Promontory fort
A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus using the topography to reduce the ramparts needed.
The oldest known promontory fort is Amnya I in Siberia which was established as a fortified site in the late 7th millennium BC.
Ireland
Only a few Irish promontory forts have been excavated and most date to the
Isle of Man
On the
The Scandinavians who arrived in Mann in the eighth and ninth centuries AD sometimes re-used these Iron Age promontory forts, often obliterating the old domestic quarters with their characteristic rectangular houses; the fine example at Cronk ny Merriu has been used as the basis of the reconstruction in the House of Manannan museum in Peel.
Devon and Cornwall
Brittany
Channel Islands
There are a few examples of promontory forts on the Island of Jersey, which includes Le Pinacle, Le Câtel de Rozel, and Le Câtel de Lecq. All of these were located on headlands on the north and north-east of the Island, given the strong natural defences that exist on those parts of the Island. Remains of an Iron Age fort were located on the site of Mont Orgueil Castle to the east of the island as well as materials from the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
See also
- Hillfort – Fortified refuge or defended settlement on a rise of elevation
- Promontory – Prominent mass of land that overlooks lower-lying land or a body of water
References
- ISSN 0003-598X.
- ^ "Access to Monuments". www.historic-cornwall.org.uk. 11 December 2020.
- ^ Historic England. "Monument No. 440918". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ "- English Heritage". www.english-heritage.org.uk.
- ^ Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 3:8
- Nancy Edwards, The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland (London, Batsford 1990).
- Manx National Heritage - Promontory Forts
- Cronk ny Merriu MNH
- Maen Castle Retrieved 14 May 2007.