Ringforts, known in Irish as raths or lios, were the most common form of rural settlement in early medieval Ireland, roughly between the fifth and twelfth centuries. Typically circular enclosures defined by one or more earthen banks and ditches, they served as farmsteads for families of varying social rank. Thousands survive across the country in various states of preservation, yet each one occupies a specific place in its local geography, chosen deliberately for reasons of drainage, visibility, or proximity to good land.