Goosehill Camp, Iron Age hillfort in West Dean, England
Goosehill Camp is a prehistoric fortified settlement on Bow Hill featuring two concentric banks with ditches that create multiple enclosed defensive rings. The earthworks show how people structured their living space for protection during the Iron Age.
The settlement dates to the Iron Age when people transformed hilltops into fortified strongholds. A systematic excavation in the 1950s with help from school students uncovered the ancient layout of dwellings within the enclosures.
The settlement pattern and structural design of Goosehill Camp provide evidence of social organization and territorial management during prehistoric Britain.
The site sits within a protected nature reserve and is accessible on foot from nearby parking areas. Good footwear is essential since the ground is uneven and walking crosses grass and earth.
Modern scanning technology has revealed hidden traces including two possible dwelling locations within the inner enclosure that earlier digging never found. This shows how new tools can uncover details that traditional excavation methods might easily miss.
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