A remarkable finding at Shropshire’s Bodbury Ring Hillfort has shed new light on the state’s Iron Age story. The lawsuit was much more significant than originally believed, according to scientists from Channel Four’s Time Team along with researchers from the Institutions of Chester and York.
Expanding Horizons with LIDAR Technology
The University of Chester team reports that cutting-edge light detection and ranging ( LiDAR ) technology has enabled researchers to map Bodbury Ring Hillfort with unprecedented precision thanks to the Our Upland Commons project.
Mounted on aviation, LiDAR cameras have produced high-resolution laser-scan information revealing that the castle, located on the north edge of the Carding Mill Valley near Church Stretton, is six times larger than originally thought.
This discovery was spearheaded by Time Team’s environment scientist and University of Chester Visiting Professor, Stewart Ainsworth, in cooperation with the Institutions of Chester and York, and Stepping Stones, a National Trust-led protection program.
According to Professor Ainsworth’s evaluation, the fortifications of Bodbury Ring just make up a small portion of a far larger fortification that covers the entire ridgetop of Bodbury Hill. He explained:
At the southwestern edge of the original castle, the earthworks of the Bodbury Ring were constructed to create a smaller, more defendable fort, maybe in the Middle Iron Age. This ancient “downsizing” may have been the result of increased pressure in the area, which could have contributed to changes in the region’s political landscape. The remains of a possible Roman Iron Age enclosed settlement have also been discovered for the first time on the northern area of Bodbury Hill.
Illustration of the possible appearance of Bodbury Hill, a larger Iron Age arrangement. ( University of Chester )
Uncovering the Prior Without Interruption
Janine Young, a National Trust Archaeologist, highlighted the significance of the new remote-sensing statistics, stating:
The Long Mynd is now a powerful website for online inquiry thanks to the new remote-sensing data. We have discovered new knowledge about the Iron Age in this area by studying simply a small test area without breaking any terrain.
Bodbury Ring’s real scale was revealed by the LiDAR data, as well as providing details about its construction. The smaller, more easily defendable fortifications of the Bodbury Ring may have been constructed in the Middle Iron Age, in part as a result of increased local conflicts and changes in the political environment, according to Professor Ainsworth.
Romanticism during the Iron Age
A possible Roman Iron Age enclosed arrangement on the north side of Bodbury Hill has been discovered thanks to more exploration of the region. This finding, made for the first time through this job, adds another layer to the abundant historical fabric of the area.
Professor Ainsworth, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and renowned for his roles as a landscape scientist with Time Team, stressed the significance of these results. He serves as a visiting professor of landscape anthropology for the University of Chester’s History and Archaeology staff.
Sharing the Perspectives: Festival of Archaeology
Top image: Laser record picture of the Bodbury Ring Hillfort. Origin: University of Chester
By Gary Manners
