Enclosure (archaeology)

Enclosure (archaeology)

In archaeology, an enclosure is one of the most common types of archaeological site. It is any area of land separated from surrounding land by earthworks, walls or fencing. Such a simple feature is found all over the world and during almost all archaeological periods. They may be few metres across or be large enough to encompass whole cities.

Enclosures served numerous practical purposes including acting to delineate settlement areas, to create defensive positions or to be used as animal pens. They were also widely adopted in ritual and burial practices however and seem to demonstrate a fundamental human desire to make physical boundaries around spaces. Enclosures created from ditches and banks or walling can often be identified in the field through aerial photography or ground survey. Other types leave less permanent records and may only be identified during excavation.

Types of enclosure

*Banjo enclosures
*Causewayed enclosures
*Enclosed cremation cemeteries
*Enclosed oppida
*Henges
*Henge enclosures
*Kraals
*Ring ditches
*Rondel enclosures
*Stone circles
*Timber circles
*Tor enclosures


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Enclosure (disambiguation) — Enclosure is the term used in England and Wales for the process by which arable farming in open field systems was ended.Enclosure may also refer to:*Enclosed religious orders, Christian orders with a separation from the affairs of the external… …   Wikipedia

  • Archaeology of the Cross and Crucifix —     Archæology of the Cross and Crucifix     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Archæology of the Cross and Crucifix     I. PRIMITIVE CRUCIFORM SIGNS     The sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles,… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Anthropology and Archaeology — ▪ 2009 Introduction Anthropology       Among the key developments in 2008 in the field of physical anthropology was the discovery by a large interdisciplinary team of Spanish and American scientists in northern Spain of a partial mandible (lower… …   Universalium

  • Iowa archaeology — This entry is about the buried remains of human cultures in Iowa. For studies of rocks, fossils, paleontology, and soils, see Geology of Iowa. From Hunters to Farmers: Overview of Iowa PrehistoryWhen the first Native Americans arrived in what is… …   Wikipedia

  • Old Europe (archaeology) — The Neolithic This box: view · talk · edit ↑ Mesolithic …   Wikipedia

  • Great Enclosure — Karte von Sakkara mit der Lage des Gisr el Mudir (Great Enclosure, rot) Gisr el Mudir (arab. Residenz des Chefs), auch mit der englischen Beschreibung Great Enclosure („Große Einfriedung“) bezeichnet. Es ist das älteste bekannte aus behauenem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Causewayed enclosure — Causewayed enclosures are a type of large prehistoric earthworks common to the early Neolithic Europe. More than 100 examples are recorded in France, 70 in England and further sites are known in Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ireland and… …   Wikipedia

  • Australian archaeology — is a large sub field in the discipline of Archaeology. Archaeology in Australia takes three main forms, Aboriginal Archaeology (the archaeology of Aborigines and Australia before European Settlement), Historical Archaeology (the archaeology of… …   Wikipedia

  • Museum of London Archaeology Service — Museum of London Archaeology (formerly Museum of London Archaeology Service or MoLAS) is a Registered Archaeological Organisation (RAO) with the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA) and is a self financing part of the Museum of London Group,… …   Wikipedia

  • Mortuary enclosure — A mortuary enclosure is a term given in archaeology and anthropology to an area, surrounded by a wood, stone or earthwork barrier, in which dead bodies are placed for excarnation and to await secondary and/or collective burial. There are some… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”