Maddison, M Simon; (2016) The Spatial Distribution of Iron Age Hillforts in the British Isles. Masters thesis (M.Sc), University College London.

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Abstract

Although amongst the most iconic and clearly visible of prehistoric remains in Britain, Hillforts are generally poorly investigated and understood. There are some 3000 known sites in Britain and Ireland. A project run by Oxford and Edinburgh Universities is creating a definitive Atlas of Iron Age Hillforts in Britain and Ireland; this database is used to identify patterns in the distribution of Hillforts in the British Isles, using modern spatial analysis and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) methods and tools. Initial analysis focuses on identifying groupings of Hillforts using percolation analysis, based purely on the Euclidean distance between them, a technique applied in geography. This has produced results showing clusters in Britain that have distinctive regional characteristics. It has also been applied in Ireland, showing quite a different pattern. This study continues with analyses to identify possible territorial and hierarchical relationships between Hillforts within selected clusters, based on the sites’ enclosed area, and these are explored for possible explanations. Spatial comparisons are also applied with other classes of monument, boundary data and with finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in order to identify spatial relationships and possible patterns of continuity through time.

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