Celtic Fields is a common name for traces of prehistoric agricultural fields found in the British Isles and in North-Western Europe, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The name of the fields was given by O. G. S. Crawford. They are preserved in places where agriculture was conducted, and date back to the period from the early Bronze Age (until 1800 BC) to the medieval period. They may persist as traces of earthworks .
They resemble the remains of other ancient structures, such as fences, old roads and the remains of rural houses. They are divided into squares of land larger than 2000 m², although there are also larger ones (for example, Dorset and Wiltshire). Their small size is explained by the fact that each such site was cultivated by one person or family.
Lynch around the edges is often a sign of such a field. In many places in Britain, extensive Roman plantations sprang up in place of Celtic fields, but in others, Celtic fields remained. Many fields have been preserved in Cornwalls, Devon, Dorset and Somerset (in the UK, these counties are called West Country ).
See also
- Caid Fields
Literature
- Schavelev A. S. “The Celtic Fields” and the German Communities: A Replica to a Footnote from the Book by L. B. Alaev “The Rural Community ...”
- JA Brongers: Celtic Fields in Niedersachsen. In: Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt . 3 / 1973. S. 129-131.
- Matthias D. Schön: Feddersen Wierde, Fallward, Flögeln . Archäologie im Museum Burg Bederkesa , Cuxhaven 1999. S. 174f.