Llangynidr Context

Archaeological survey and Excavation at Lan Fawr Enclosure, Llangynidr, Brecon, SO 1707 1838 Interim Report Oct 2008 Excavations at Lan Fawr, facing north (photo: Alan Baines) Dr Jemma Bezant Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Wales, Lampeter Contents Contents ......................................................................................................................... 1 List of Figures ................................................................................................................ 2 Project metadata ............................................................................................................. 3 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 5 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 5 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 5 Lan Fawr: Introduction .................................................................................................. 8 Aims ............................................................................................................................. 10 Geophysical Survey ..................................................................................................... 10 Excavation.................................................................................................................... 12 Trench A .................................................................................................................. 13 Trench B................................................................................................................... 15 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 17 Future research questions ............................................................................................. 19 References .................................................................................................................... 20 Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................... 21 CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record........................................................ 21 Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................... 24 Section drawings, trenches A and ............................................................................ 24 Appendix 3 ................................................................................................................... 26 Ceramic sherds ......................................................................................................... 26 Appendix 4 ................................................................................................................... 27 Excavation site record .............................................................................................. 27 1 List of Figures Figure 1. Location Map pp7 Figure 2. Geophysical Survey pp11 Figure 3. Trench location map and aerial survey mapping pp13 Figure 4. Trench A. The stone rampart (facing north, scale 2m, photo J Bezant). pp14 Figure 5. Trench A. The stone rampart. Roughly coursed, red sandstone slabs (Facing north, scale 20 cm, photo J Bezant). pp14 Figure 6. Trench B. Former land surface and ditch (Facing southeast, scales 2m, photo J Bezant). pp16 2 Project metadata Project Name Geophysical Survey and Excavation at Lan Fawr upland enclosure, Llangynidr, Brecon, SO 17071838 Survey Purpose To conduct geophysical survey and small- scale excavation of a bivallate enclosure. Spatial Coverage Circa. 2.5 acres centred on S) 1707 1838 Country Wales, UK Duration August 2008 Weather Wet Soil condition Well drained Land use Pasture Monument type Upland bivallate enclosure Monument period Late prehistoric? Survey Director Dr. Jemma Bezant Client Llangynidr Local History Society Landowner Mr William Gibbs Geophysics Survey Type Magnetometer Geophysics Instrumentation Bartington magnetic gradiometer 601/2 Geophysics Area surveyed 2.5 acres Geophysics Method of coverage 30 x 30 metre grids walked in zigzag format. Survey starts in bottom left corner, direction south. Geophysics Traverse interval 1m Geophysics Sample interval 0.125m Geophysics Spatial accuracy Some variation of grid layout occurred across each survey area due to unevenness of ground and operator error, this is estimated to be + 1m. The estimated accuracy within grids is 3 estimated to be within 10 cm. Geophysics Sample accuracy Automatic trigger whilst walking, 0.1 nT sensitivity Geophysics Data Files Raw data deposited with client. Each grid as a DAT file is accompanied with metadata HDR file. Geophysics Digital treatment Downloaded as xyz format via Grad601 v.3. Each grid imported into Archeosurveyor and clipped to + 6 nT. Zero mean traverse applied to reduce striping. Composites exported as Tiff files. Geophysics Geolocation Survey grid positions recorded using Garmin Legend GPS. Post-processed bitmaps then geolocated to OS Landline map base via ArcMap v9.2 Excavation Data Paper record comprising context record sheets and indexes have been deposited with client (app 4) along with photo record on CD. Site drawings have been scanned and recorded as Tiff files in line with AHDS recommended archiving standards. Finds to be retained by client. Soil samples, GIS map data and shapefile layers to be retained by J Bezant for future research. 4 Summary As part of the annual fieldwork project conducted by the members of Llangynidr Local History Society, a three week long project of geophysical survey and excavation was directed by Dr Jemma Bezant of the Archaeology and Anthropology Department, University of Wales, Lampeter. A geophysical survey was conducted prior to excavation where two long, narrow trenches were opened across the inner and outer enclosure banks. The inner bank was found to be a substantial rampart wall constructed of red sandstone quarried from a nearby outcrop. The outer bank comprised an earthen bank and outer ditch and had been constructed to emphasize slightly rising ground that formed the interior of the enclosure on the edge of the plateau. Dating remains difficult at this stage but a very abraded, possibly late prehistoric to medieval, ceramic sherd was recovered from the upper ditch fill. Scope This report details the methods and results of a geophysical survey and excavation. An interim interpretation of the results is provided but a full analysis remains to be met by future research. Acknowledgements Special thanks must be made to the landowner William Gibbs whose generous grant made this project possible. To all of the members of the Llangynidr history society (especially those of the excavation team), including Deb Fisher, David Stephenson, Deb Vulliamy, Peter Seaman, Peter Hodges, Kerry Graves, Douglas Piercy, Jan Bailey, Stuart Busson, Richard Fisher, Charlene Hutchison, Rosemary Evans, Angus Kings, Ann Jessop, Sue Ware, Michael Eustace and Wendy Toomey. I am especially indebted to the kind 5 hospitality and guidance of Mike and Hilary Scott-Archer and to the kind help supplied by Alan Haines and Geoff Williams. 6 Fig. 1. Location Map. 7 Lan Fawr: Introduction Although this project is aimed primarily at the activities and training relating to a volunteer community group it is recognized that the project addresses some of the recommendations made in the recently published Research Framework for the Archaeology of Wales (http://www.archaeoleg.org.uk) and the Middle Usk valley in southeast Wales is one of the areas defined by the RFAW as a target for further archaeological investigation vis a vis the late prehistoric period. The site (see fig 1 for location) also lies immediately to the south east of the Pencelli-Talybont character area as defined by CPAT as part of their Middle Usk Valley, Brecon and Llangorse Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales (http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/usk/muintr.htm#Themes). The Llangynidr area some 10 miles southeast of Brecon in southeast Wales lies south of the river Usk which occupies a wide level valley floor of large, irregularly enclosed, hedged fields. The slopes are mostly lightly wooded and are enclosed onto the fringes of Mynydd Llangynidr. Lan Fawr lies just within the uppermost extent of enclosed land before it gives way to open common. These enclosed areas are predominantly improved pasture with unimproved grazing on the upland limestone which is crisscrossed by upland routes and former quarrying activity. The Roman road is presumed to run east-west along the route of the current A40. A Roman auxiliary fort is set on a detached knoll just east of the pass at Bwlch, lying roughly midway between the military settlements at Brecon Gaer (NPRN 92001) and Abergavenny (NPRN 306295). Lan Fawr lies at 300m above ordnance datum and overlooks the middle Usk valley to the north from an elevated but sheltered north-facing ridge, directly above Llangynidr village and the Myarth Forest. This ridge comprises Old Red sandstone and, where it outcrops, has provided suitable building stone for the 8 extensive common enclosure walls and farmsteads. It is below one of these heavily quarried outcrops that Lan Fawr enclosure is sited on the steep edge of a level shoulder

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