erdwall

Erdwall is a German term for an earthen embankment or rampart used as a defensive barrier or boundary. In archaeology and fortification literature, an erdwall usually consists of a mound of earth, sometimes reinforced with turf, timber, or stone, and often accompanied by a ditch on the exterior.

Construction methods vary: layers of soil compacted to form a durable mound, with wooden palisades or stone revetments at the crest, and occasional facing piles to prevent erosion. An erdwall may enclose a hilltop, surround a settlement, or mark field boundaries. Ditches, counterscarps, or other adjuncts frequently accompany the rampart.

Historically, erdwalls appear in different periods across German-speaking regions, from prehistoric enclosures to medieval and early modern fortifications. They are studied as indicators of strategic planning, land use, and vernacular defense. In landscape archaeology they may correspond to fortified settlements, border markers, or agricultural terraces.

Today erdwalls are often preserved as archaeological sites or visible as earthworks in the countryside. They are identified through field surveys, aerial photography, and geophysical methods; preservation depends on land use and erosion. Etymology: the word derives from erde (earth) and wall; related to other terms for earthworks in German and Central European archaeology.