ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



Those only who have attempted to classify or group ancient earth- 

 works can form any idea of the difficulties and uncertainties by which the 

 whole subject is surrounded. 1 It has, therefore, been thought well in 

 dealing with those of Derbyshire to follow, as closely as possible, the 

 scheme adopted by the Congress of Archaeological Societies in 1903, on 

 the recommendation of a competent committee. In two particulars, 

 however, the present account of the various forms of ancient earthworks 

 within the limits of this county is more comprehensive than the scheme 

 of 1903, wherein it was recommended that 'boundary banks ' or prolonged 

 intrenchments, as well as ' stone circles ' and ' burial barrows,' should be 

 omitted from the proposed schedules. It is felt that in such a section as 

 this mention must be made of that long strip of defensive earthwork 

 known as Grey Ditch. The chief features of the Derbyshire barrows 

 have been already adequately discussed by Mr. Ward, under 'Early Man," 

 but as the burial mounds of Derbyshire are of such unusual frequency and 

 importance in the north of the county, it is thought better to conclude 

 this article with a list of all such tumuli, or their sites, as have been 

 distinguished by the Ordnance surveyors. 



The scheme of 1903 recommended the classification of defensive 

 earthworks under the following heads : 



A. Fortresses partly inaccessible, by reason of precipices, cliffs, or 



water, additionally defended by artificial banks or walls. 



B. Fortresses on hill-tops with artificial defences, following the 



natural line of the hill. 



C. Rectangular or other simple enclosures, including forts and towns 



of the Romano-British period. 



D. Forts consisting only of a mount with encircling ditch or fosse. 



E. Fortified mounts, either artificial or partly natural, with traces of 



an attached court or bailey, or of two or more such courts. 



F. Homestead moats, such as abound in some lowland districts, 



consisting of simple enclosures formed into artificial islands by 

 water moats. 



In considering these divisions seriatim, it will be found that Derby- 

 shire has remains of forts of considerable moment under sections A and B, 



1 1 desire to acknowledge the particular help of Mr. W. J. Andrew, F.S.A., in the correction and 

 extension of this paper. The Hon. F. Strutt kindly pointed out to me certain previous omissions. 

 Mr. P. H. Currey was good enough to supply a plan and section of Morley Moor mount at very short 

 notice. Mr. Mallalieu has also been of much service. 



8 ' Stone circles ' are also treated by Mr. Ward, but in many if not most cases such circles were 

 placed on earth ramparts ; hence some of those that probably once carried stones and now are mere 

 earth circles are here named. 



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