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Earthwork
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Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.
In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.
Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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SITE *
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Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible.
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EMBANKMENT *
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A long ridge of earth, rocks or gravel primarily constructed to carry a roadway.
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FAIR *
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A site where a periodical gathering of buyers, sellers and entertainers, meet at a time ordained by charter or statute or by ancient custom.
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FIELD *
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An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock.
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AIR RAID SHELTER *
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A fortified structure used to protect civilians and military personnel from enemy bombing.
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AIRFIELD *
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An area or site used for the landing and take-off of aircraft, often including associated buildings, equipment and other installations.
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BLAST SHELTER *
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A structure, usually of earth and concrete, and usually, although not always, subterranean, designed for protection against explosives
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RETAINING WALL *
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A wall constructed for the purpose of confining or supporting a mass of earth or water.
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EARTHWORK *
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A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification.
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* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)