In archaeology, Earthworks are artificial changes in land level often known as lumps and bumps. They can themselves be features or they can show features beneath the surface^[1]. Earthworks of interest to archaeologists include ancient fortifications, henges, mounds, tumuli and other tombs^[2] - see excavation. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek: αρχαίος, archae, ancient; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... In archaeology, the term feature is generally used to refer to any nonportable remnant of human activity, such as a hearth, road, or house remains, later found or recovered by some archaeological endeavor. ... A henge is a roughly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20m in diameter which is enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork that usually comprises a ditch with an external bank. ... Look up mound on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A tumulus (plural tumuli or tumuluses, from the Latin word for mound or small hill) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. ... A tomb is a small building (or vault) for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. ... The term archaeological excavation has a double meaning. ...

Offa's Dyke

Earthworks can vary in height from a few centimetres to the size of Silbury Hill - 40 metres. They can date from the neolithic through to last week. They can stretch for many tens of kilometres - Offa's Dyke Silbury Hill, part of the complex of Neolithic monuments around Avebury in Wiltshire (which includes the West Kennet Long Barrow), is the tallest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe and one of the worlds largest. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... Offas Dyke (in Welsh, Clawdd Offa) is a massive earthwork, ostensibly between England and Wales, running from the estuary of the River Dee in the north to the River Wye in the south (approximately 150 miles, or 240 km). ...

Earthworks are often more visible in aerial photographs taken when the sun is low in the sky and as a result, shadows are more pronounced^[3]. An accurate survey of the earthworks can enable them to be interpreted without the need for excavation^[4]. The Denver, Colorado skyline shot from a Cessna. ...

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