▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁many ▁villages ▁on ▁important ▁roads ▁or ▁by ▁borders , ▁had ▁ ▁fort ifications , ▁ex cluding ▁any ▁fort ified ▁churches , ▁as ▁a ▁H ess ian ▁chron ic ler ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 7 : ▁ ▁The ▁fort ification ▁could ▁be ▁made ▁of ▁f ences ▁( known ▁as ▁Et ter ▁or ▁Dorf etter ), ▁h ed ges , ▁bank ▁and ▁d itch ▁( d ry ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁wet ) ▁and ▁gates . ▁ ▁Another ▁temporary ▁artificial ▁obst acle ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁built ▁relatively ▁quickly ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁an ▁attack , ▁or ▁to ▁close ▁g aps ▁in ▁a ▁land wehr , ▁was ▁the ▁ab atis . ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁obst acle ▁on ▁the ▁approach ▁of ▁cast les , ▁town ▁and ▁city ▁walls , ▁and ▁sch anzen , ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁of ▁fel led ▁trees ▁and ▁cut ▁logs , ▁shr ubs ▁and ▁th orn s . ▁Ab atis ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁a ▁land wehr , ▁if ▁necessary , ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁ready . ▁Since ▁the ▁obst acle ▁was ▁made ▁of ▁dead ▁wood , ▁it ▁was ▁relatively ▁easy ▁to ▁remove ▁by ▁burning ▁once ▁it ▁had ▁d ried ▁out . ▁ ▁Observ ation ▁and ▁entry ▁points ▁▁ ▁Import ant ▁roads ▁passing ▁through ▁the ▁land wehr ▁at ▁entry ▁points ▁were ▁guard ed ▁with ▁so - called ▁bar riers ▁( Sch lä gen ) ▁and ▁other ▁rein for c ements ▁such ▁as ▁watch t ow ers . ▁Road ▁to