Water colour by William Mayo of the Ridgeway Barrow, dated 1884. The Ridgeway area contains a highly concentrated area of Ancient Briton burials within barrows. Over a period of two thousand years they used this area for the burial of their dead (although it is not suggested that burials from outside of the area were brought here for internment. The following OS map demonstrates the huge number of mounds within a small area between Maiden Castle (top centre) and Carbury (lower mid-right) - between these hill-forts is the Ridgeway (in light yellow) a naturally occurring chalk ridge.

The longest pre-historic monument in Dorset is the Cursus; two parallel banks over 100 meter apart with external ditches and running for over 6 miles between Bokerly Down and Thickthorn Down. Its purpose is not clear but is should be presumed to be of ceremonial use, perhaps a processional way. For a pre-historic period this is a remarkable example of shared purpose.