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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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Cropmark
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Cropmarks appear as light and dark marks in growing and ripening crops. These marks relate to differences in the soil below. For example, parched lines of grass may indicate stone walls. Crops that grow over stone features often ripen more quickly and are shorter than the surrounding crop. This is because there is less moisture in the soil where the wall lies.
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Aerial Photograph
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Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical.
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SITE *
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Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible.
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SEARCHLIGHT EMPLACEMENT *
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A site in which one or more searchlights and their accompanying structures were positioned to locate enemy aircraft or surface vessels for the benefit of batteries and night fighter aircraft.
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FEATURE *
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Areas of indeterminate function.
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SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY *
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A site in which one or more searchlights were positioned to locate enemy aircraft or surface vessels for the benefit of batteries and night fighter aircraft.
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FORTIFICATION *
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A usually permanent defensive work. Use specific type where known.
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PIT *
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A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known.
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HUT *
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A building of basic construction, usually smaller in size than a house and constructed from a variety of materials such as mud, turf, branches, wood, brick, concrete or metal. Use more specific type where known.
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DEFENCE *
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This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms.
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DITCH *
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A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year.
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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)
