When was danebury built?

6th century BC
When Danebury was built in the 6th century BC, it coincided with the construction of several other hillforts in the Wessex region, all of a similar size and layout. The first phase of defences dates from around 550 BC, and consists of a rampart behind a ditch.

What is a iron age Rampart?

Ramparts were made of timber, stone or earth, whichever was readily available. A box rampart consisted of a double line of posts, approximately three metres apart, held to-gether by horizontals.

Where is danebury hill fort?

Danebury is an Iron Age hillfort in the south of England between the cities of Salisbury and Winchester. For many it is seen as the definitive hill fort, as it was extensively excavated in the 1970s and is where much archaeological understanding of hillforts comes from.

Who used hillforts?

ancient Britons
Hill forts developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly the start of the first millennium BC, and were in use by the ancient Britons until the Roman conquest. There are around 3,300 structures that can be classed as hillforts or similar “defended enclosures” within Britain, all worthy of considering.

How old is danebury hill fort?

Danebury is one of the most studied Iron Age hill forts in Europe and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. ‘Iron Age’ describes the period between the end of the Bronze Age and the start of the Roman period (700BC to AD43). Evidence found suggests that the fort was built 2500 years ago and occupied for nearly 500 years.

What did hillforts look like?

Hill forts were built on hilltops and surrounded by huge banks (mounds) of soil and ditches. They were protected by wooden walls which kept enemies out. They were home to many people, who would have lived in wooden houses with thatched roofs made out of straw. Strongholds such as hill forts were built for protection.

When did people stop living in hillforts?

The ‘developed’ hillforts remained in use until they were abandoned round about 100 BC and replaced by a very different type of major settlement, the oppida.

Is danebury in Hampshire?

Site Management at Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort When Hampshire County Council purchased the hill fort in 1958, the earthworks were covered in beech trees.

What was found at Maiden Castle?

The archaeologists at Maiden Castle uncovered 52 skeletons. There may be more still buried, but only part of the hillfort has been excavated.

Who excavated Maiden Castle?

Sir Mortimer Wheeler
The first excavations took place in 1865, when the antiquary Edward Cunnington excavated what he described as a ‘villa’ (actually the Roman temple), believing the whole site to be Roman in date. But the most significant discoveries were made by Sir Mortimer Wheeler some 60 years later.

Why were hill forts built on hills?

To make it difficult for enemies to attack, tribes surrounded there hill forts with huge mounds of earth, ditches and wooden walls. Being above your enemy was an advantage in battle. Hill forts were common across Britain until the Romans invaded in AD43.

What is the difference between a hillfort and an oppidum?

The major difference with earlier structures was their much larger size. Earlier hill forts were mostly just a few hectares in area, whilst oppida could encompass several dozen or even hundreds of hectares.

How were the skeletons at Maiden Castle buried?

All the skeletons found at Maiden Castle were buried with objects to take to their next life. These objects included legs of meat and tankards of ale, pots, weapons, beads, rings and brooches. I know what happened. These skeletons were the people from the hillfort.

Who found the skeletons at Maiden Castle?

archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler
IRON AND BONE One exception is Maiden Castle in Dorset, the largest hillfort in Britain, where a number of skeletons with evidence of wounds were discovered by the renowned archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler in the 1930s.

What is a Celtic hillfort?

Iron-Age Celtic tribes built strongly defended hill forts, which could be like small towns. Hill forts were built on hilltops and surrounded by huge banks (mounds) of soil and ditches. They were protected by wooden walls which kept enemies out.

What is a Celtic oppidum?

An oppidum (plural oppida) is a large fortified Iron Age settlement. Oppida are associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretching from Britain and Iberia in the west to the edge of the Hungarian plain in the east.

Where is Danebury hillfort?

> Danebury Iron Age Hillfort is 12 miles north west of Winchester, sitting in the more inland reaches of Hampshire, > The fort was constructed in the 6th Century BC.

When was the first dig at Danebury hillfort?

> A first known dig at Danebury hillfort was in 1859, led by Augustus Wollaston Franks. His team excavated a Iron Age pit 2 metres deep and 1.5 metres in diameter.

What has been excavated at Danebury?

The Danebury archaeological excavations, led by Professor Barry Cunliffe, from Southampton University, took place between 1969 and 1988. In total 57% of the interior has been excavated. There is evidence of 73 roundhouses, 500 rectangular buildings and thousands of deep storage pits.

What was Danebury like in the Iron Age?

* It was from 400BC that Danebury started to be a multi ringed developed hillfort. * Some estimate they have found 11,000 sling stones at Danebury for defence, though some question if all were. ) Coins were more in use in later Iron Age Britain.