CORNISH ARCHAEOLOGY No. 25 (1986) Cornwall in the Bronze Age AICIA M CISIE The Concept of a Bronze 'Age' Any review of the Bronze Age in Cornwall, or indeed in other areas of the British Isles, must today present the writer with a very different prospect to that which lay before Bernard Wailes 28 years ago, although much of the basic information remains the same. We now know, for example, that metallurgy was introduced into these islands before the middle of the third millennium bc, probably from two continental quarters, the Rhineland and the Atlantic region. Our period has lengthened and the calibration of radiocarbon dates means that it not only overlaps the Late Neolithic but also merges into the Iron Age in the mid-first millennium BC, giving a total of some 2000 years. The accumulation of data and dates, togther with advances in excavation and research techniques and the recognition of regional variation, make the whole concept of a Bronze 'age' far more complex than hitherto. In the 1960s, HawkeV scheme for the divisions of the British Bronze Age provided the framework (Hawkes, 1960) and was widely accepted in principle. As more radiocarbon dates have become available, there have nevertheless been surprises and many refinements have been applied, allowing a broader, more flexible approach into which ceramics and metalwork can be fitted. Today the most widely accepted scheme is that propounded by Burgess (in 5/0 wo OE AGE SIES SS 00 SX - 2,0 Fig 1 Location map showing principal sites mentioned in the text. Settlements or occupation scatter: 1 Bosiliack, 2 Tredarvah, 3 Gwithian, 4 Kynance Gate, 5 Carngoon Bank, 6 Poldowrian, 7 Polcoverack, 8 Trevisker, 9 Stannon Down; Barrows or cairns: 10 Tregiffian, 11 Bosiliack, 12 Try, 13 Chysauster, 14 Trelan, 15 Stithians reservoir, 16 Nancekuke, 17 Trevellas Downs, 18 Crig-a-mennis, 19 Carvinack, 20 Harlyn, 21 Trevone, 22 Watch Hill, 23 Caerloggas, 24 Trenance Downs, 25 Lousey Barrow, 26 Otterham, 27 Tichbarrow, 28 Tregulland, 29 Rillaton Barrow, 30 Fore Down St Cleer, 31 Pelynt; Barrow groups (excavated): 32 Cataclews, 33 Caerloggas, 34 Treligga, 35 Davidstow Moor, 36 Stannon Down, 37 Colliford reservoir. 81 Industrial phase Cultural events be BC N F E I 0 Grvd Wr (M 1 7 N L COE-USIG Stn x I (r I-III lt ppr x r/d l A Entrn rv 15 T L rr/rn rn 3 H I C AY nl vdt 111( (r I rnz (Mdl x Chtr rln E 15 2000 A 1 R EOISSICK/ Ax — dvlpd flt t r US Cllrd E Wx I l flnd L B (r -I lt dr (Arr- Enlrd I A rth Erl rvr 1 E vdt ( Wth ll R Cllfrd Cr--nn B E YMSOCK/ 1 R B A Wx II Crtn-Snhll 1 135 15 0 2 (r II dr Mntr p N f brr bldn Z Mrlnd ttlnt (rtr rv 13 b E M B CAGO/ A Atn r ltv 115 15/1 A 1 (r III pr/dr 1 G M AUO I II pr t Gthn 5 11 B E A Ornnt hrzn rvr (lt 13 1/2 Clt dtrrtn trtn ln n brr bldn L M AUO/ WO Gldr (dn rdrvh 975 1 B rntn A A 2/3 Sttlnt vn ff r T E M WO/EA Wpn — pll pr 9 11 B R A (r S ld 3 L AIO/ B B 5 1 A WIUO Srd r R 1 (r I 9 -ln ttlnt 0 L SOGUSEY/ Std x 1 `EIA r trt 9 N B 75 A EWA AK Gld H rd — Mrvh Z 2 (r II i Kndj 1 E 1 L MOUAE/ 53 7 B A A YAW Arrn x f C r 3 (r III o G r E t s 5 600 Irn A Fig 2 Tentative chronology for the Cornish Bronze Age (based on Pearce and Burgess). Calibration of radiocarbon dates after Clark (1975). 82 nfr 197 15-3 nd t th n d n th ppr hrtn ndtrl t hv bn dfnd b r fr th rlr nd ltr rnz A t hh rnl n hv bn vn h nrd nbr f rdrbn dt n r — ntbl Wx nd prtlrl fr ttlnt — n prvd n blt hrnl fr th prd hh vr dffrnt t tht f r hn brl nd nd rv d r lt ll tht r nn fr th rlr prt; tl fnd dvd f dtbl rhll tn frd th bl f th dt fr th ltr prt It n dd r pprprt t dvd th rnz A nt n rlr nd ltr t th rnd 13 C frn rr hrzn h ppr ll thrfr b bd n th tfld dvn lthh th hrnll tbl ( rflt frthr bdvn Althh n n vdn h t lht fr tl bjt f th ppr-n ph n Crnll tptd nvrthl pn hr th Grvd Wr nd r bnth brr n vdt Mr On th fll rnz A ndr b th rln ph r dt nd r dt r vlbl It h bn d tht th rhl f th nd llnn rttn th th vdn f nnt nd rv (rdl 19 nd t nl th nd llnn b th hh hll b nrnd It ll b n tht r nn bt rtn pt f t n n prt f th prd thn n th thr rlr ttlnt r tll ntrl lv n ntrt t th rhn f th rtl nd rtr rrd; hl brl nd ttlnt r ll lv n th lt rtr f th nd llnn nd th frt hlf f th frt llnn It ll b nvnnt t bn b xnn th n vdn hh h rd drn th prd t b rvd ndr th flln hdn nvrnnt ttlnt brl nd rtl nd rtft An ttpt ll thn b d t th prtn nd pltn f th n dt thn nd tht th nt nd t t fl ln f rrh fr th nxt 5 r ttpt d t nld th Il f Sll xpt hr th dt r drtl rlvnt t th nlnd thr prhtr n th pbl hnd f l Ahb (bl Environment h pnr r nt th vttn vr nd t hn drn th nd llnn b th th ppltn f plln nl t rhll t (blb 193 A r f th nd ltr r n l brd bnth brr pll th n th St Atll rnt h rntl bn pblhd n th jrnl (Cldn 19 An prtnt rv f pl-nvrnntl r n SW Enlnd h bn pblhd r rntl (ll n Kl 19 3-5 nd th rz r n Crnll Althh vdn tll frntr t n b hn tht thr td dr n xd dlnd fr th bnnn f th llnn nd ndd rlr hl pn ntr ndtn th lht hzl-dntd dlnd b tblhd prtlrl n th tl r hr dn frtn (ftn vrn pll vtl ftr pt th vrll pttrn ndrbl ll vrtn n l b n h rntl bn dntrtd b r rrd t n brd l (pll bnth brr n ppt d f th vll t Cllfrd (Mltb E nd Cldn C n Grffth 19 9 —117 A frthr nvttn ntn pll nt plt fl lndp ppd t nl t th nvrnntl ptr fr Crnll b r plt thh t tll h ln t bfr t fll tht fr th ltr prhtr prd n nt frthr t Wht n n b d th r rtnt thn r tht th rlr rnz A t f rr drr thr th th lndp tll dd hvl n prt bt th pn rlnd nd rb r lht dlnd prdn thrht th prd h rnt plnd r prbbl ltvtd ll rzd t hhr lttd 3 eiske ouse A —( :. b uig d cay g_? sucua os oes 0 oom os oes Gwiia Sie , u ° GI ,e io 0. 4 ..„.0 00 0 l. Ili 0 0 0 o o ° ° C e . 00 .0 0 e . 00 :.- ° ..: Q .. , a • . 0 ...,„:. i.. 0 0 0 4.‘ .. 0 0 0 D ea .. ., C c=o om * 0 00 0 a 0 so 0 o ° 0 00c ° uig ase os oes 0 sucua os oes 0 1 1 3 4 mees Fig 3 Timber houses: Gwithian layer 8 (after Thomas); Trevisker house A (after Greenfield). 84 than at any time before or since. The onset of wetter conditions in the second half of the second millennium bc is known from other parts of Britain, but the actual dating of these changes and their effect on land use and settlement in the later Bronze Age has yet to be esta- blished for Cornwall. Settlements According to the most recent review (Johnson, 1980, 141 —75) '43 sites in Cornwall show evidence of Bronze Age settlement through dateable finds and recognised morphological characteristics. This does not include those many field systems and settlements of presumed Bronze Age date that have not been excavated or have not produced dateable material'. This shows a marked change from the situation 28 years ago, and even since 1969 when Charles Thomas made his plea for more research into settlement patterns in the South West. In recent years surveys undertaken by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU, formerly Cornwall Committee for Rescue Archaeology), together with the RCHME, have revealed a complex pattern of field boundaries and related settlements in the upland areas of the county which link up with the pioneering work undertaken on Dartmoor and in other areas to give a more complete picture of land-use in later prehistoric times.