The Mesolithic period is a period of transition from the way people were living during the Palaeolithic period as hunter-gatherers to the development of farming in the Neolithic period. The evidence for human activity in the Mesolithic period within the AONB is mostly restricted to scatters of flint tools.
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The Neolithic period in the AONB begins with the first farmers and the introduction of domesticated animals and plants e.g. sheep and wheat. The most striking features from this period are the great ceremonial monuments which were constructed throughout the AONB including communal burial places called Long Barrows.
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The Bronze Age of the AONB is marked by the beginnings of metal working in Copper, Gold and Bronze. The early Bronze Age sees the introduction of new kinds of burials with single bodies placed beneath mounds of earth known as Round Barrows. By the middle of this period the landscape of the AONB was covered by extensive field systems. Click to find out more...

The start of the Iron Age is marked by the first use of Iron for tools, weapons and ornaments. Iron Age Hillforts appear in the landscape alongside a range of rural settlements set within large field systems. Click to find out more...

The archaeology of the Roman period is associated with the arrival of Roman culture into Britain. This includes new settlement forms such as Roman villas, and new infrastructure such as roads. Click to find out more...

With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the landscape of the AONB was initially part of a self governing area. However throughout the 5th and 6th centuries AD the area became increasingly under the influence of Anglo-Saxon presence and culture and by the 7th century AD the Saxon conquest of the area was complete. Click to find out more...

The Late Medieval period traditionally begins with the conquest of England by the Normans. The church and nobility were the major landowners and political force in the area. This landscapes was dominated by Royal hunting forests (Selwood and Grovely) and chases (Cranborne) which were governed by special laws that impacted on all aspects of the landscapes management. Click to find out more...

The end of the Medieval period saw the expansion of the yeomanry and the beginnings of the enclosure of the countryside. From 1600 systems of managed water meadows appear. The great estates began to create formalised landscapes of great parks and gardens. Click to find out more...

The period of agricultural and industrial revolution has had a major impact on the landscape of the AONB, with the enclosure of land on a large scale and the intensification of agriculture. The introduction of modern infrastructure such as new roads has also helped to transform the landscape. Click to find out more...