A major investigation and excavation project has begun at Britain's largest iron age hill fort aimed at finding more about those who lived in the areas 2,000 years ago.

Digging has begun at Ham Hill, Somerset, which is the largest Iron Age hill fort in Britain. Researchers are still unsure about when it was built and for what purpose. The researchers hope to find more about the site through this excavation initiative.

Ham Hill stretches across an area measuring more than 80 hectares and dominates the landscape. Historians are doubtful of its origin as they believe that no historical Iron Age society could have managed enough people to defend such a huge structure.

The team of from the universities of Cambridge and Cardiff are now looking into the excavations to know more and possibility determine the purpose of Ham Hill. Some suggest that the site was probably used as serviceable fort and was designed to create a sense of community and collective identity.

"It's a bit of an enigma. Ham Hill is so big that no archaeologist has ever really been able to get a handle on it. As a result, there has never been a thorough campaign of excavations and nobody knows how the settlement was organised inside,” said Niall Sharples, from the school of history, archaeology and religion at Cardiff University.