Forts

Plus, the shape of the fort will often be affected by the topography of the land - e.g. boundary walls may follow the contours of the land in order to maintain an even height, or they will be located just where a steep fall of land starts, so that anyone attacking them has to climb up to them.

They're mostly pretty circular, aren't they? And, where they aren't, the commonest reason is that they have been partly destroyed, or partly overlaid by some other structure.

Also worth bearing in mind that they were built over a very long period of time, and in many cases for different purposes - some were livestock enclosures, some were dwellings, some were fortifications, etc. Some were repurposed from one use to another over time. All of these factors would account for some design variation.

I think I've just lost a post. Check it out here and see whether it is described as a fort.

https://maps.archaeology.ie/HistoricEnvironment/

danoH wrote: »

Raths are the most common fort types to be seen throughout Ireland..many raths were used as dwellings-farmhouse and outbuildings but were not meant or used for defence -the banks would keep out wild animals -foxes wolves but not attack by humans

Depends how you define "defence".

Livestock was a big part of early Celtic society. Raths could be used as livestock pens and a safeguard against rustlers.