Spring 2007 issue - Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust

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Pen-y-crug near Brecon, one of the magnificently wellpreservedIron Age hillforts surviving in Wales and theborderland. The larger hillforts probably represent tribalcentres, in this instance probably belonging to theSilures who we know from Roman writers occupied thispart of south Wales (for further information seewww.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/usk/12
Iron Age villages and farmsDuring the last couple of years the Trust has been engaged in a project with Cadwtrying to ensure the continued preservation of so-called ‘defended enclosures’throughout the Clwyd-Powys area. These are generally types of sites that we think ofas belonging to the Iron Age—the period between about 700 BC and the Roman conquestin about AD 60, though some began life in the preceding Bronze Age if not earlier, andothers continued in use during the Roman period and beyond.The defended enclosures were protected by banks and ditches and probably enhancedin some cases by stone revetment walls or timber palisades. At the big end of the scaleare sites like Penycloddiau hillfort, shown below, enclosing many hectares and set ontop of impregnable hilltops. These larger sites could accommodate many hundreds ofpeople together with their animals and belongings, and most probably represent tribalcentres. At the other end of the scale are much smaller sites, often sited on much lowerlyingground, representing farmsteads which probably only housed only single families.The hilltop sites are often well preserved, with clearly defined defences, but aresometimes under threat from pasture improvement or afforestation. The defences ofmany of the smaller, low-lying siteshave been ploughed down over thecenturies and are often only knownfrom cropmark aerial photography orfrom geophysical survey, and mayvulnerable to damage by ploughingor by building development.Above Penycloddiau hillfort on theClwydian range in Denbighshire.Photo: CPAT 05-C-141Below Geophysical survey of arecently-discovered enclosure onthe banks of the river Severn atDol-las near Berriew, now invisibleon the surface of the ground. Thedarker marks show inner and outerenclosure ditches with entrancegaps towards the bottom of thepicture. Curving ditches inside theinner ditch were probably drainageditches which encircledroundhouses.CPAT 2006; Photo: CPAT 84-C-027113
Page 1 and 2: CLWYD-POWYS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUSTPho
Page 3 and 4: Dyffryn Lane henge dig 2006During t
Page 5 and 6: no more than a quarter of this heig
Page 7 and 8: Down the mines . . .One of the walk
Page 9 and 10: which we would hope to do in years
Page 11: Llannerch-y-môr Quay,Denbighshire
Page 15 and 16: Photo: CPAT 92-MB-0053The Short Dit

Spring 2007 issue - Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust

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