Hembury

Hembury is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure near Honiton in Devon. It dates from the late fifth and early fourth millennia BC onwards to the Roman Invasion. The fort is situated on a promontory to the North of and overlooking the River Otter Valley at approx 178 Metres above Sea Level. [ cite book
last = Sellman | first = R.R. | title = Aspects of Devon History
publisher = Devon Books | location = Exeter | year = 1985 | isbn = 0861147561
chapter = The Iron Age in Devon (ch.2) | pages = pg.11 (Map of Iron Age hill forts in Devon including Hembury Castle) ] It has given its name to some of the earliest Neolithic pottery in southern Britain. An Iron Age hill fort [R.R.Sellman; Aspects of Devon History, Devon Books 1985 - ISBN 0861147561 - Chapter 2; The Iron Age in Devon. Map Page 11 of Iron Age hill forts in Devon includes Hembury.] was later built on the same site. There has been archaeological evidence found on the site of Roman Military occupation, suggesting a Fort within the existing Iron Age site.

It was excavated between 1930 and 1935 by Dorothy Liddell. She identified a timber framed entrance to the causewayed enclosure and an oval arrangement of postholes in the middle which she interpreted as being a building destroyed by fire before the enclosure earthworks were built.

Hembury pottery was generally round bottomed bowls with lug handles, much of it was made further west, around The Lizard and it was traded throughout the British Isles.

References

External links

*gbmapping|ST112031
* [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/hembury.htm Hembury at Roman Britain]
* [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=4609 Hembury at Megalithic Portal]