Period: Iron Age

Drumanagh Promontory Fort – First Ever Intact Roman Pot Found in Ireland

Roman samian ware

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?

Vitrified Fort Sites

1930s photograph of Castle Hill

This page is a master placeholder for all vitrified fort sites in the Vitrified Forts section of Brigantes Nation.

Knockfarrel Fort

Knock Farril

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

Hillfort on Hill of Barra, near Old Meldrum, from the air

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)

Dunagoil Hillfort

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.

Vitrified Forts: Glossary of Terms

Glossary

This page holds our Glossary of Terms for Vitrified Forts.

Guide: Common Features of Iron Age Hillforts

Maiden Castle, Dorchester, Dorset

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.

Tap O’Noth Hill Fort

Tap O Noth Hillfort

This is one of the best examples of a vitrified fort, it is near the village of Rhynie in northeastern Scotland. This massive fort from prehistory is on the summit of a mountain of the same name which, being 1,859 feet (560 metres) high, commands an impressive view of the Aberdeenshire countryside.

Guide: Iron-Age minting: Ceramic pellet-mould trays

Iron Age coin mould fragment (Box 3, no. 40: showing capped pellet hole)

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.

How Hill Hillfort, Swaledale

How Hill Downholme LIDAR

How Hill, near Downholme in North Yorkshire, is the site of a large univallate hillfort.

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