Dun

A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In the British Isles it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse. The term comes from Irish dún or Scottish Gaelic dùn (meaning "fort"), and is cognate with Old Welsh din (whence Welsh dinas "city" comes).

In some areas duns were built on any suitable crag or hillock, particularly south of the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. There are many duns on the west coast of Ireland and they feature in Irish mythology. For example, the tale of the Táin Bó Flidhais features Dún Chiortáin and Dún Chaocháin.

Duns seem to have arrived with the Celts in about the 7th century BC. Early duns had near vertical ramparts made of stone and timber. There were two walls, an inner wall and the outside one. Vitrified forts are the remains of duns that have been set on fire and where stones have been partly melted. Use of duns continued in some parts into the Middle Ages.

Duns are similar to brochs, but are smaller and probably would not have been capable of supporting a very tall structure. Good examples of this kind of dun can be found in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, on artificial islands in small lakes.

## Toponymy

The word in its original sense appears in many place names, and can include fortifications of all sizes and kinds:

* Dundee, Dunfermline, Dumbarton
* Donegal
* County Down
* Dundalk
* Dún Laoghaire
* Dungarvan
* Dundrum, Dublin
* Doneraile
* Dunedin
* Duns
* Singidunum
* Dunonia
* Perhaps London

The Proto-Celtic form is *Dūno-,[1] yielding Greek δοῦνον. It is ultimately cognate to English town.[2] The Gaulish term survives in many toponyms in France and Switzerland:

* Lyon < Lugudūnon "Lugus' fort"
* Nevers < Nouiodūnon "new fort"
* Olten < Ol(l)odūnonm "fort on the Olon river"
* Thun < Dūnon
* Verdun < Uerodūnon "strong fort"
* Yverdon-les-Bains < Eburodūnon "yew fort"

## See also

* Prehistoric Scotland

## References

1. ↑ Xavier Delamarre, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, ISBN:2-87772-237-6
2. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, ISBN:0-19-861112-9

* Scotland Before History - Stuart Piggott, Edinburgh University Press 1982, ISBN:0-85224-348-0
* Scotland's Hidden History - Ian Armit, Tempus (in association with Historic Scotland) 1998, ISBN:0-7486-6067-4

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Fortifications

Ancient|

* Abatis
* Agger
* Broch
* Burgus
* Castellum
* Castra
* Castros
* Circular rampart
* City gate
* Crannog
* Ditch
* Defensive wall
* Dun
* Faussebraye
* Gatehouse
* Gord
* Hillfort
* Limes
* Oppidum
* Palisade
* Pincer gate
* Promontory fort
* Rampart
* Ringfort (Rath)
* Refuge castle
* Schwedenschanze
* Stockade
* Sudis
* Trou de loup
* Vallum
* Wagon fort (Laager)
* Vitrified fort

Post-classical|

* Advanced work
* Albarrana tower
* Alcazaba
* Alcázar
* Arrowslit
* Barbican
* Bartizan
* Bastion
* Battery tower
* Battlement
* Bent entrance
* Bergfried
* Bretèche
* Bridge castle
* Bridge tower
* Butter-churn tower
* Caer
* Caltrop
* Castle
* Chamber gate
* Chartaque
* Chashi
* Chemin de ronde
* Chemise
* Cheval de frise
* Citadel
* Coercion castle
* Concentric castle
* Corner tower
* Counter-castle
* Curtain
* Drawbridge
* Enceinte
* Embrasure
* Flanking tower
* Fortified buildings (church, house)
* Fujian tulou
* Ganerbenburg
* Gate tower
* Gabion
* Glacis
* Guard tower
* Gulyay-gorod
* Gusuku
* Half tower
* Hoarding
* Inner bailey
* Keep
* Kremlin (Detinets)
* Landesburg
* L-plan castle
* Machicolation
* Merlon
* Moat
* Motte-and-bailey
* Murder-hole
* Neck ditch
* Outer bailey
* Outwork
* Peel tower
* Portcullis
* Postern
* Reduit
* Ricetto
* Ringwork
* Quadrangular castle
* Shell keep
* Shield wall
* Toll castle
* Tower castle
* Tower house
* Turret
* Wall tower
* Bailey (or ward)
* Watchtower
* Witch tower
* Yett
* Z-plan castle
* Zwinger

Modern|

| 18th century
and earlier|

* Abwurfdach
* Bastion
* Blockhouse
* Breastwork
* Canal
* Caponier
* Casemate
* Cavalier
* Counterguard
* Counterscarp
* Couvreface
* Coupure
* Covertway
* Crownwork
* Device Forts
* Entrenchment
* Flèche
* Gorge
* Hornwork
* Kotta mara
* Lunette
* Orillon
* Ostrog
* Place-of-arms
* Polygonal fort
* Presidio (Spanish America)
* Punji sticks
* Ravelin
* Redan
* Redoubt
* Retrenchment
* Sandbag
* Scarp
* Sconce
* Schanze
* Sea fort
* Station
* Star fort
* Tenaille

|

19th century|

* Barbed wire
* Barbette
* Border outpost
* Bunker
* Coastal artillery
* Disappearing gun
* Fire control tower
* Gun turret
* Land mine
* Martello tower
* Outpost
* Polygonal fort
* Trench warfare
* Sangar
* Wire obstacles

20th century|

* Admiralty scaffolding
* Air raid shelter
* Anti-tank trench
* Barbed tape
* Belgian gate
* Blast shelter
* Blast wall
* Border security
* Buoy
* Bremer wall
* Concertina wire
* Defensive fighting position
* British "hedgehog" road block
* Czech hedgehog
* Dragon's teeth
* Entry control point (ECP)
* Electric fence
* Fallout shelter
* Fire support base
* Flak tower
* Hardened aircraft shelter
* Hesco bastion
* Main line of resistance
* Pillbox
* Revetment
* Sentry gun
* Spider hole
* Submarine pen
* Tunnel warfare
* Underground hangar

By topography|

* Cave castle
* Hill castle
* Hillfort
* Hillside castle
* Hilltop castle
* Island castle
* Lowland castle
* Marsh castle
* Moated castle
* Promontory fort
* Ridge castle
* Rocca
* Rock castle
* Spur castle
* Water castle
* Floating water castle

By role|

* Coercion castle
* Counter-castle
* Ganerbenburg
* Hunting lodge
* Imperial castle
* Kaiserpfalz
* Landesburg
* Lustschloss
* Ordensburg
* Refuge castle
* Toll castle
* Urban castle

By design|

* Bridge castle
* Circular rampart
* Concentric castle
* L-plan castle
* Motte-and-bailey castle
* Quadrangular castle
* Ringfort
* Ringwork
* Tower castle

* See also:  Category

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