List of hillforts in Northern Ireland

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Northern Ireland , like the rest of the British Isles, is dotted with hillforts . The Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland lists thirty-two such forts. These are classically defined as small hilltop settlements fortified with earthworks, but many are not located on hills, and probably did not function as forts. [1] Their function is unclear; although conventionally interpreted as defensive fortifications [2] and centres of economic political power, [3] there is little evidence that they were ever attacked, [1] and more recent scholarship has suggested that they may be better interpreted as monuments. [4]

Contents

County Antrim

County Armagh

County Down

County Fermanagh

County Londonderry

County Tyrone

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grianan of Aileach</span> Hillfort in Co. Donegal, Ireland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Largin Castle</span> Hillfort in Cornwall, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combs Moss</span> Hill in the Derbyshire Peak District

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References

  1. 1 2 Morris, Steven (2017-06-21). "Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  2. Hawkes, Christopher (1931). "Hill-Forts". Antiquity. 5 (17): 60–97. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00005603. ISSN   0003-598X.
  3. Cunliffe, Barrington Windsor (1974). Iron Age Communities in Britain: an account of England, Scotland and Wales from the seventh century BC until the Roman conquest. London: Routledge. OCLC   819799871.
  4. Hamilton, Sue; Manley, John (2001). "Hillforts, monumentality and place: a chronological and topographic review of first millennium BC hillforts of south-east England". European Journal of Archaeology. 4 (1): 7–42. doi:10.1179/eja.2001.4.1.7. ISSN   1461-9571.
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