Create a diagram of a hill fort
History Resource Description
To create a diagram of an Iron Age hill fort, one must first understand the key components that made up these ancient structures. Hill forts were strategic strongholds commonly built on elevated ground, which provided a natural advantage for defense. After conducting research and viewing educational resources, such as the BBC Teach video on hill forts, a detailed representation can be drafted.
Your diagram should depict a fortified settlement, typically enclosed by a defensive wall that follows the contours of the hill it's built upon. The wall, often made of timber or stone, would be surrounded by one or more ditches to hinder attackers. At the entrance, there should be a gateway, which is the controlled access point to the fort. Inside the walls, you would find roundhouses, which were the primary dwellings of the inhabitants, with conical thatched roofs and circular walls. Also include a granary, a storage structure for preserving food supplies, essential for the community's survival. Make sure to label each part of the fort clearly: the ditch, gateway, defensive wall, roundhouse, and granary.