The hillfort diary of Useless

There are 4,147 hillforts in the Atlas. I have visited one. It was a sandcastle, and the tide won. University of Edinburgh: Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland site launched

Not all hillforts are on hills, and not all were forts. I am not a rubber band, and I am not a stamp. We are all misunderstood. University of Edinburgh: Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland site launched

Maiden Castle covers more than 50 football pitches. I cover about one spelling mistake. On a good day, two. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

No wells are known inside any hillfort, so people collected rainwater from their roofs. I collect pencil shavings. Nobody has asked why. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Building Maiden Castle’s palisade needed hundreds of oak trees. Building me needed one factory and a very bored machine. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Thousands of pebbles were stored by the gates at Maiden Castle, ready to throw. I keep one crumb in my pencil case, ready to lose. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Old Oswestry has five sets of ramparts. I have one pencil case. It has a hole in it. English Heritage: Description of Old Oswestry Hillfort

Work on Maiden Castle went on for 300 years. My homework felt longer. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Every seven years people scoured the Uffington White Horse clean, then had a feast. I get cleaned when someone rubs me on their jumper. There is no feast. English Heritage: History of Uffington Castle, White Horse and Dragon Hill

Neolithic miners at Cissbury dug with deer antlers. I dig too, through paper, by mistake. National Trust: History of Cissbury Ring

At Danebury, people sealed their grain in pits dug into the chalk. I sealed a biscuit in my pencil case. Archaeologists will find it in 2,000 years. Hampshire County Council: Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort Local Nature Reserve

Danebury’s diggers found 180,000 pieces of pottery. I found one paper clip and called it a hoard. Hampshire County Council: Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort Local Nature Reserve

People in hillforts kept dogs for herding, hunting and guarding. I was kept for rubbing out. Same thing, really. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Iron and bronze tools are rare at hillforts, because people recycled the metal. I am also recycled. Every time I rub out, a bit of me goes in the bin. English Heritage: History of Maiden Castle

Historic Environment Scotland says we don’t know exactly what the Caterthuns were for. Nobody knows what I am for either. Ask my teacher. Historic Environment Scotland: Brown and White Caterthuns, history and stories

Blackbury Camp had a hoard of over 1,000 slingstones. My hoard is three pencils, and one of them is a crayon. English Heritage: History of Blackbury Camp