The Rumps
The Cliff Castle The Rumps is located on a basalt headland formed by volcanic activity . The rock formation on the north coast north of Polzeath in Cornwall in England is of interest to geologists .
description
The Promontory Fort uses an isthmus that connects a forked headland to the mainland. During the late Iron Age it was provided with three section walls. The gravel walls represent at least two construction phases that begin with the innermost wall. He uses a natural edge in the rock. The outer wall is at a distance from the other two and is smaller. It may have been crowned by a wooden palisade . The only entrance is more or less central and leads over wooden bridges that lead over ditches. The complex gatehouse was built of wood and later built in stone with massive wooden gates.
Foundations of round huts were found between the central and inner walls and inside. The artefacts found during excavations in the 1970s show usage phases in the 2nd century BC. BC and in the 1st century AD. The ceramic finds consist to a large extent of local late Iron Age goods, which are made from the gabbro clays of the Lizard Peninsula (Cornish Lysardh). A range of ceramics including burnished and cardonized ware are represented, and some have comb-like or pricked designs. The stone artifacts consist of spindle whorls , millstones and weights. In a circle of huts, faint traces were discovered on the floor, which are interpreted as the imprint of a weight loom . A blue glass bead and large numbers of mammalian and bird bones were discovered in the filling of the inner trench.
context
Although Cliff Castles appear to be built for defense, it is likely that they served different purposes. The ramparts were primarily approach obstacles, as they are known elsewhere as Chevaux de fries . While there is evidence of various commercial occupations within the complex, the limited excavations to date provide no detailed interpretation of the permanent, intermittent, seasonal, or sporadic uses associated with ceremonial or symbolic activities, or with worldly matters. It seems that Cliff Castles are often in places of cultural importance from earlier periods and are associated with Bronze Age burial mounds, which are often a feature of their interiors.
Rumps Cliff Castle can be accessed from Pentire Farm via the coastal path or inland via a public footpath.
literature
- Matthew Stout : The Irish Ringforts . Dublin 1997, ISBN 1-85182-582-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cliff Castle is the Cornish name for a genus of finds in the British Isles, otherwise known as Promontory Fort
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 35 '31.4 " N , 4 ° 55' 12.4" W.