Gwynedd Archaeological Trust

Abstract

Concerns over the condition of linear earthworks in north-east Wales have resulted in a series of projects undertaken by the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT). These have taken place on both Offa’s Dyke and Wat’s Dyke, and on parts of those monuments that are both legally protected (scheduled) and those which have no such protection. This article reports on two such projects, jointly funded by Cadw and the National Trust, which looked at Offa’s and Wat’s Dykes in 2018 and 2019. Excavations took place on unscheduled sections of both monuments where little above-ground evidence survived; in both cases the work revealed well-preserved sections of ditch and bank. Samples were recovered for palaeoenvironmental analysis and dating. The implications of these results for research and protection of the monuments in the future are discussed.

Community archaeology and heritage projects have been described as conversations (Thomas et al., Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage 1(1):1–4, 2014) between practitioners within community archaeology and their audience. As with any audience there are different voices that comprise and contribute to the overall conversation. Within the context of community archaeology this engagement occurs in myriad ways. It reflects the connections made during the excavation and dissemination of information about a site and the contributions of the various actors towards its ongoing development. As a result, there is often considerable debate within the discipline of archaeology as to whether public archaeologists focus on theory, research or the practical aspects of their work because of the wide scope and nature of public archaeology (Matsuda and Okamura, New perspectives in global public archaeology, London, 1–18, 2011). At the medieval site of Trellech in southeast Wales these three aspects are combined. In addition, community engagement and interest has contributed towards the site’s discovery, acquisition, excavation and development. The different levels of engagement within this community of interest are reflected in the linkages created externally, between and within the different communities associated with the site. This chapter will outline the development of the medieval site at Trellech focusing on the conversations within community archaeology and its engagement with the various communities associated with the site.

During the Iron Age the Atlantic zone of Wales exhibited similar traits to other areas along the western seaboard of Europe, most notably a large number of small, enclosed or defended settlements and a poverty of recoverable material culture. This has led some authorities to regard the area as marginal and somewhat backward compared with economic and social developments along the Welsh borders, England and continental Europe. This short article reviews the evidence for settlement, with an emphasis on west Wales, highlighting both the similarities and differences that existed along the Atlantic Coast and demonstrating that the vibrant Iron Age communities of the area were part of but different from the shared culture of north-west Europe in the late first millennium.

Gwalior State, Archaeological Department. Annual Report for Samvat 1980/Year 1923-24.

Abstract Geophysical survey at Llanfor, near Bala, revealed two temporary camps and a large wooden fort in exceptional detail. The camps are assumed to be evidence of an early Flavian invasion force. The fort, which contained a garrison that probably comprised a complete ala of auxiliary cavalry and a cohort of legionaries, is interpreted as a short-lived campaign base that existed during the transition between invasion and consolidated occupation. Parallels are drawn between Llanfor and similar forts in Britain and Germany.

This paper presents the results of several years' research on late Iron Age enclosed settlements in west Wales. Geophysical survey was conducted on 21 sites and three of these, Troedyrhiw, Ffynnonwen, and Berry Hill, were part-excavated. Most sites examined were heavily plough-damaged, but results of the surveys and excavations demonstrated that substantial archaeological remains survive. Approximately 60 enclosed settlements lay in the core study area of southern Ceredigion (Cardiganshire), half of which were oval in shape and half rectangular. Both types contain suites of buildings seen in much of the British Iron Age – round-houses and 4-/6-post structures. Evidence from the excavations supports data from elsewhere in the region indicating that small oval enclosures appear in the landscape in the 2nd–1st centuriesbc, with rectangular enclosures constructed right at the end of the Iron Age. Dating is based almost entirely on radiocarbon determinations as, in common with other similar-aged sites in west Wales, artefacts are almost completely absent. It was not possible during excavation at Troedyrhiw to conclusively demonstrate late prehistoric use of the rectangular enclosed settlement, but a Roman pottery assemblage in the upper fills of the enclosure ditch coupled with a two phase entrance is interpreted as indicating Late Iron Age construction. More complex remains were revealed during excavations at Ffynnonwen, a circular enclosed settlement within a larger oval enclosure. Here, three round-houses, a 4- and 6-post structure and other remains were investigated and radiocarbon dated to the 8th–6th centuriesbcthrough to the early Romano-British period. Berry Hill, an inland promontory fort, appeared to be unfinished and abandoned. Radiocarbon determinations indicated a Late Bronze Age construction (10th–8th centuriesbc). The paper concludes with a consideration of a number of interpretive issues regarding settlement, enclosure, identity, and ways of living.