May 21, 2007
Digging into the Iron Age at the Castle
SOME of the earliest Iron Age defences at Edinburgh Castle have been unearthed during excavation work for the attraction's new visitor centre.Full article here.Archaeologists discovered two huge, 2000-year-old ditches underneath the Castle Esplanade, which would once have protected the ancient hill fort on the site.
A team of experts drilled a series of small bore holes through the Castle's car park and analysed soil samples from many metres below the ground.
Senior archaeologists today described the find as a "major discovery" that would help show how the Castle has developed since being established by Iron Age tribes.
It comes just months after the same team discovered the foundations of a 17th-century stone wall, built after the Castle was seized by Oliver Cromwell.
Posted by David on May 21, 2007 1:32 PM
What makes them think that it was established as late as the Iron Age?
Posted by: dearieme on May 21, 2007 3:14 PM
I would guess because of similarities to other Iron Age sites. And you can date animal bones found in middens(actually are found pretty in tact).
They do say that the site was occupied during the Bronze Age.
However, most of the "castle" structures started appearing all over Britain in the Iron Age. The whole motte and bailey construct. The term "Castle" should really be used loosely to describe these hillforts though. More like post in hole structures with palisade trenches and ditches surrounding higher ground(either constructed or natural).
Posted by: Circe on May 23, 2007 3:02 PM
cronaca.com