A Characterisation of Roman Rural Settlement in South Wales

Southern perspectives: A characterisation of Roman rural settlement in South Wales

Llantwit Major Roman Villa, by Alan Sorrell (1949)

Dr Alex Smith Gwent West Glamorgan

Mid Glamorgan

South Glamorgan Type and extent of archaeological investigation

• Over 90% of all records are from excavation • Average area of excavation c. 0.5 ha • Much higher density of number of records 35 excavation in SE Gwent 30 25 20 15 10 5 Number of records of Number 0 pre- 1950 1950-1969 1970-1989 1990-2009 2010-2014 Date of publication Project Update 2015

Over 3650 sites recorded (most individual settlements)

Eight regions of analysis: • South (897) • Central Belt (1507) • East (302) • West Midlands (200) • South-West (123) • Upland Wales & West (121) • North-East (363) • North England (139) Rural Settlement Project site types in South Wales

Caerleon Caerwent South Wales Settlement numbers 40 30 over time 20 10 No.ofsites 0 Cotswolds 80 60 40 20 Severn and Avon Vales No.ofsites 0 100 80 60 40

Noof sites 20 0 Farms and villas in South Wales

• 31 farms (12 enclosed, 1 unenclosed, 18 unclassified in final form)

Nash (Meddens & Beasley 2001) Llanmaes (Lodwick & Gwilt 2011) Farm classification over time

18 enclosed open unclassified RAF St Athan, 16 14 Vale of Glamorgan 12 10 8 6

No. of farms inuse No.farms of 4 2 0 LIA L 1st AD 2nd AD 3rd AD 4th AD

Mid Roman

Middle-late Iron Age

(Barber, Cox and Hancocks 2006) Central Belt Region

Complex farms

Lack of excavated complex farms west of Gloucester Villa forms

‘Enclosed villa’ at Whitton Lodge, South Glamorgan Nucleated settlement

Abergavenny Monmouth

Usk Neath

Great Bulmore Caerwent Lower Machen Caerleon Caergwanaf Cardiff Cowbridge Archaeological work at Great Bulmore

• Nucleated settlements in South Wales part of wider pattern in central & southern parts of Roman province • Located on border of different zones – reflected in the military associations Rectangular buildings Buildings in South Wales • 115 buildings recorded from 34 sites • 41 circular buildings • 74 rectangular buildings • All circular buildings derive Circular buildings from farms Circular and rectangular buildings across England and Wales Changes in building style over time (South Wales) 25

15 Circular 10 Rectangular

5 No. of sites with No.ofbuildings sites 0 LIA AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD 400 Severn & Avon Vales 35

5 No. of sites with buildings with No.sites of 0 LIA AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD 400

Circular building Rectangular building

Cotswolds 70

10 No. of sites with buildings with No.sites of 0 LIA AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD 400 Types of building (South Wales) 12 10 8 6 4 No.sites 2 0

* Excludes villa buildings Late Iron Age and Roman rectangular buildings at Newhouse Park, Chepstow

70 60 All Central Belt 50

0 % of Central Belt Sites (n=1090) Sites Belt % Central of

60 South Wales 50 40 30 20 10 0 % of South Wales Sites (n. 50) = Quantities of objects brooch by site type: coins 120 100

and brooches 80

60 coin 40 700 20 0 600 mean frequency of object type by ha type by objectof frequency mean Roadside Farm villa 500 settlement/vici

400

300

200

100 mean frequency of object type by ha type by objectof frequency mean 0 Roadside Farm villa settlement/vici Finger rings, hairpins food processing 20 18 and objects associated 16 14 with food processing 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Roadside Farm villa

mean frequency of object type by ha type by objectof frequency mean settlement/vici Finger rings & hairpins 35

15 finger ring hairpin 10

mean frequency of object type by ha type by objectof frequency mean 0 Roadside Farm villa settlement/vici Summary

• Settlement patterns in South Wales show great continuity from late Iron Age with little ‘disruption’ from conquest. • A ‘ribbon’ of farms and villas along the Gwent & South Glamorgan coast flanked by forts/roadside settlements further inland. • Settlements in this zone show many similarities with those further east in the Central Belt • Differences (e.g. lack of complex farms) possibly due to this area being v much on a boundary zone with areas further north and west, where settlements exhibit very different patterns.