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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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RAILWAY STATION *
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A place where railway trains regularly stop for taking up and setting down passengers or for receiving goods for transport.
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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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WOOD *
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A tract of land with trees, sometimes acting as a boundary or barrier, usually smaller and less wild than a forest.
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QUARRY *
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An excavation from which stone for building and other functions, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc.
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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)
