This article attempts to serve as a guide for many of the features of the hillforts found in Britain, in particular. It explains the basic elements of the design and architecture of a hillfort.
Category: Guide
May 29
Guide: Iron-Age minting: Ceramic pellet-mould trays
This article explores the most tangible evidence we possess for indigenous minting north of the Humber: the smashed ceramic “pellet-mould” trays recovered in quantity at Scotch Corner and, in lesser numbers, at Britain’s southern oppida.
May 22
Coverdale: Nathwaite Bridge river crossing points
Nathwaite Bridge, over the river Cover in Coverdale, is just about the only way any heavy traffic can easily cross between the key villages of Carlton and West Scrafton. The importance of the location is perhaps underlined as the last place down the river Cover where it remains reasonably ford-able, and therefore crossable in past times when no closer bridge existed.
May 20
Guide: Fortified Barns in Yorkshire – A historical overview
Even in a rural community of mainly farmers, there are often reasons to wish to build or create a structure that is for, at least in part, for defensive purposes. Thus, some barns in Yorkshire and other places can be seen to have “arrow slits”, and later, square “gun ports”. This article provides a brief overview of what these structures are, why they were built and how they were used.
Nathwaite Bridge – Coverdale
Nathwaite bridge over the River Cover is a strategically placed river crossing, for centuries it has been the only crossing point over the river Cover, and with a fortified barn right next door to it, this is an enigmatic site worthy of closer attention.
Hutton Rudby
Hutton Rudby was once known as Hutton-juxta-Rudby, or Hutton-nigh-Rudby, because it is really two villages: Hutton and Rudby, separated from each other by the River Leven. How old is the village? There have been people living here for thousands of years. Stone Age tools have been found in North End.
Montlleó, Cerdanya, Pyrenees – Lithics Study
Montlleó sits at 1,144 m a.s.l. on a low knoll in the high, east–west Cerdanya valley of the eastern Pyrenees, a natural corridor between the Bay of Biscay and the Gulf of Lion. Excavated since 2000, the open-air site preserves a 23,000 – 17,000 cal BP occupation sequence that spans the harshest part of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) through early deglaciation. Because mountain ice in the Pyrenees retreated earlier than the global LGM, Montlleó shows that hunter-gatherers could exploit altitudes that were once thought permafrost-bound.
Wensleydale
Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales is perhaps one of the most accessible and best known of the eastern dales. Whilst in modern times it is largely home to sheep farming and tourism. In the past it was a significant seat of power, and right in the hearlands of the Iron Age Brigantes tribe.
Coverdale
Coverdale, located within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is a valley of great beauty and rich history. Its unique geography, fascinating geology, and enduring heritage combine to create a truly special place. Coverdale is home to at least two Iron Age hill forts, and a long history of mining and landscape transformation
Mar 25
The Legend of Caer Caradoc
Caer Caradoc is often linked to Caradoc (or Caradog), a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and Arthurian legend. Caradoc is considered one of the knights of the Round Table in Arthurian lore, and he is sometimes referred to as Caradoc of the Battle or Caradoc the Brave. He was known for his bravery and his loyalty to King Arthur.
