This is a list of hillforts on the Isle of Man. Found across Europe and the British Isles, hillforts are a type of prehistoric archaeological site dating to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and to a lesser extent the post-Roman period. They are classically defined as small hilltop settlements fortified with earthworks, but many are not located on hills, and probably did not function as forts.[1] Their function is unclear; although conventionally interpreted as defensive fortifications[2] and centres of economic political power,[3] there is little evidence that they were ever attacked,[1] and more recent scholarship has suggested that they may be better interpreted as monuments.[4]
According to the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, there are up to twenty eight extant hillforts on Mann itself, and possibly two on the Calf of Man. All but two are on the coast.[5]
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Ayre
Cashtal Ree Gorree, also known as Balyhamig, a promontory fort located on the northwestern shore of the island. The site was first reported by German archaeologist Gerhard Bersu, who surveyed the island whilst being held there as a prisoner of war, in 1949.[6] P. J. Fowler of the RCHME revisited the site in 1984 and suggested it may in fact be a natural feature.[7]54°23′28″N4°28′45″W / 54.391°N 4.4793°W / 54.391; -4.4793 (Cashtal Ree Gorree)
South Barrule[36]54°08′57″N4°40′08″W / 54.1493°N 4.6688°W / 54.1493; -4.6688 (South Barrule)
References
^ abMorris, Steven (21 June 2017). "Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
^Cunliffe, Barrington Windsor (1974). Iron Age Communities in Britain: an account of England, Scotland and Wales from the seventh century BC until the Roman conquest. London: Routledge. OCLC 819799871.
^Hamilton, Sue; Manley, John (2001). "Hillforts, monumentality and place: a chronological and topographic review of first millennium BC hillforts of south-east England". European Journal of Archaeology. 4 (1): 7–42. doi:10.1179/eja.2001.4.1.7. ISSN 1461-9571. S2CID 221325363.
^"Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland". Retrieved 27 July 2017.
^Bersu, Gerhard (1949). "A Promontory Fort on the Shore of Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man". The Antiquaries Journal. 29 (1–2): 62–79. doi:10.1017/S0003581500020710. ISSN 1758-5309. S2CID 161791260.