Resumo
The Iron Age hillforts of NW Iberia are excellent study cases for exploring the acculturation of landscapes through the monumentalization of settlements. These sites are the unique format of settlement recognised so far in the region, and they are abundant throughout the territory. The prominence of fortified settlements contrasts with the absence of warfare evidence in the archaeological record, prompting the debate about the social role of their ‘defensive’ constructions. This paper presents the research developed in the Baroña hillfort (Porto do Son, A Coruña, Spain), where we applied digital methods and spatial analysis. These methods aimed to explore the experiential effects of the ‘defensive’ structures of the site in the way its inhabitants or visitors perceived the Iron Age village while moving around it, walking through its inner spaces or contemplating it from the distance. We argue that the structural patterns of Iron Age settlements respond to a social staging established in a dwelling tradition, in addition to any possible defensive or productive planning. Therefore, we suggest defensive structures within this region might be interpreted as active devices bounding Iron Age communities to their land.