238:. The reason for their emergence in Britain, and their purpose, has been a subject of debate. It has been argued that they could have been military sites constructed in response to invasion from continental Europe, sites built by invaders, or a military reaction to social tensions caused by an increasing population and consequent pressure on agriculture. The dominant view since the 1960s has been that the increasing use of iron led to social changes in Britain. Deposits of iron ore were located in different places to the tin and copper ore necessary to make bronze, and as a result trading patterns shifted and the old elites lost their economic and social status. Power passed into the hands of a new group of people. Archaeologist
140:
40:
147:
242:
believes that population increase still played a role and has stated " provided defensive possibilities for the community at those times when the stress burst out into open warfare. But I wouldn't see them as having been built because there was a state of war. They would be functional as defensive
220:. By 2022, the interpretation panel on site suggested that the purpose of the earthworks – whether to provide a refuge, to contain/protect a settlement or simply to act as a pen for livestock – was unknown.
243:
strongholds when there were tensions and undoubtedly some of them were attacked and destroyed, but this was not the only, or even the most significant, factor in their construction".
216:
The name "Burrington Ham" was commonly used for the hill fort before the 20th century. At that time, the camp was sometimes thought to be a Roman one and was also associated with the
252:
492:
371:, vols. 32-33 (1887), p. 5: "On Burrington Ham, a mile beyond the boundary of Wrington, is a Roman camp, and remains have been found in the comb."
405:
384:(1859), p. 230: "...and above, on the hill, an earthwork called Burrington Ham, which is supposed to have been a scene of Druidical worship."
139:
487:
63:
429:
272:
482:
334:
477:
444:
497:
306:
191:
50:
39:
395:
209:, demonstrating a very long human occupation of the area. The hill fort has an oval shape and is
110:
397:
The Wessex
Hillforts Project: Extensive Survey of Hillfort Interiors in Central Southern England
359:
vol. 1 (1836), p. 26: "Burrington Camp or Ham, as it is called, stands on the elevated ridge..."
425:
401:
235:
280:
198:
239:
202:
179:
471:
284:
234:
Hill forts developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly the start of the
187:
307:"Mendip Hills An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty"
210:
206:
78:
65:
450:
229:
175:
369:
Proceedings of the
Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
183:
172:
98:
382:
A handbook for travellers in
Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire
217:
190:
approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) south from the village of
253:
List of hill forts and ancient settlements in
Somerset
394:
Payne, Andrew; Corney, Mark; Cunliffe, Barry (2007),
117:
108:
94:
57:
46:
23:
314:Somerset County Council Archaeological Projects
8:
357:The history and antiquities of Somersetshire
186:, England. The hill fort is situated in the
424:, London: B. T. Batsford, pp. 71–72,
38:
20:
446:Time Team: Swords, skulls and strongholds
264:
154:Location of Burrington Camp in Somerset
146:
422:English Heritage Book of Maiden Castle
16:Iron Age hillfort in Somerset, England
493:Scheduled monuments in North Somerset
116:
107:
7:
14:
145:
138:
400:, English Heritage, p. 1,
1:
514:
488:Iron Age sites in Somerset
420:Sharples, Niall M (1991),
227:
277:National Monuments Record
133:
129:
125:
104:
37:
28:
236:first millennium BC
201:, where there have been
380:John Murray & Co.,
483:Hill forts in Somerset
79:51.325694°N 2.750139°W
228:Further information:
84:51.325694; -2.750139
51:Burrington, Somerset
478:History of Somerset
337:. Fortified England
197:The camp overlooks
75: /
118:Reference no.
111:Scheduled monument
407:978-1-873592-85-4
335:"Burrington Camp"
287:on 1 October 2012
273:"Burrington Camp"
162:
161:
505:
462:
461:
460:
458:
441:
435:
434:
417:
411:
410:
391:
385:
378:
372:
366:
360:
355:William Phelps,
353:
347:
346:
344:
342:
331:
325:
324:
322:
320:
311:
303:
297:
296:
294:
292:
283:. Archived from
281:English Heritage
269:
199:Burrington Combe
167:, also known as
149:
148:
142:
90:
89:
87:
86:
85:
80:
76:
73:
72:
71:
68:
42:
21:
513:
512:
508:
507:
506:
504:
503:
502:
468:
467:
466:
465:
456:
454:
443:
442:
438:
432:
419:
418:
414:
408:
393:
392:
388:
379:
375:
367:
363:
354:
350:
340:
338:
333:
332:
328:
318:
316:
309:
305:
304:
300:
290:
288:
271:
270:
266:
261:
249:
232:
226:
205:discoveries of
165:Burrington Camp
158:
157:
156:
155:
152:
151:
150:
113:
83:
81:
77:
74:
69:
66:
64:
62:
61:
32:
24:Burrington Camp
17:
12:
11:
5:
511:
509:
501:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
470:
469:
464:
463:
436:
430:
412:
406:
386:
373:
361:
348:
326:
298:
263:
262:
260:
257:
256:
255:
248:
245:
240:Barry Cunliffe
225:
222:
203:archaeological
180:North Somerset
169:Burrington Ham
160:
159:
153:
144:
143:
137:
136:
135:
134:
131:
130:
127:
126:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
109:
106:
105:
102:
101:
96:
92:
91:
59:
55:
54:
48:
44:
43:
35:
34:
33:Burrington Ham
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
510:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
475:
473:
453:, 19 May 2008
452:
448:
447:
440:
437:
433:
431:0-7134-6083-0
427:
423:
416:
413:
409:
403:
399:
398:
390:
387:
383:
377:
374:
370:
365:
362:
358:
352:
349:
336:
330:
327:
315:
308:
302:
299:
286:
282:
278:
274:
268:
265:
258:
254:
251:
250:
246:
244:
241:
237:
231:
223:
221:
219:
214:
212:
208:
204:
200:
195:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
174:
170:
166:
141:
132:
128:
124:
120:
112:
103:
100:
97:
93:
88:
60:
56:
52:
49:
45:
41:
36:
31:
27:
22:
19:
498:Mendip Hills
457:16 September
455:, retrieved
445:
439:
421:
415:
396:
389:
381:
376:
368:
364:
356:
351:
339:. Retrieved
329:
317:. Retrieved
313:
301:
289:. Retrieved
285:the original
276:
267:
233:
215:
196:
188:Mendip Hills
182:district of
168:
164:
163:
67:51°19′32.5″N
29:
18:
82: /
58:Coordinates
30:Native name
472:Categories
341:16 January
319:16 January
259:References
224:Background
211:univallate
207:cemeteries
192:Burrington
70:2°45′0.5″W
451:Channel 4
230:Hill fort
176:hill fort
53:, England
291:16 March
247:See also
184:Somerset
173:Iron Age
171:, is an
99:Iron Age
47:Location
178:in the
428:
404:
218:Druids
121:194391
310:(PDF)
95:Built
459:2009
426:ISBN
402:ISBN
343:2011
321:2011
293:2011
474::
449:,
312:.
279:.
275:.
213:.
194:.
345:.
323:.
295:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.