Roman rural settlement patterns in North and West Wales Dr Tom Brindle Roman Rural Settlement Project Regions Upland Wales and the Marches in relation to modern counties and the Wales/England border

Upland Wales and the Marches Excavated rural sites in Upland Wales and the Marches

121 database records for 115 individual sites

94 domestic settlements

21 non-domestic sites (e.g. field systems, funerary sites, industrial sites etc.)

Number of excavated sites in RRSP database 1600 1509 1400

1200

1000 897 800 600

Numberrecords of 363 400 302 200 200 139 123 121 0 Distribution of excavated vici shown in relation to the distribution of all other excavated Roman rural sites and forts Excavated Roman rural settlements shown in relation to Roman forts and modern built-up areas Distribution of finds recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme Three sub-regions

North Wales

South West Wales

East Wales and the Marches Types of rural settlement in Upland Wales and the Marches 60%

50%

40%

30%

Percentage Percentage of sites 20% Artist’s reconstruction of a farmstead 10%

0% Rural Settlement Classes

Site types

Artist’s reconstruction of a vicus A note on dating…

Radiocarbon dates Ceramics Distribution of sites with Radiocarbon dates in the region Rural Settlement Chronology

Chronology of Farms 45

40

35

30

25

20

15 NumberofSettlements use in 10

5

0

Phase Chronology of Farms in SW Wales Chronology of Farms in North Wales (24 sites) (27 sites)

25 25

20 20

15 15

10 10

5 5

NumberofSettlements use in NumberofSettlements use in 0 0

Phase Chronology of Farms in East Wales Phase and the Marches (10 sites)

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 NumberofSettlements use in 0

Phase Iron Age defended settlements in Wales

© Dyfed Archaeological Trust Rural Settlement Morphology

77% of 61 farms classified by settlement form

Of those classified 94% were of enclosed form

A small number of open settlements (almost certainly underrepresented)

No extensive ‘complex’ farms from the region Cefn Graeanog II, Gwynedd

Development from open to enclosed settlement

(Fasham et al 1998) Rural Settlement Morphology

77% of 61 farms classified by settlement form

Of those classified 94% were of enclosed form

A small number of open settlements (almost certainly underrepresented)

No extensive ‘complex’ farms from the region Reconstruction of a complex Romano-British farm at Cotswold Community, Glos/Wilts showing divisions of internal space`

60% Sub-regional

50% variation in

40% settlement

30% enclosures

20%

10% Woodside Camp, 0% Dyfed (after Curvilinear Rectilinear D-Shaped Irregular Percentage of Percentage form with farms enclosed identified Williams and Enclosure Form Mytum 1998) Cefn Graeanog II, South West Wales (19 sites) North Wales (17 sites) Gwynedd, (after Fasham et al 1998)

North Wales

South West Wales Sub-regional chronology of different settlement forms

Sub-regional chronology of curvilinear enclosures Sub-regional chronology of rectilinear enclosures 7 7

6 6

5 5 North Wales North Wales

4 4

South West Wales South West Wales

3 3

use use East Wales and the 2 2 East Wales and the Marches Marches 1 Poly. (South West 1 Poly. (North Wales) Wales) 0 0

Iron Age AD 50- AD 100- AD 200- AD 300- Iron Age AD 50- AD 100- AD 200- AD 300- Numberoffarms with rectilinear enclosures in Numberoffarms with curvilinear enclosures in 100 200 300 400 100 200 300 400 Settlement Chronology Settlement Chronology Rural settlement architecture in upland Wales and the Marches

Form of stuctures at farms and hillforts 80%

70%

60%

50%

40% Circular buildings

30% Rectangular buildings Percentage ofsites

20%

10%

0% LIA (n=35) 1st C AD 2nd C AD 3rd C AD 4th C AD (n=37) (n=44) (n=39) (n=31)

(n=number of settlements in use) Artist’s reconstruction of a vicus

Plan of a building from the vicus at Caersws, Powys (Britnell 1989) Figure 11.15: Distribution of sites with timber circular buildings Distribution of sites with stone circular buildings Distribution of sites with masonry rectangular buildings Villas in Upland Wales and the Marches

Abermagwr (Davies and Driver 2012)

Cwmbrwyn (Ward 1907) Objects at farms in North Wales (27 sites) Objects at farms in South West Wales (20 sites)

Percentage of sites with objects present Percentage of sites with objects present 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Knives/tools Knives/tools Food processing equipment Food processing equipment Household equipment Household equipment Textile equipment Textile equipment

Brooches Brooches

Recreation Recreation Coins Coins

Bracelets Bracelets

Object Type Object Type Object Weighing equipment Weighing equipment Finger rings Finger rings Military fittings/weaponry Military fittings/weaponry Hairpins Hairpins Other dress accessories Other dress accessories Equine/transport… Equine/transport… Agricultural tools Agricultural tools Toilet/cosmetic equipment Toilet/cosmetic equipment Writing equipment Writing equipment Security Security Lighting equipment Lighting equipment Religious objects Religious objects

Presence/absence of 20 classes of artefact at farms in North Wales and South West Wales Distribution of PAS data (yellow dots) in Upland Wales and the Marches, shown with kernel density plot showing number of PAS records per km2 Density plot of Roman military sites in Upland Wales and the Marches

Density plot of farms occupied in the late Iron Age Density plot of farms occupied during the 3rd century AD

25 25

20 20

15 15 10 10 5 5

0 0

NumberofSettlements use in NumberofSettlements use in