What is Hillfort?
[[Image:Maiden castle dorset ramparts.jpg|thumb|right|[[Maiden Castle]] is a hillfort in [[Devon]], [[England]]. At the time, the ditches were deeper than they are now. There were also wooden pallisades]] [[Image:Scotland Dunadd.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dunadd hill fort]] near [[Kilmartin]], in [[Scotland]]. This design is similar to the ring-forts in [[Ireland]] and the Castros in [[Spain]]]] A '''hill fort''' is an ancient [[fortification|fortified]] refuge or defended [[Human settlement|settlement]]. It was usually in a place that rises from the surrounding area, given the name. This is done to exploit the rise for military advantage. The fortification usually follows the shape of the hill. Usually it is made of one or more lines of [[Earthworks (Archaeology)|earthworks]]. There may also be [[stockades]] or [[defensive walls]], and external ditches.Maiden Castle in Dorset is the largest of around 1000 hill forts built in Britain in the Iron Age. In a hill fort, the entrance through the inner ramparts had massive timber gates. The inner rampart was 14m high and topped by a fence of huge, upright timbers. It was faced with big, limestone blocks. Hill forts were built since the [[Stone Age]]. They are most common during later periods though: * [[Urnfield]] culture (c. 1300 BC - 750 BC) [[Bronze Age]] * [[Hallstatt culture]] (c. 1200 BC - 500 BC) late [[Bronze Age]] to early [[Iron Age]] * [[La Tene]] culture (c. 600 BC - 50 AD) late [[Iron Age]] There are many different kinds of hill forts, they were very common. In Europe, the [[Celt]]s used them for a very long time. [[Category:Prehistoric buildings and structures]] [[Category:Fortification]] [[Category:Stone Age]] {{military-stub}}