A TOWN with a flourishing history stretching back to the Mesolithic (c. 9000 BC - 4500 BC) Period, echoes of Basingstoke’s early roots are preserved to this day, both in knowledge and physical evidence.

Much like the whole of Britain at this time, the landscape in Basingstoke, was lived in but not drastically shaped by human settlements until the arrival of the Neolithic or New Stone Age.

It is only in physical remains, such as distinctive stone tools found throughout the town and the surrounding area, that evidence of man-made settlements from the Mesolithic Age can be found

New Stone Age or Neolithic Basingstoke (c. 4400 BC – 3300 BC) saw the construction of the earliest earthwork sites in the form of long barrows used for communal burial. Settlements were established at Battledown, Kempshott and Wellocks Hill and took the form of causewayed enclosures.

With the discovery of smelting bronze from around 2000 BC, the Bronze Age arrived in Britain and bronze gradually replaced stone as the main material for tool and weapon making. The Bronze Age in Basingstoke saw settlements established in 1000 BC at Kempshott and Old Down, with people living in roundhouses, dividing up the landscape and clearing the downs for grazing.

In this period, the practice of burying the dead usually took the form of just one person being buried under a circular earthen mound known as a round barrow. Evidence of several round barrows can be found in the Basingstoke area, with notable examples at Old Down and Beggarwood.

With the introduction of iron working techniques from southern Europe, the Bronze Age became the Iron Age in Britain (c. 800 BC- AD 43).

Iron Age Britons lived in organised groups, building hillforts as defensive settlements against opposing groups. Over 2,000 of these hillforts have been discovered across Britain. In Basingstoke, the hillfort at Winklebury, to the west of the town centre, is perhaps the most well known in the area.

In 1976, to the south of Basingstoke at Viables, an Iron Age burial site was discovered and partially excavated. A large pit containing two adult females was found.

Also in the pit were a number of whole or partial animal remains, which are thought to have been placed deliberately as grave offerings to reflect the importance of the two women.

As well as animal remains, other objects were found at the burial site and in the immediate area.

Some of these items are on display at the Willis Museum, operated by Hampshire Cultural Trust, along with illustrations depicting the burial scene by historic illustrator, Michael Codd.

From Mesolithic to modern day, Basingstoke’s history dates back over 11,000 years and as the town continues to flourish and develop, key evidence of its rich history are showcased in the Willis Museum at the heart of the town.