Sutton Walls Hill Fort
Encyclopedia
Sutton Walls Hillfort is an elongated ovoid Iron Age
Hill fort
located four miles north of the city of Hereford, England. It has been quarried for gravel, leaving behind a quarry
that was used as a dump for toxic waste during the 1960s and 70s. It was added to the Sites and Monuments Record
in 1988.
, at which time it did not have any defences. As time went on, defences began to be added, and by 100BC, the fort had a V shaped ditch and an internal bank, which was revetted with timber and stone. Huts were then constructed later on.
The defences were then strengthened around AD25, however archaeological digs have revealed that around AD 48, 24 people were killed in the fort (probably by Romans
) and thrown into the ditch. The skeletons show the wounds received, and some were decapitated. This did not end occupation, however, and the fort remained in use until around the 3rd century.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
located four miles north of the city of Hereford, England. It has been quarried for gravel, leaving behind a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
that was used as a dump for toxic waste during the 1960s and 70s. It was added to the Sites and Monuments Record
Sites and Monuments Record
Each County or Unitary Authority in the United Kingdom maintains a Sites and Monuments Record or SMR, consisting of a list of known archaeological sites. Many SMRs are now developing into much broader Historic Environment Records , including information on historic buildings and designed landscapes...
in 1988.
History
The Sutton Walls hillfort dates back to the Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, at which time it did not have any defences. As time went on, defences began to be added, and by 100BC, the fort had a V shaped ditch and an internal bank, which was revetted with timber and stone. Huts were then constructed later on.
The defences were then strengthened around AD25, however archaeological digs have revealed that around AD 48, 24 people were killed in the fort (probably by Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
) and thrown into the ditch. The skeletons show the wounds received, and some were decapitated. This did not end occupation, however, and the fort remained in use until around the 3rd century.