Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum

GLADMAN

950 posts

Re: Hillforts & Barrows

Sep 24, 2012, 20:07

I've seen many examples now where monuments of both the stone and earthen (round and long) variety have been deliberately incorporated within Iron Age enclosures - Moel Drygarn in Y Preselau is a classic example of the cairn, long barrows upon Hambledon and Cley Hill just a couple of many such sites. In other words far too many for it to represent merely localised superstition 'not to anger the old Gods'. This was a widespread practice. Retaining such monuments seems to have served no practical purpose.... in some cases actually limiting available living space to a noticeable degree. So why do it?

For what it's worth I think it has a lot to do with the defences of hill forts having a far more ceremonial aspect than perhaps they are generally given credit fort..... e.g. excessive lines of defence where one or two banks would have catered for any reasonably likely assault..... note how even the incomparable Maiden Castle near Dorchester, the massive Bigbury near Canterbury were no match for basic Roman siege techniques. No, I reckon a good proportion of hill fort design reflected a need for bling, to highlight the owner's prestige. 'Look how many workers I can command to build THIS! Don't mess with me cos I'm the man'. Chester's up near Edinburgh is even immediately overlooked by high ground. Militarily insane, but what a powerful fortress nonetheless.

To get to the point, I reckon the incorporation of Bronze Age cairns and round/long barrows within hillforts was an attempt to appropriate the 'claim to the land', the ancestral 'right' inferred by such monuments by warlords founding new societies.... 'hey, we've been here all along.... look at the ancestral tombs.... mess with us at your peril cos we've the backing of the gods'. Let's face it, they must have meant a great deal for constructors of Moel Drygarn, a drystone-walled fort, to pass up the use of three great piles of stone when building their ramparts. No, THOSE are out of bounds.

In reply to:
Hillforts & Barrows (Evergreen Dazed)

Replies:
Re: Hillforts & Barrows (Evergreen Dazed)

The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Hillforts & Barrows	Log In to post a reply

213 messages	Topic View: Flat \| Threaded