ef ended ▁settlement s ▁had ▁revealed ▁much ▁about ▁Iron ▁Age ▁Le ic esters hire , ▁however ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁hill fort s ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁was ▁less ▁clear . ▁The ▁exc av ations ▁aim ed ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁hill fort s ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁also ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁training ▁dig ▁for ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁university . ▁The ▁hill fort ▁is ▁a ▁Sch eduled ▁Monument , ▁which ▁means ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁" n ation ally ▁important " ▁structure ▁and ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁given ▁protection ▁against ▁una ut hor ised ▁change . ▁Ass ess ing ▁the ▁progress ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ations ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁years ▁of ▁exc av ations , ▁John ▁Thomas ▁who ▁is ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁remarked ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁Hall aton ▁Tre asure   – ▁a ▁large ▁ho ard ▁of ▁Iron ▁Age ▁tre asure ▁discovered ▁in ▁Le ic esters hire ▁Hill fort s ▁in ▁Britain ▁ ▁References ▁Notes ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁The ▁B urr ough ▁Hill ▁Research ▁and ▁Field work ▁Training ▁Project : ▁A ▁U L AS ▁and ▁University ▁of ▁Le ic ester ▁Ex c av ation ▁In iti ative ▁ ▁B urr ough ▁Hill ▁Country ▁Park ▁ ▁The ▁Ernest ▁Cook ▁Trust ▁ ▁Category : Country ▁par ks ▁in ▁Le ic esters hire ▁Category : H ills ▁of ▁Le ic esters hire ▁Category : H ill ▁for ts ▁in ▁Le ic esters hire ▁Category : Sch eduled ▁An cient ▁Mon uments