It seems that the longevity of a settlement and its defences also play a part.
Many of the outpost garrisons of Roman and later armies were constructed of timber, for speed, and then converted into stone or brick, depending on the local resources, if the positions were deemed important enough to further fortify. With earthworks, moats etc, added afterwards instead of being the initial defences. Those that weren’t important enough or were overrun were allowed to decay and the sites lost.
Whereas it seems that the earlier forts and camps were built on manmade earthworks, then fortified.
This is supposition on my part. Mainly as it seems that way when you physically look and walk on the sites. Rather than excavating around the site to provide protection, the majority of the earliest settlers built the earthworks and then moved in, so to speak.
 Reply | with quote | Posted by Druidisms
24th June 2003ce
13:11 |
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Re: Local Flint and Bricks (Kammer)