Charterhouse Camp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charterhouse Camp
Plan of the site
Charterhouse Camp Location in Somerset

Charterhouse Camp is an ancient hill fort from the Iron Age in Somerset, England. It's located about 0.6 miles (1 km) east of the village of Charterhouse. People have lived in this area for a very long time, even since the late Neolithic (New Stone Age) and early Bronze Age, as shown by burials found in nearby caves. This site is also connected to the Charterhouse Roman Town, and some think it might have been an old Roman settlement called Iscalis.

What is a Hill Fort?

A hill fort is a type of ancient fortress. It was built on top of a hill. This gave people a good view of the land around them. It also made it harder for enemies to attack. Charterhouse Camp is a "univallate" hill fort. This means it has only one set of defensive walls or ditches.

When Were Hill Forts Built?

Most hill forts in Britain were built during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. This was roughly around the start of the first millennium BC. That's over 3,000 years ago!

Why Did People Build Hill Forts?

Historians and archaeologists have different ideas about why hill forts were built.

• Some think they were military sites. They might have been built to protect against invaders.
• Others believe they were built by invaders themselves.
• Another idea is that they were a reaction to social problems. As the population grew, there was more pressure on farming land. This could have led to conflicts.

Many experts now believe that changes in society played a big role. When people started using iron more, it changed how things were traded. Iron ore was found in different places than tin and copper, which were used to make bronze. This meant that old trading routes changed. The powerful people who controlled the bronze trade lost their influence. New groups of people gained power.

Archaeologist Barry Cunliffe thinks that a growing population was still important. He suggests that hill forts offered places for communities to defend themselves. This was especially true when tensions led to fighting. He doesn't think they were built only because there was a constant war. Instead, they were useful strongholds when problems arose. Some forts were attacked and destroyed, but defense wasn't their only purpose.