Llangorse Crannog: The Excavation of an Early Medieval Royal Site in the Kingdom of Brycheiniog

Book Synopsis: The crannog on Llangorse Lake near Brecon in mid Wales was discovered in 1867 and first excavated in 1869 by two local antiquaries, Edgar and Henry Dumbleton, who published their findings over the next four years. In 1988 dendrochronological dates from submerged palisade planks established its construction in the ninth century, and a combined off- and on-shore investigation of the site was started as a joint project between Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. The subsequent surveys and excavation (1989-1994, 2004) resulted in the recovery of a remarkable time capsule of life in the late ninth and tenth century, on the only crannog yet identified in Wales.This publication re-examines the early investigations, describes in detail the anatomy of the crannog mound and its construction, and the material culture found. The crannog's treasures include early medieval secular and religious metalwork, evidence for manufacture, the largest depository of early medieval carpentry in Wales and a remarkable richly embroidered silk and linen textile which is fully analysed and placed in context. The crannog's place in Welsh history is explored, as a royal llys ('court') within the kingdom of Brycheiniog. Historical record indicates the site was destroyed in 916 by Aethelflaed, the Mercian queen, in the course of the Viking wars of the early tenth century. The subsequent significance of the crannog in local traditions and its post-medieval occupation during a riotous dispute in the reign Elizabeth I are also discussed. Two logboats from the vicinity of the crannog are analyzed, and a replica described. The cultural affinities of the crannog and its material culture is assessed, as are their relationship to origin myths for the kingdom, and to probable links with early medieval Ireland. The folk tales associated with the lake are explored, in a book that brings together archaeology, history, myths and legends, underwater and terrestrial archaeology.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Summaries (Welsh, French, German)
• SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND SETTING
1. Chapter 1. The crannog, its name, and its setting
2. Chapter 2. Discovery of the crannog and early investigations Word count 4,738
• SECTION 2. THE EXCAVATIONS
1. Chapter 3. Excavation and Survey 1989-1993, 2004
2. Chapter 4. The Excavated Features
3. Chapter 5. Dating of the Site, Nigel Nayling & Cathy Tyers
4. Chapter 6. Structural timber , with contributions by Nigel Nayling and C Griffiths
• SECTION 3. ARCHAEOZOOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTS
1. Chapter 7. Palaeo-environmental evidence by Heather Pardoe and Astrid Caseldine
2. Chapter 8. Early medieval Animal Bone, by Jacqui Mulville and Adrienne Powell
• SECTION 4. PREHISTORIC AND EARLY MEDIEVAL ARTEFACTS

Introduction; range of material

1. Chapter 9. Pre-Crannog Artefacts (Period 1) with contributions by Elizabeth A. Walker and Jana Horak
2. Chapter 10. Early Medieval Metalwork (Periods 3-4) with contributions by C P Stapleton, Sheridan Bowman, Mary Davis and Peter Northover
3. Chapter 11. Early medieval shale and stone (Periods 3-4) with contributions by Mary Davis and Jana Horák
4. Chapter 12. Early medieval beads and gaming counters (Periods 3-4) with a contribution by Mary Davis
5. Chapter 13. Early medieval worked bone and leather (Periods 3-4)
6. Chapter 14. Early medieval textiles with contributions by Louise Mumford, Tony Daly, Hero Granger-Taylor, Julie Taylor, Heather Prosser and Frances Pritchard
7. Chapter 15. Early medieval wooden artefacts (Periods 3-4)
• SECTION 5. EVIDENCE FOR CRAFT ACTIVITIES
1. Chapter 16. The metalworking evidence with contributions by P. Northover and Tim Young
2. Chapter 17. The evidence for textile manufacture
• SECTION 6. WATER TRANSPORT
1. Chapter 18. Logboats from the Lake with a contribution by Damian Goodburn
• SECTION 7. POST-CRANNOG FINDS (PHASES 5-6)
1. Chapter 19. Medieval Finds with a contribution by Edward Besly
• SECTION 7. SITE CONSERVATION
1. Chapter 22. Conservation of the Crannog and Artefacts with a contribution by Sian Rees
• SECTION 8. LLANGORSE CRANNOG IN CONTEXT
1. Chapter 23. Pre- and early history
2. Chapter 24. Early Medieval History
3. Chapter 25. Two Primary Historical Sources
4. Chapter 26. The Charter Material by Andrew Seaman
5. Chapter 27. Significance of Llan-gors Crannog
6. Chapter 28. Llangorse Lake in the Middle Ages
7. Chapter 29. Ownership and dispute in the sixteenth century
8. Chapter 30. Recent Folklore
9. Chapter 31. A Destination to Delight

APPENDICES

• Table of contexts
• Table of all timber