Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-mwx4w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-15T07:14:56.545Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Excavations on Two Farms of the Romano-British Period at Bryn Eryr and Bush Farm, Gwynedd

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

David Longley
Affiliation:
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
Neil Johnstone
Affiliation:
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
Jeremy Evans
Affiliation:
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust

Extract

Excavations at two sites in Gwynedd have produced new evidence for highland zone rural settlement during the Romano-British period. At Bryn Eryr this activity was the culmination of a long sequence of development during the Iron Age. At Bush Farm, similarly, a Romano-British phase succeeded earlier, probably late prehistoric occupation of the site. At both locations significant structural changes took place during the Romano-British period as small stone-walled houses replaced larger, clay-walled buildings. Changes in the local farming economy have been identified and the proximity of the vicus at Segontium provided access to Roman pottery vessels. The quality and range of pottery from Bryn Eryr and Bush Farm are considerable in comparison with other ‘Highland Zone’ settlements and the material is discussed in detail.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 29 , November 1998 , pp. 185 - 246
Copyright
Copyright © David Longley, Neil Johnstone and Jeremy Evans 1998. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alcock, L. 1960: ‘Castell Odo: an embanked settlement on Mynydd Ystum near Aberdaron, Caernarvonshire’, Archaeol. Cambr. 109, 78135Google Scholar
Barber, K.E. 1976: ‘History of vegetation’, in Chapman, S.B. (ed.), Methods in Plant Ecology, OxfordGoogle Scholar
Behre, K.-E. (ed.) 1986: Anthropogenic Indicators In Pollen Diagrams, RotterdamGoogle Scholar
Bell, A., and Evans, J. forthcoming: ‘The Romano-British pottery from Catterick’, in Wilson, P.R., Excavations at Catterick 1956–88, HBMCE monograph, LondonGoogle Scholar
Benson, D., Evans, J.G., and Williams, G.H. 1990: ‘Excavations at Stackpole Warren, Dyfed’, Proc. Prehist. Soc. 56, 179245Google Scholar
Branigan, K. 1979: Gatcombe Roman Villa: Excavations and a Study of a Romano-British Estate 1967–76, BAR Brit. ser. 44, OxfordGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 1994: ‘Analysis of chronological information and radiocarbon calibration: the program OxCal’, Archaeological Computing Newsletter 41, 1116Google Scholar
Caseldine, A.E. 1990: Environmental Archaeology in Wales, LampeterGoogle Scholar
Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G., and Warburg, E.F. 1952: Flora of the British Isles, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G., and Moore, D.M. 1987: Flora Of The British Isles (3rd edn), CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Darling, M.J. 1977: A Group of Late Roman Pottery from Lincoln, Lincoln Archaeological Trust monograph series 16.1Google Scholar
Dimbleby, G.W. 1985: The Palynology of Archaeological Sites, LondonGoogle Scholar
Dore, J. 1983: ‘The Penrith Farm coarse pottery’ and ‘The Silloth Farm coarse pottery’, in Higham, N.J. and Jones, G.D.B., ‘The excavation of two Romano-British farm sites in north Cumbria’, Britannia 14, 4572Google Scholar
Evans, J. unpub.: Aspects of Later Roman Pottery Assemblages in Northern England, University of Bradford PhD thesisGoogle Scholar
Evans, J. forthcoming (a): ‘The Graeanog pottery’, in Kelly, R.S., Mason, M.A. and Fasham, P.J., The Graeanog Ridge: The Evolution of a Farming Landscape and its Settlements in North-West Wales, Cambrian Archaeol. Assoc. monographGoogle Scholar
Evans, J.E. forthcoming (b): ‘The Gas House Lane pottery’, in Cracknell, S., Roman Alcester Volume 3: The Defended Area, CBA Research ReportGoogle Scholar
Faegri, K., and Iversen, J. 1989: Textbook Of Pollen Analysis (4th edn, ed. Faegri, K., Kaland, P.E. and Krzywinski, K.), ChichesterGoogle Scholar
Fenton, R. 1917: ‘Tours in Wales 1804–1813’, Archaeol. Cambr. suppl. vol. for 1917Google Scholar
Gidney, L.J. 1986: ‘The pottery’, in Fairless, K. and Coggins, D., ‘Excavations at the early settlement site of Forcegarth Pature South, 1974-–5’, Durham Archaeological Journal 2, 34Google Scholar
Gillam, J.P. 1976: ‘Coarse fumed ware in North Britain and beyond’, Glasgow Archaeological Journal 4, 5780CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Going, C. 1992: ‘Economic “long waves” in the Roman period? A reconnaissance of the Romano-British ceramic evidence’, Oxford Jnl of Archaeology 11(1), 93117CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Going, C., and Marsh, G., forthcoming: ‘The Roman pottery’, in Kelly, R.S., Mason, M.A. and Fasham, P.J., The Graeanog Ridge: The Evolution of a Farming Landscape and its Settlements in North-West Wales, Cambrian Archaeol. Assoc. monographGoogle Scholar
Hartley, K. forthcoming: ‘The CEU mortaria type series’, in Wilson, P.R., Excavations at Cattenck 1956–88, HBMCE monograph seriesGoogle Scholar
Hartley, K., and Webster, P.V. 1973: ‘Romano-British pottery kilns near Wilderspool’, Archaeological Journal 130, 77103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Havinga, A.J. 1974: ‘Problems in the interpretation of pollen diagrams of mineral soils’, Geologie En Mijnbouw 53Google Scholar
Hillman, G. 1984: ‘Interpretation of archaeological plant remains: the application of ethnographic models from Turkey’, in Zeist, W. van and Casparie, W.A., Plants and Ancient Man, RotterdamGoogle Scholar
Isings, C. 1957: Roman Glass from Dated Finds, GroningenGoogle Scholar
Kelly, R.S. 1982: ‘The excavation of a medieval farmstead at Cefn Graeanog, Clynnog, Gwynedd’, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 29 (4), 859908Google Scholar
Kelly, R.S. 1988: ‘Two late prehistoric circular enclosures near Harlech, Gwynedd’, Proc. Prehist. Soc. 54, 101–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelly, R.S. 1990: ‘Recent research on the hut group settlements of North-West Wales’, in Burnham, B.C. and Davies, J.L. (eds), Conquest, Co-existence and Change: Recent Work in Roman Wales, Trivium 25, Lampeter, 102–11Google Scholar
Kelly, R.S., Mason, M.A., and Fasham, P.J. forthcoming: The Graeanog Ridge: The Evolution of a Farming Landscape and its Settlements in North-West Wales, Cambrian Archaeol. Assoc. monographGoogle Scholar
King, A., and Millett, M. 1993: ‘The samian ware’, in Casey, P.J., Davies, J.L. and Evans, J., Excavations at Segontium 1975–79, CBA Research Report 90, 234–49Google Scholar
Longley, D.M.T. forthcoming: ‘Bryn Eryr: an enclosed settlement of the Iron Age on Anglesey’, Proc. Prehistoric Soc.Google Scholar
Lynch, F.M. 1991: Prehistoric Anglesey, Anglesey Antiquarian Society, LlangefniGoogle Scholar
Lynch, F.M. 1993: Excavations in the Brenig Valley, Cambrian Archaeol. monograph 5Google Scholar
Moore, P.D., Webb, J., and Collinson, M.E., 1991: Pollen Analysis (2nd edn), OxfordGoogle Scholar
Morris, E. 1985: Prehistoric salt distributions: two case studies from Western Britain’, Bull. Board Celtic Studs 32, 336–79Google Scholar
Musson, C.R. 1991: The Breiddin Hillfort, CBA Research Report 76Google Scholar
Nye, S. 1993: ‘Botanical report’ in Casey, P.J., Davies, J.L. and Evans, J., Excavations at Segontium 1975–79, CBA Research Report 90, 8296Google Scholar
Pearson, G.W., and Stuiver, M. 1986: ‘High-precision calibration of the radiocarbon timescale 500–2500 BC’, Radiocarbon 28, 839–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peacock, D.P.S. 1968: ‘A petrological study of certain Iron Age pottery from Western England’, Proc. Prehist. Soc. 34, 414–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quinell, H., and Blockley, M.R. 1994: Excavations at Rhuddlan, Clwyd, 1969–1973, CBA Research Report 95Google Scholar
Sanders, J. 1973: Roman Shell-gritted Ware in Southern Britain, unpublished London Institute of Archaeology undergraduate dissertationGoogle Scholar
Savory, H.N. 1980: Guide Catalogue to the Bronze Age Collections in the National Museum of Wales, CardiffGoogle Scholar
Smith, C.A. 1986: ‘Excavations at the Ty Mawr hut circles, Anglesey’, Archaeol. Cambr. 135, 1280Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., and Kra, R.S. (eds) 1986: ‘Calibration issue, proceedings of the 12th International 14C conference’, Radiocarbon 28 (2B), 8051030CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., and Pearson, G.W. 1986: ‘High-precision calibration of the radiocarbon timescale AD 1950-500 BC’, Radiocarbon 28, 805–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., and Reimer, P.J. 1986: ‘A computer programme for radiocarbon age calibration’, Radiocarbon 28, 1022–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wainwright, G.J., and Longworth, I.H. 1971: Durrington Walls Excavations 1966–68, Research Report Society of Antiquaries, LondonGoogle Scholar
Webster, P.V. 1993: ‘The coarse pottery’, in Casey, P.J., Davies, J.L. and Evans, J., Excavations at Segontium 1975–79, CBA Research Report 90, 250316Google Scholar
Williams, D.F. 1977: ‘The Romano-British black-burnished industry’, in Peacock, D.P.S. (ed.), Pottery and Early Commerce, London, 163220Google Scholar