CONGRESS OF ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES IN UNION WITH THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON. SCHEME FOR RECORDING ANCIENT DEFENSIVE EARTHWORKS AND FORTIFIED ENCLOSURES. 1903. BERTRAM C. A. WINDLE (Prof.), F.R.S., F.S.A. I. CHALKLEY GOULD, Hon. Sec. (Royal Societies' Club, St. James's Street, London.) EXTRACT from the Report of the Provisional Committee to the Congress of Archæological Societies: "There is need, not only for schedules such as this Committee is appointed to secure, but also for active antiquaries in all parts of the country to keep keen watch over ancient fortifications of earth and stone, and to endeavour to prevent their destruction by the hand of man in this utilitarian age." SCHEME FOR RECORDING ANCIENT DEFENSIVE EARTHWORKS AND FORTIFIED ENCLOSURES. AT T the Congress of the Archæological Societies, held on July 10th, 1901, a Committee was appointed to prepare a scheme for a systematic record of ANCIENT DEFENSIVE EARTHWORKS AND FORTIFIED ENCLOSURES. It was suggested that the secretaries of the various archæological societies, and other gentlemen likely to be interested in the subject, should be pressed to prepare schedules of the works in their respective districts, in the hope that lists may eventually be published. It is believed that the schedules will not only be of value to archæologists and antiquaries, but may serve to interest landowners, members of County, Borough, and District Councils, and others, in these neglected but priceless memorials of the past. As the opportunities to use their influence towards the preservation of antiquities must increase, the importance of securing the co-operation of County, Borough, and District Councils is manifest, and their efforts would be largely directed and aided by such lists as the Committee hopes to secure. A 2 2 The ground has been, to some extent, covered by the useful archæological maps of the Society of Antiquaries, and by lists of early forts recorded in some volumes of the Victoria County Histories (now in course of publication); both together, however, cover but a limited portion of the country, and neither work is so generally accessible as it is hoped the Committee's schedules will be. Not to court failure by attempting too much the Committee suggests that— 1. The lists should be confined to defensive works, omitting burial barrows and boundary banks. 2. Though careful record should be made of any "finds" indicative of period of use of the forts, no effort need be made to assign a definite period of construction, excepting in those cases in which the age is beyond question, e.g. camps and fortified settlements of undoubted Roman origin, or enclosures of proved Neolithic, Bronze, or Iron age. It is proposed that defensive works be classified, so far as may be, under the following heads : A. Fortresses partly inaccessible, by reason of precipices, cliffs, or water, additionally defended by artificial banks or walls. B. Fortresses on hill-tops with artificial defences, following the natural line of the hill; Or, though usually on high ground, less dependent on natural slopes for protection. c. Rectangular or other simple enclosures, including forts and towns of the Romano-British period. D. Forts consisting only of a mount with encircling ditch or fosse. E. Fortified mounts, either artificial or partly natural, with traces of an attached court or bailey, or of two or more such courts. F. Homestead moats, such as abound in some lowland districts, consisting of simple enclosures formed into artificial islands by water moats. G. Works which fall under none of these headings. |
