Maiden Castle

DTM- (Digital Terrain Model, i.e. No buildings or foliage) Situated just to the southwest of Dorchester lies the HUGE multi-phase complex contour hillfort, Maiden Castle. Built on top of a neolithic enclosure with a possible barrow on the eastern plateau. 1st excavated in 1871. Carbon dating in 1986 yielded an initial construction phase starting 3800BC. Found to be occupied throughout Roman Britain after a temple and statue were excavated. Numerous burials dated to the Roman invasion were also discovered and were probably the former Iron Age keepers of the site. Subsequent excavations have recovered a plethora of finds from every occupation period until the Roman recall whereupon the interior was used for grazing flock. Iron Age tribal association (conjecture based on location): Durotriges. (Scheduled monument) [Any descriptive text is attributed to the Atlas of Hillforts & Wikipedia websites and any associated archaeological descriptions online which will be credited accordingly.]