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Promontory Forts

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Shropshirelad63 (U14585624) on Sunday, 24th October 2010

  I believe there is a latest theory that promontory forts were actually ring forts before coastal errosion? The most famous one out here off the West Coast of Ireland is on Inishmore, Aran Islands, has anyone been to the fort Dun Aengus? I have a picture of a fisherman sitting right on the edge of the cliff (rather him than me!) and the wall of the fort is clearly hanging over the edge, suggesting errosion, but surely it cant be the case in all the coastal forts?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by TwinProbe (U4077936) on Sunday, 24th October 2010

  Hi Shropshirelad
  
  Forgive me if I'm wrong but could two classes of prehistoric monument have been confused?
  
  As you know promontory forts are narrow headlands projecting into the sea which are closed off at a narrow point with ditches, earth banks or drystone walls. The object, it is presumed, was to make the promontory more defensible but other suggestions have been made, such as for a ritual purpose. The one I know best is on Shetland but they are also found in Orkney, and Ireland as you say. I'm afraid I don't know any of the Irish sites. PFs are generally considered to be Iron Age in date. I have never heard of this erosion theory (not that rules it out of course), and it would seem an odd pattern of erosion.
  
  Circular broch towers are also of an Iron Age date but are unique to Scotland and the Scottish Isles. They have a number of characteristics: monumental dry-stone construction, single entrance, often with guard cells and a double-skin with the inner and outer walls β€˜tied’ together. The eminent archaeologist Euan MacKie’s theory of broch development definitely does involves a monument called the semi-broch. He saw the semi-broch as a cliff-edge defensive structure somewhat intermediary between a promontory fort or blockhouse, and the 'true' circular broch. I think it is fair to say that this is a minority view and that most enthusiasts would consider these structures to have been a true broch affected by coastal erosion as you describe.
  
  TP

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