Even in our times the cemetery can not complain about the lack of the public, but in the Stone age, they were the only places large gatherings. There was all cultural, social and political life of ancient farmers. This was learnt by British archaeologists in the study of long - houses collective graves Neolithic.

No wonder that in the Stone age, there was his equivalent of the famous festival in Glastonbury. Hundreds of people took part in the festivities lasting for several days and nights. During the Neolithic celebrations young people got acquainted with women from neighboring communities and married them. Cattle scored whole flocks, to bring to the people the festive meal.

Party Neolithic times occurred in designated areas, for example, on the mounds. If to take into account that agriculture in the UK brought visitors from the mainland about six thousand years ago, it is amazing how amazing speed new methods of cultivation of agricultural crops spread across the island. As a result of profound social change began to appear artificial mounds, where tribal leaders and priests held their parties strengthened their power.

Historians found out that the first long barrow - long barrows used for collective burials and embankments, appeared soon after came the farmers began to take the land from hunter-gatherers. However, archaeologists believed that it took hundreds of years. Although in reality it took about ten times less time, which helps to better understand the revolution in the public consciousness and political sphere, which occurred with the introduction of agricultural production.

With the advent of more advanced methods of radiocarbon analysis, which was proposed by Alasdair whittle (Alasdair Whittle) from Cardiff University and Alex Bailey (Alex Bayliss) of the organization English heritage" (English Heritage), according to the Guardian website, studies have reached a new level.

The researchers used the method of Bayesian chronological modeling (Bayesian chronological modelling), the name of theorem XVIII century English mathematician Thomas Bayes (Thomas Bayes). Currently radiocarbon Dating pieces of wood or bone remains can determine time the construction of mounds and mounds with accuracy up to several decades. Earlier this could be done with a precision of several centuries.

The first farmers arrived on the island about 4050 years before our era the territory of modern France and settled on the territory of Kent. Originally agriculture spread rather slowly, and to 3900 year BC the area of its distribution barely reached the ridge of the Cotswold hills (Cotswolds).

There followed a period of rapid growth, and for some half a century of agricultural technology had spread up to Aberdeen. Agriculture first dealt exclusively settlers from the mainland, and then the local hunter-gatherers, convinced of its effectiveness, in the mass order have passed to a settled way of life.

The first long barrows appeared about 3,800 BC. A century later the time came for the construction of embankments (causewayed enclosures). According to experts, a large family was able to fill Kurgan one summer, for the erection of embankments required the work of several hundred people.

In one century life in the British Isles has changed dramatically. Instead of individual burials appeared places for collective burials. Funeral feast, arranged on the mounds were intended to unite people under the power of a mighty man. Judging by the condition of the teeth slaughtered cattle, Neolithic "festivals" was held in August or September. Accurate chronological Dating allowed scientists to look at the political situation in Britain during the Neolithic period.

British long barrows, from the point of view of archaeologists, are a cemetery. The differences relate only one question of whether all members of the community have equal access to the graves. In accordance with the new Dating turns out that the mounds and mounds were used for their intended purpose throughout the life of one to two generations, and, perhaps, only in the past decade.

In addition, the British archaeologist Julian Thomas (Julian Thomas) from the University of Manchester in the publication NewScientist drew attention to the similarity long barrows and long wooden buildings. They both have trapezoid form, the entrance is on one end and dug on the sides of the pit. Previously it was thought that the burial mounds were intended only for dead, and long buildings in order to live there. According to Thomas, long building was intended to be a dead founding fathers Neolithic communities.