| Summary : A prehistoric hilltop enclosure situated on a chalk saddle which forms part of a ridge of the Sussex Downs. Dating to the Late Bronze Age, the enclosure is a north-south aligned, roughly rectangular, gently sloping area of circa 10 hectares, bounded by an earth and chalk rubble bank that would originally have been reinforced with timber. This survives mainly as a low scarp up to circa 6 metres wide. The bank is surrounded by a now largely infilled, flat-bottomed ditch up to circa 3 metres wide and circa 3 metres deep. Modern ploughing has partly levelled the ramparts, particularly on the southern side of the enclosure. Investigations of the enclosure between 1948-52 and 1976-77 identified traces of a large timber gateway situated within the original, causewayed entrance through the western ramparts. Evidence for the remodelling of the entrance and ramparts during the Late Bronze Age was also discovered. The entrance is approached from the north west by an engineered road running across the hillslope, surviving as a terraced way up to circa 25 metres wide. Traces of occupation revealed by the excavations within the interior of the enclosure included four and six-posted wooden structures, interpreted as raised granaries, and infilled rubbish pits. Found within these were fragments of Late Bronze Age pottery, spindle whorls, animal bone and iron slag. Regular modern ploughing has caused some disturbance to the southern part of the enclosure. Scheduled. |
More information : [Centred at SU 8069 1826] Hill Fort [G.T.] (1)
Harting Beacon hill-fort has been dated on pottery evidence
to I.A. 'A2' The recutting of the defences is dated to the
ultimate I.A. 'C' or at the Ro. invasion. The west gate was
in the process of being recut but was never finished. (2)
Scheduled. (3)
Surveyed at 1/2500. (4)
A univallate hill fort, sub-rectangular in plan, occupying the
summit of Harting Beacon, and approx 500.0m N-S by 400.0m E-W
in extent.
The rampart remains in a fair state of presentation on the
S side across the ridge which extends southwards from the
Beacon, but has been reduced to an outward-facing scarp on
E and W sides which overlook very steep-sided dry coombes.
The ditch has been largely reduced by silting-up to a
terrace-like feature on E and W sides and has been almost
completely ploughed out at the S end. To the N, the precipitous
slopes of the South Downs escarpment obviated the necessity
for any artificial defences. Midway in the W side is the original
entrance but there may have been another in the NE, now occupied
by a later track.
Immediately outside the gap in the NE, on a steep E-facing
slope down to a saddle, are the remains of five linear earthworks,
surviving as slight terraces, partly obscured by soil slip
and mutilated by later tracks and hollow-ways. They run N-S
from the direction of the N slopes of Beacon Hill to the head
of the coombe to the E of the fort. Possibly cross-ridge dykes,
but too reduced to allow positive identification.
Published survey (25") revised. (5)
SU 807183. Harting Beacon. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering ?10.5ha. (6)
Two pennannular gold ornaments were found in July 1947 during Miss Keef's excavations. (They are both now in the BM) (2) (see SU 81 NW 16).
An area in the south east corner of the hillfort was examined in 1976-7. A number of pits and four post structures were encountered but extension of the main trench suggested that these features did not extend into the interior. Thus the hillfort has been interpreted as a stock enclosure as a result. However, examination of surviving records of Miss Keef's excavations of 1948-52 [NB Keef (2) states that 1947 was her 3rd year of excavation at Harting Beacon] suggests the presence of another, possibly larger, focus of occupation towards the north west corner. A section through the defences in 1976 revealed a line of post holes running in front of the rampart, presumably representing timber revement. Examination of the western entrance in 1977 revealed evidence of a shallow recut in the silted original ditch. The pottery has been assigned to the early Iron Age, centering on the 6th century BC. However, subsequent work on post-Deveret Rimbury ceramics would suggest a wider possible date range stretching back possibly as early as the 9th century BC, which would remove the difficulties surrounding the late Bronze Age dating of the gold ornaments. (7-13) |