Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum

BrigantesNation

1733 posts

Re: Wood from the trees

Aug 04, 2003, 16:45

The ditches may well have been filled with water, some sites it's almost a definate probablility.

Ditches are not actually barriers. When used in a hillfort context they make life difficult for an attacker by adding to the height disadvantage, but they are not a barrier in themselves. You and I may not like to get our clothes dirty by scrambling down a ditch but without someone hurling stuff at you, the only barrier most ditches would provide is a steep but climbable bank. Vertical banks very quickly erode into a slope. If you had animals by a deep ditch filled with water you'd be wise to make it a gentle slope otherwise you'll end up with a lot of dead animals.

Mind, many hanges did not have deep ditches - 1m or so deep, and "V" cut, so not sheer. that would indicate a function other than a barrier.

They could have been watering holes of course. defended from attack from the outside by the hange wall, and constructed with internal ditches to allow maximum speed of intake of water. However, that does not stack up either. many hanges are built in wetland areas - pools all over the place. Why tell your enemy where you are going to be when you could have a random choice of watering.

In reply to:
Re: Wood from the trees (baza)

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Re: Wood from the trees (nigelswift)

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