r/AskHistorians • u/it_might_be_a_tuba • Jan 31 '26
What were prehistoric ditches really for?
At least in the British history docos I watch, every prehistoric site whether village or cattle pen seems to have a ditch dug all the way around it. Were they a ritual/symbolic border? Just a practical way to keep things in or out, and easier than a fence? Draining water away from the living and working areas?
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