Danebury

Large Celtic hill fort, 5 km/3 mi northwest of Stockbridge, Hampshire, England. Excavation has uncovered numerous huts and underground storage pits, demonstrating that Danebury was in permanent occupation and not merely a refuge.

The circular, timber-framed huts were concentrated around the periphery of the site and along metalled roads in the southern area. A timber-framed rampart was erected around 550 BC, and middle and outer earthworks were constructed in the 2nd century BC. Slingstones were found at the east entrance. Study of the site over an extensive period, together with excavations in the vicinity, has developed a picture of change over time; from the first fortifications of the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC with evidence of a sudden demise, reinforced by bodies in charnel pits and the burning-down of the east gate.

Bones of horses, dogs, and other animals found on the site, and depositions that may be interpreted as ritual, are evidence of certain belief practices of the Celtic peoples who occupied it.

Long-term excavation of the site, over more than 20 years, has been directed by the British archaeologist Barry Cunliffe (1939– ), professor of European archaeology at Oxford University.