Cornwall during the Iron Age and - Cornwall Archaeological Society

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and so may not be detectable without excavation or geophysical survey. Other forts may be grouped at present amongst the sub-rectangular enclosures of the county. These sub-rectangular earthworks, assumed to be a variant of rounds, were first summarised by Dudley (1954); known numbers have been recently increased by study of existing air photographs (Johnson and Rose, 1982). These enclosures are scattered throughout the county, and occur in Devon, but with concentrations around the Helford River, the upper Fal valley and in north Cornwall. Trevinnick, near Wadebridge, was excavated by Fox and Ravenhill (1969) to check whether it was a Roman military site, but proved to be an enclosed civilian settlement of the Roman period, not closely dateable. Grambla, near Wendron, a virtually square earthwork enclosing c. 0.35 ha in the Helford River area, was partly excavated in 1972 (Saunders, 1972). This also had been a civilian settlement, occupied from perhaps the 2nd century AD until the 6th; it contained distinctive oval houses. Its ditch was 3m deep and its entrance had a quadrilateral setting of post-holes suggesting a gate tower. The 2 ha rectangular site at Carvossa, near Probus in the Fal valley, was excavated from 1968 to 1970 (Douch and Beard, 1970; information from P.M. Carlyon). It produced a rich range of finds, starting with South-Western Decorated pottery. The samian sequence began with a single Tiberio-Claudian sherd, increased in the Neronian period, and continued with some fluctuation until the mid-second century Antonine period. The coin list and other imports reinforce the pattern of the samian, suggesting that occupation still flourished in the Hadrianic period and subsequently spanned the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The range of finds for the Neronian — Early Flavian period would be entirely appropriate for a military site. The stratigraphy was not clear and there is some evidence for at least two earthwork phases. The main 2 ha earthwork had a ditch 4.5m deep which was not of military type, nor was the excavated east entrance. Features found in the interior, such as curvilinear gullies, suggest civilian occupation. The ditch had silted by at least 1.5m beneath the lowest samian sherd. The rectilinear earthwork may be suggested to be of pre-Roman date, perhaps as early as the 1st century BC. The finds indicate that activity continued throughout the suggested period of military occupation of Cornwall. A fort may have been established in part of the earthwork complex, in which case most of the artefacts would derive from an external vicus. Perhaps some trusted chief was encouraged to develop at Carvossa a focus for trade up the Fal valley. Alternatively, the finds may indicate a fort in the vicinity, perhaps within the substantial earth-work of Golden one mile to the south. If Roman military occupation in Cornwall is demonstrated in future to be slight compared to that in Devon, a network of trusted local chiefs could be the reason. Another local chief was allowed to continue occupation at St Mawgan-in-Pydar, where the range of small finds, imports and elaborate gabbroic pottery is second only to Carvossa. Carvossa certainly attracted traded artefacts. It also produced a rich range of gabbroic pottery, Cordoned wares and innovative pieces copying items such as a Dr 29 samian bowl and a bronze handled patera. There was also evidence for metal-working, especially iron smelting in the ditch. If Carvossa was at one stage a military post, it will have been handed over to a local group c. AD 75. Here would be happening, on a small scale, the regular practice of turning over military bases to serve as local centres of administration and trade under Roman supervision. At Exeter this process led to the establishment of a cantonal capital. Isca Dumnoniorum, which administered both Devon and Cornwall (Bidwell, 1980, 56). There must have been a series of small centres throughout the South West. As no formal Roman building, apart from the Magor villa known since 1931, has been found in Cornwall, it may be presumed that such centres were generally developed in the local tradition. In Cornwall these may be looked for amongst the more substantial small enclosures, where the descendants of chiefs — 122
whose ancestors had occupied hillforts — administered the further parts of Dumnonia. Such centres would have been useful as local tax collection points, as the capital of the responsible civitas at Exeter was so distant. Trethurgy Al Trethurgy T2 Ft 10 20 310 5 10 Chysauster 5 Castle Gotha Fig 3 Trethurgy Houses Al and 72, late 2nd century AD; Chysauster Courtyard House 5, 3rd century AD (after Hencken); Castle Gotha Oval Hut, 2nd century AD (after Harris). 123
Page 1 and 2: CORNISH ARCHAEOLOGY No. 25 (1986) 5
Page 3 and 4: pottery from Trevelgue confirms the
Page 5 and 6: enclosure was apparently scantier.
Page 7 and 8: een occupied entirely within the La
Page 9 and 10: 420±70 be (HAR —238) suggested a
Page 11: it is only reasonable to accept tha
Page 15 and 16: AL •r, .4 •eakitiocto dp° •
Page 17 and 18: Fig 5 Trethurgy Round Period 2 c. A
Page 19 and 20: Exeter in the 3rd and 4th centuries
Page 21 and 22: The question of Late Bronze Age and
Page 23 and 24: McAvoy, F., 1980. 'Excavations of a

Cornwall during the Iron Age and - Cornwall Archaeological Society

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