Enclosed Land

Enclosing land allowed farmers to keep a better watch on their herds and flocks. The construction of wooden fences and banks of earth also served to keep intruders and wild animals away from livestock. It is thought that some Celtic farmers valued their animals so highly they let them sleep inside their homes at night to make doubly sure that they would be safe from thieves and predators. More practically, this is also a good way of keeping everyone in a family warm. As Celtic society progressed and the population increased, large fortified settlements sprang up all over Europe. Many of these settlements had separate enclosures that were probably intended for livestock. During times of war the animals would have been driven between the inner and outer defences of a hill fort, protecting them from attackers while maintaining a fresh food source for the defenders.