Maiden Castle

Prehistoric hill fort with later additional earthworks 3 km/1.8 mi southwest of Dorchester in Dorset, England. The site was occupied from 4000 BC, although the first identifiable settlement is late Neolithic (New Stone Age, about 2000 BC). The fort was stormed by the Romans in AD 43.

History of occupation The first identifiable settlement existed in the late Neolithic period, with earthen banks and ditches built on top of a long series of remains indicating occupation from 4000 BC. After its desertion, a great Neolithic earthwork, over 150 m/490 ft long, was constructed across the ridge. There is evidence of further occupation by late Neolithic cultures and Beaker people of the early Bronze Age, but it was not until about 350 BC, in the early Iron Age, that the hill fort was extensively developed. Initially an enclosure was built at the east end to encompass a small settlement. During the Iron Age the settlement area extended west, and the east and west entrances to the hill fort were given additional protection in the form of projecting earthworks. The most impressive phase of the site was in the 2nd century BC, with circular houses in rows and extensive areas given over to grain silos, suggesting a large population. By the time of the Roman occupation, the eastern entrance had one of the largest and richest cemeteries in southern England.