Hod Hill, Ancient hillfort and summit in Dorset, England
Hod Hill is an Iron Age hillfort on a chalk hilltop in Dorset, England, defined by a double ring of earthen banks and ditches. In the northwest corner of the fort, Roman soldiers later built a separate military camp, whose rectangular outline is still readable in the ground today.
The fort was built during the Iron Age and served a local community as a settlement and place of defence for several centuries. In 43 CE, Roman forces under the future emperor Vespasian captured the site and established a small fort within it.
Hod Hill is one of the few places in Britain where the remains of two very different peoples sit side by side on the same ground. Walking between the Iron Age ramparts and the Roman camp gives visitors a direct sense of how each group shaped the same hilltop for their own purposes.
The site is reached on foot along public paths, and the climb to the top is fairly steep, so sturdy footwear makes a real difference. The ramparts are uneven and can be slippery after rain, so it is best to check the weather before you go.
Archaeologists have found an unusually high number of Roman ballista bolts concentrated in one area of the site, suggesting the attack was aimed at specific huts inside the fort. This points to the Romans having had detailed knowledge of the layout before they moved in.
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