Black Dike is the diminutive counterpart to the great Tor Dike, rising from its western arm and climbing to the watershed between Great and Little Whernside. Beginning at roughly SD 988 756—where Tor Dike cleaves the limestone scarp—the Black Dike pursues a steep, sinuous course uphill for nearly 0.6 km, finally spilling onto the ridge crest at about 675 m above sea level
Category: Iron Age
Tor Dyke
Tor Dyke appears to have been attributed to Venutius which dates it of the period AD 52 – 70. The presence of a legionary size marching camp a few miles to the southwest at Malham certainly indicates an active role in the Roman advance of AD 70. However, given the lack of published research so far a clear picture has yet to emerge.
Jun 27
Prehistoric mounds, cairns and boundary earthworks in Coverdale
- Filed under Archaeology, Barrow, Boundary Marker, Brigantia, Brigantia England, Bronze Age, Burial Mound, Dark Ages, Dark Ages Brigantia, Early Christian, Early Medieval, Guide, Iron Age, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape feature, Motte and Bailey, Mound, New Sites, Roman, Terraces, Visible Remains
A gazetteer of probable prehistoric mounds, cairns and boundary earthworks in Coverdale. It is not complete and is still being researched.
Castle Dykes Henge, Thoralby – North Yorkshire
- Filed under Archaeology, Brigantia, Brigantia England, Britain, Class I, Earthworks, Henge, Iron Age, Landscape feature, New Sites, Ritual Landscape
Castle dykes it is a small class one henge, 90m across, perched on the high ground up in the North Yorkshire dales. The bank survives up to 1.5 m high in places, and the ditch up to 3 m deep. Early 20th-century reports (1908) noted its intact form, and recent LiDAR-based surveys have confirmed its classic henge profile with minimal later disturbance.
Jun 10
Guide: Barrows
- Filed under Archaeobotanical, Barrow, Bell Barrow, Bowl Barrow, Bronze Age, Dark Ages, Disc Barrow, Europe, Guide, Iron Age, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape feature, Long Barrow, Neolithic, Ring Barrow, Ritual Landscape, Roman, Round Barrow, Square Barrow, Steppe Kurgan
A barrow is a mound of earth and/or stones raised over a grave or group of graves. Used from the Neolithic through to the Iron Age (roughly 4000 BCE to 500 CE), barrows were often constructed to honour elite individuals, such as tribal leaders, warriors, or chieftains. They are frequently found singly or in cemeteries known as barrow fields.
- AngloViking, Arras Culture, barrow, Barrow Timeline, Bell Barrow, Bowl Barrow, britain, Bronze Age, Burial Mound, Disc Barrow, Eastern Europe, Hallstatt, Iberian Peninsular, ireland, Iron Age, la tene, Long Barrow, Neolithc, Nordic Bronze Age, Ring Barrow, Roman, Round Barrow, ScandinaviaUkraineCentral Europe, Square Barrow, Steppe Kurgan, timeline
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Jun 05
Guide: Classification of Henge Monuments
- Filed under Archaeology, Bronze Age, Earthworks, Henge, Iron Age, Landscape feature, Neolithic, New Sites
Archaeologists use the word “henge” for later-Neolithic and earliest Bronze-Age earthen rings whose ditch lies inside the bank, creating a deliberately bounded interior. The term itself was coined in 1932 by Kendrick; it was refined in the 1950s by Richard Atkinson, whose system still frames most discussion.
Drumanagh Promontory Fort – First Ever Intact Roman Pot Found in Ireland
- Filed under Agricola, Amphora, Bone Comb, Defensive Structures, Fort, Gaming Pieces, Hill Fort, Ireland, Iron Age, Late Iron Age, Leaders, News, Promontory fort, Roman pottery
RTE Ireland has reported that more recently they have made yet another remarkable discovery—an intact Roman pot. the first one to be uncovered on Irish soil, and providing more tantalising clues about ancient Roman-Irish interactions.
Although the Roman Empire they never reached Ireland (except, seemingly, in myth). That does not mean, that Roman influence and goods did enter Ireland, and it means that Drumanagh continues to headline as one of Irelands most tantalising archaeological sites for that same reason – exactly what were the Romans doing in Ireland?
Knockfarrel Fort
- Filed under Hill Fort, Iron Age, Vitrified Fort
This had substantial ramparts made of stones with a timber frame, enclosing a large area and making good use of the natural defences of the hill-top.
Barry Hill Fort
- Filed under Fort, Hill Fort, Iron Age, Vitrified Fort
Barry Hill is a textbook “big fort waiting for a small trench”: its spectacular vitrified rampart, enigmatic outer works and Arthurian folklore offer equal attraction to scientists and story-lovers—yet almost everything we know comes from surface survey. A single, well-designed excavation season could pivot the site from picturesque curiosity to a securely dated anchor point in the defensive story of eastern Scotland.
Dunagoil Hillfort, (Isle of Bute, Argyll & Bute)
- Filed under Archaeology, Bronze Age, Dark Ages, Defensive Structures, Early Medieval, Hill Fort, Iron Age, New Sites, Vitrified Fort
Dunagoil crowns a 30 m-high columnar-basalt promontory on the south-west coast of Bute, overlooking the Sound of Bute and the Cumbraes. Cliffs on the north and west form natural ramparts; only the gentle ESE saddle gives easy access.
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Announcing: The Brigantian News!
- Roman Road to the West uncovered under Manchester Street 16 July 2025
- What might Stonehenge Mean? Dartmoor and Carnac add to the Picture 3 July 2025
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- Drumanagh Promontory Fort – First Ever Intact Roman Pot Found in Ireland 5 June 2025
Portable Antiquities News
A complete silver post-medieval sixpence from the reign of Elizabeth I, sword initial mark, second issue, North 1997, dating to AD 1582.Obverse: bust facing left, rose behind. Legend: ELIZABETH D'G' ANG FR'ET HIB REGINAReverse: Square shield on long cross [...]
A Medieval copper-alloy strap fitting/strap end/buckle dating to circa AD 1375-1500. The extant piece consists of one sheet of the plate. Now bent out of shape, it is rectangular in plan with. Its attachment end is complete [...]
Solid cast copper alloy foot from a Medieval to Post Medieval vessel, c. 1200 to 1800 AD.A substantial and well-cast flared foot from a vessel such as a cooking cauldron or posnet, in the shape [...]
Sub-circular flat lead object, probably a late medieval to early post-medieval token. It is uniface, with relief decoration of an eight-spoke radial pattern on one face; this may represent a flower, sunburst etc. Four of the eight [...]
A Post Medieval copper-alloy Nuremberg rose and orb jetton of an uncertain issuer dating to circa AD 1550-1650. [...]
A Post Medieval copper-alloy Nuremberg rose and orb jetton of Wolf Lauffer -III, dating from c. AD 1582-1625. Similar to Mitchiner 1988: no 1660–1672 [...]
A complete lead alloy uniface token dating to the Medieval to Post Medieval period (c. AD 1300-1700). The design on the obverse depicts eight intersecting lines with a circle joining all lines and pellets at the centre and mid-way along each of the [...]
A central element of a Medieval composite cast copper alloy strap end dating to c. AD 1250-1450.Forked inner spacer from a large composite strap end, one forked arm cast thicker then the other, lower end is decorated with an [...]
Silver penny of Edward the Martyr (reigned 975-978), small cross type, North 763, 1.13g, in good condition. Mint of Stamford, moneyer Wulfgar.Obverse: bust left, + EADWEARD REX ANEO.Reverse: small cross, WVLGAR M-O STAN. [...]
Complete copper alloy undecorated sword hanger component, sub-trapezoidal upper plate with rounded and slightly bifurcated upper edge, two iron rivets placed centrally, one above the other, now corroded and rusted front and back. Lower end is [...]
A Post Medieval copper-alloy Nuemberg rose and orb jetton of Wolf Lauffer II, dating from c. AD 1615-1645. Similar to Mitchiner 1988: no 1703-1709. [...]
A complete ground and polished axehead of Neolithic date, c. 4000-2200 BC, probably made of greenstone (uncertain origin) and of Butler (2005) Thick-butted Type A. The axehead is of an overall rounded piriform shape, with a oval-sectioned [...]
An incomplete copper alloy Colchester derivative, Polden Hill type brooch dating to the Roman period (c. AD 75-175). The remains of the brooch consist of the head with wings intact, spring and partial bow. All other features have [...]
An incomplete copper alloy candle holder dating to the late Medieval to Post Medieval period (c. AD 1475-1700). The object has a slightly flared cylindrical mouth to accommodate the candle. The main shaft is baluster-shaped and the base tapers [...]
Copper-alloy fragment, probably medieval to post-medieval in date (c. 1200-1800 AD).A fragment of square section shaft of an unknown object. It is 43.23mm long and the shaft is 2.9mm wide. The object is straight and of [...]
An incomplete copper-alloy strap fitting or buckle plate of medieval date, c.AD 1100 - 1500.The fitting comprises a rectangular sheet of metal. The corners of the plate are lost to worn breaks. Two rivet holes are present [...]
A copper-alloy fragment of a probable early medieval cruciform brooch, dating to circa AD 420-570. The artefact is the side or top-knob of a cruciform brooch. It is a semi-circular decorative knob, below the knob is a thin collar and a [...]
An incomplete silver Groat of Henry VIII (1509-1547). Second coinage. Long cross fourchée over royal shield reverse. Rose initial mark. London mint. AD 1526-1529.Diameter: 25.73mm, Thickness: 1.02mm, Weight: 2.33gThe coin is missing a minor portion of its outer flan [...]
A complete silver Two Pence of Charles II (1630-1685). Crowned pair of interlinked Cs reverse. Minted in London. AD 1668-1684.Diameter: 13.78mm, Thickness: 0.60mm, Weight: 0.57gSpink No. 3388 [...]
An incomplete silver Halfpenny of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Third coinage. Cross Moline with three pellets in each arm reverse. Initial mark Tun. London mint. AD 1591-1594.Diameter: 11.28mm, Thickness: 0.39mm, Weight: 0.21gThe coin is missing minor portions of [...]
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