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‘Guard Chambers’: an Unquestioned Assumption in British Iron Age Studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Mark Bowden
Mark Bowden
Affiliation:
English Heritage, NMRC, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2GZ.
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Abstract

Recesses in the entrance passages of British hillforts have been found throughout the 20th century, mainly on sites in north Wales and the Welsh Marches, though some occur elsewhere. From their first discovery they have been assumed to be ‘guard rooms’ or ‘guard chambers’ and no discussion about their function has taken place. This paper is, an attempt to start such a discussion. The idea that these recesses were necessarily of defensive use is challenged and an alternative ritual or symbolic ‘explanation’ is suggested.

Résumé

Tout au long du 20ième siècle, on a découvert des recoins dans les passages qui permettent d'accéder aux forteresses britanniques, essentiellement sur les sites du nord du Pays de Galles et des Marches galloises, bien qu'on en trouve également ailleurs. Dès leur première découverte, on a supposé que c'étaient des ‘postes de garde'ou des ‘chambres de garde’ et aucune discussion de leur fonction n'a eu lieu. Dans cette étude nous tentons de lancer la discussion. L'idée que ces recoins avaient nécessairement un usage défensif est remise en cause et on propose un rituel alternatif ou une explication symbolique.

Zusammenfassung

Unterbrechungen in den Eingangspassagen Britischer Festungen, die hauptsächlich auf Fundstellen in Nord Wales und in den Walisischen Marschen und an anderen Fundstellen vorkommen, sind immer wieder im 20. Jahrhundert beobachtet worden. Seit ihrer ersten Entdeckung wurden sie als so genannte ,Wächter Räume’ oder ,Wächter Kammern’ interpretiert; eine weitere Diskussion zu ihrer Funktion fand leider nicht statt. Dieser Beitrag stellt nun den Versuch dar, eine solche Diskussion zu initiieren. Die Vorstellung, dass diese Unterbrechungen eine Verteidigungsfunktion besaßen, wird in diesem Beitrag durch eine alternative rituelle oder symbolische Interpretation dieser Strukturen in Frag gestellt.

Résumen

A lo largo del siglo XX se han encontrado unas cavidades en los pasillos de entrada de fuertes británicos, principalmente en sitios en el norte de Gales y en los Welsh Marches, aunque hay algún ejemplo en otras partes. Desde que fueron descubiertos por vez primera, se ha supuesto que se trataba de ‘habitaciones para la guardia’ o ‘cámaras para la guardia’ sin que haya habido un debate sobre su función. Este trabajo pretende iniciar tal debate. Se cuestiona la idea que estas cavidades tuvieran un uso necesariamente defensivo y se sugiere una explicación alternativa de carácter ritual o simbólico.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 72 , 2006 , pp. 423 - 436
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2006

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