‘Guard Chambers’: an Unquestioned Assumption in British Iron Age Studies

Abstract

Recesses in the entrance passages of British hillforts have been found throughout the 20th century, mainly on sites in north Wales and the Welsh Marches, though some occur elsewhere. From their first discovery they have been assumed to be ‘guard rooms’ or ‘guard chambers’ and no discussion about their function has taken place. This paper is, an attempt to start such a discussion. The idea that these recesses were necessarily of defensive use is challenged and an alternative ritual or symbolic ‘explanation’ is suggested.