Description

The monument is the remains of a fort and settlement of probable Iron Age date (800 BC – AD 400). It is rectilinear on plan, defined by two ramparts and ditches on all except the western side which is defined by a steeply sloping scarp. The monument survives as upstanding earthworks on the southwest end of the summit of Burgh Hill, at 314m above sea level.

The surviving earthworks suggest two phases of construction, with a later settlement inserted into an earlier fort. The fort measures about 98m from northeast to southwest by between 23m and 30m within two ramparts and ditches on all except the western side. There are entrances at both ends. The settlement has been built into the interior of the fort on the north. It is rectangular on plan, measuring about 40m from northeast to southwest by about 30m. The settlement is bounded by the inner rampart of the fort on the northeast and southeast and elsewhere by a thick stony bank. The footings of at least three roundhouses, all terraced into the slope, lie within the settlement.

The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past as a well-preserved multi-phased fort and settlement of probable Iron Age date. It has the potential to add to our understanding of Iron Age society in southern Scotland and the function, use and development of forts and other defended sites. The monument survives as upstanding turf covered ramparts and ditches and there is significant potential for the survival of buried archaeological deposits within and around the site. It can significantly add to our understanding of domestic settlement, society, agriculture and economy during the Iron Age. It is part of a wider cluster of later prehistoric sites in the area and can tell us about the character, development and use of forts, and the nature of Iron Age society, economy and social hierarchy in southern Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

trove.scot

https://www.trove.scot/place/54017/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland