Throughout the Bronze and the Iron Ages, Europeans have constructed hilltop forts and enclosures made of stone.
About two hundred examples of these show signs of intense heat damage.
None of these vitrified forts contain any cementing material such as mortar or lime.
An artists impression of Dun Deardail vitrified fort in Glen Nevis.
Photo credit:www.scotsman.com
Currently, there are two schools of thought.
The other see these forts as a result of constructive efforts.
The fire burned for three hours after which the wall collapsed.
Thorneycroft and Childe found the rubble vitrified with pieces of timber embedded in the vitrified glass.
They estimated the fires to be about 1200C hot.
This leaves the question: why?
Vitrified rock at Dunagoil fort, Scotland.
Photo credit:Rod Collier
Vitrified Fort at Sainte-Suzanne, France.
Photo credit:jp.morteveille/Wikimedia
One possible explanation is to strengthen the stonework.
However, anew study suggeststhat this is not true of sandstonea material commonly used to construct forts.
If this is true, these vitrified forts were truly ingenious constructions.
More than two hundred such examples exist across Europe, of which seventy are in Scotland alone.
