# Linear earthwork > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Linear_earthwork > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Linear_earthwork.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_earthwork > Source revision: 980038891 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{More citations needed|date=November 2018}} In [archaeology](/source/archaeology), a '''linear earthwork''' is a long bank of earth, sometimes with a ditch alongside. There may also be a [palisade](/source/palisade) along the top of the bank. Linear earthworks may have a ditch alongside which provides the source of earth for the bank and an extra obstacle. There may be a single ditch, a ditch on both sides or no ditch at all. Earthworks range in length from a few tens of metres to more than 80 km. Linear earthworks are also known as dykes (also spelt dike), or "ranch boundaries". == Functions == Linear earthworks may function as defences, as boundary markers to define a territory, to mark out agricultural land, to control movement of people or animals, to levy customs duties or as a combination of some or all of these.{{Cite web|url=https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-prehist-linear-boundary-earthworks/linearboundaryearthworks.pdf|title=Prehistoric Linear Boundary Earthworks|last=|first=|date=|website=English Heritage|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 October 2018}} A [cross dyke](/source/cross_dyke) is a type of linear earthwork believed to be a prehistoric land boundary. == Date and distribution == Linear earthworks are found around the world. The earliest dated linear earthwork in the United Kingdom dates to around 3600 BC near Hambleton Hill in [Dorset](/source/Dorset). The [Scots' Dike](/source/Scots'_Dike) was built in 1552 to mark the border between England and Scotland. == Examples == In Ireland, the [Black Pig's Dyke](/source/Black_Pig's_Dyke) is an example of an Iron Age linear earthwork. In the United Kingdom, [Offa’s Dyke](/source/Offa's_Dyke), [Wat's Dyke](/source/Wat's_Dyke) and the [Wansdyke](/source/Wansdyke_(earthwork)) are examples of early medieval linear earthworks, while the [Antonine Wall](/source/Antonine_Wall) is a [Roman](/source/Roman_Britain) example. In Africa, the [Walls of Benin](/source/Walls_of_Benin) and [Sungbo's Eredo](/source/Sungbo's_Eredo) (both in Nigeria) are also examples of linear earthworks; in China some parts of the fortifications that make up the [Great Wall](/source/Great_Wall_of_China) are built of earth. [Danevirke](/source/Danevirke) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and the [Götavirke](/source/G%C3%B6tavirke) in Sweden are early medieval linear earthworks while the [Silesian Walls](/source/Silesian_Walls) in Poland and [Scots' Dike](/source/Scots'_Dike) were built in the later medieval period. ==See also== * [Levee](/source/Levee) – a type of linear earthwork that holds back water. == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-medieval-later-fieldworks/medievalandlaterfieldworks.pdf/ English Heritage – Medieval and Later Fieldworks] * [https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-prehist-linear-boundary-earthworks/linearboundaryearthworks.pdf/ English Heritage – Prehistoric Linear Boundary Earthworks] * [https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-linear-frontiers/linearfrontiers/ English Heritage – Linear Frontiers] Category:Archaeological features Category:Linear earthworks --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Linear earthwork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_earthwork) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_earthwork?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.