Goosehill Camp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goosehill Camp |
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Location | Bow Hill, West Sussex in West Sussex, England |
Area | 1.665 hectares (4.11 acres) |
Built | Iron Age |
Reference no. | 246477 |
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Goosehill Camp is an ancient site from the Iron Age. It's a special type of old structure called an earthwork. Imagine big banks of earth and ditches built long, long ago! This camp has two circles of these banks and ditches. Inside the inner circle, there's one entrance and two flat areas where huts likely stood. You can find Goosehill Camp inside the beautiful Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve, which is part of the South Downs.
Exploring Goosehill Camp
Archaeologists have been studying Goosehill Camp for many years. They dig carefully to find clues about how people lived here in the past. These digs help us understand the Iron Age better.
First Digs: The 1950s
The first recorded excavation at Goosehill Camp happened between 1953 and 1955. A team led by J. R. Boyden worked on the site. Students from Bedales School even helped out as site assistants! Experts like Stuart Piggott also gave advice. This early work helped map out the camp's features.
Newer Discoveries: 2000s Onwards
More recently, the University College London's Institute of Archaeology carried out new excavations. This happened between 2008 and 2009. Mark Roberts led these digs.
They also used special tools to learn more about the site. A topographical survey mapped the land's shape in detail. A magnetometry survey looked for hidden features underground using magnetic fields.
From 2014 to 2016, volunteers helped with a field survey around Kingley Vale. Professional archaeologists guided this work. Goosehill Camp was an important part of this survey. All these efforts help us piece together the story of this ancient place.