&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Late_Bronze_Age_Enclosure,_Knockadoon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_463069.jpg) Image of a Late Bronze Age enclosure at Knockadoon | |
| Race | Multiracial |
|---|---|
| Religion | Non-specific |
| Geographical range | Mainland |
| Period | Typically neolithic |
| Type site | Archaeological site |
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.[1][2] Such a simple feature is found all over the world and during almost all archaeological periods.[3] They may be few metres across or be large enough to encompass whole cities.[1]
Archaeological enclosures are typically representative of recurrent patterns of human activity throughout history through landscape.[2] The absolute definition of archaeological enclosures has been debated over time. Some suggest that at a general level, enclosure (archaeologically) could be defined as the replacement of open-fields with privately owned-fields through walls, banks, and dividers.[2][1] However, this definition has been criticised, as it appears many archaeological enclosures are not enclosed by a physical boundary.[3][2]
Enclosures served numerous practical purposes including being used to delineate settlement areas, to create defensive positions, or to be used as animal pens.[2] They were also widely adopted in ritual and burial practices and seem to demonstrate a fundamental human desire to make physical boundaries around spaces.[4][5] Some economic historians speculate that the introduction of archaeological enclosures likely caused a shift into historical capitalist economies.[3] Along with most archaeological interests, enclosure sites have been most researched and notably progressive during the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.[6]
More modern methods used to identify archaeological enclosures have been studied and developed by economic historians, historical geographers, landscape historians and trained archaeologists.[7][8] Even in current times, through using accessible technology, many non-trained individuals have become interested in archaeological enclosures through methods such as satellite imaging.[9][10] Enclosures created from ditches and banks or walling can often be identified in the field through aerial photography or ground survey.[7] Other types of enclosures leave less permanent records and may only be identified during excavation.[10][9]
- ^ a b c Project, Damerham (2010). "Damerham Archaeology Project". Damerham Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
- ^ a b c d e Sackett, Hannah Kate (2004). The remaking of the English landscape: an archaeology of enclosure (Thesis). University of Leicester.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Matthew (1996). An Archaeology of Capitalism (1st ed.). Austin, Texas: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 134–137. ISBN 978-1557863485.
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:20was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Kennedy, David; Bishop, M. C. (2011-06-01). "Google earth and the archaeology of Saudi Arabia. A case study from the Jeddah area". Journal of Archaeological Science. 38 (6): 1284–1293. Bibcode:2011JArSc..38.1284K. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.01.003. ISSN 0305-4403.
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