This may seem like a silly question, but what is in a ditch? I mean, everyone on time team gets excited when geophizz shows up a ditch. What was the importance of ditches and why do there seem to be so many around sites? Where was the original "dug out"(for want of a better word)earth put, as it seems that completely different matter is sometimes put back in when closing the ditch. Thus sometimes showing up on geophizz.
Here's an example of the importance of a ditch. (Take with salt please)
Ugg ug oohhh gubber bargh othister baghuither = (Right then lets go and tank those pesky Romans, we need Siluria back quickly)
Oog ug ogg buhr oller tok bazhan higkerleh oasdefhu = (Lets do it at night when they are a tad drunk and smell of fish so we know where they are inside the fort)
Later, after dark...
Kol gehud! = (Right run!)
Ow! = (Ouch!)
bluuhg egiohg dehiog blug ahog bah = (I think I have broken my bleeding ankle, the ground just fell away from me)
Seriously, people liked living inside ditched enclosures for a number of reasons, defence being one of them. They would have also kept any wild animals at bay and I suppose could have been used as some sort of 'Look how important my family are' things.
They get filled up over time for a variety of reason. Purposely of course and also naturally.
Both reasons can fail to show earthworks that only the geofizz can show up. This is shown because of the different density of the soils.
If earthworks are ploughed over time then the ground can appear flat and so no earth works are shown but parch, crop or soil marks can provide evidence.
The dug out earth could have been used to create a bank with a ditch.
Uogh ohhgs toklet argrhh = (I got past the ditch, didnt bust my ankle but hit this flipping big bank)
Alternately it could have been used for a variety of reason depending on what type of soil it was. Clay would have been particulary handy.
Also, I believe ditches could be used to keep domestic animals *in* (as well as wild ones *out*). And sometimes simply as boundary markers.
Another reason archaeologists get excited about ditches is that if they have been used as rubbish dumps (which is quite common) they may provide great dating evidence for the ditch itself eg if you find a coin dated 43AD in the bottom of it then the ditch could not have been dug before AD43.
Originally posted by AJ ap: Here's an example of the importance of a ditch. (Take with salt please)
Ugg ug oohhh gubber bargh othister baghuither = (Right then lets go and tank those pesky Romans, we need Siluria back quickly)
Thanks AJ ap, I like the explanation, it actually helped with the visualisation. The trouble is i'm reading this at work and look like a plonker sat at my desk laughing.
A little bit off topic if you were just on about smaller enclousures. I remembered this last night after logging off.
If you look at a ditch and bank around a legionary fortress you will normally see that near the gateway the ditch is stopped to allow both people and vehicles access.
When the pre-flavian fort at Usk was excavated they found that the ditch was continuous past the gateway with large post holes on the other side of the ditch to receive a ramp that could be lowered when necessary.
As the site was thought to be liable to flooding in Roman times they put the ditch down as a possible flood defence system.
Oh my word what a wide ranging question! It all depends on the period, the context etc. With regards to the Iron Age, I believe Bowden and Mcomish came up with the idea of 'enclosing oneself in'. Perhaps they were used to isolate themselves physically.
Then of course theres ritual and defence which has already been mentioned.
