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.
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Summaries (Welsh, French, German)
SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND SETTING
Chapter 1. The crannog, its name, and its setting
Chapter 2. Discovery of the crannog and early investigations Word count 4,738
SECTION 2. THE EXCAVATIONS
Chapter 3. Excavation and Survey 1989-1993, 2004
Chapter 4. The Excavated Features
Chapter 5. Dating of the Site, Nigel Nayling & Cathy Tyers
Chapter 6. Structural timber , with contributions by Nigel Nayling and C Griffiths
SECTION 3. ARCHAEOZOOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTS
Chapter 7. Palaeo-environmental evidence by Heather Pardoe and Astrid Caseldine
Chapter 8. Early medieval Animal Bone, by Jacqui Mulville and Adrienne Powell
SECTION 4. PREHISTORIC AND EARLY MEDIEVAL ARTEFACTS
Introduction; range of material
Chapter 9. Pre-Crannog Artefacts (Period 1) with contributions by Elizabeth A. Walker and Jana Horak
Chapter 10. Early Medieval Metalwork (Periods 3-4) with contributions by C P Stapleton, Sheridan Bowman, Mary Davis and Peter Northover
Chapter 11. Early medieval shale and stone (Periods 3-4) with contributions by Mary Davis and Jana Horák
Chapter 12. Early medieval beads and gaming counters (Periods 3-4) with a contribution by Mary Davis
Chapter 13. Early medieval worked bone and leather (Periods 3-4)
Chapter 14. Early medieval textiles with contributions by Louise Mumford, Tony Daly, Hero Granger-Taylor, Julie Taylor, Heather Prosser and Frances Pritchard
Chapter 15. Early medieval wooden artefacts (Periods 3-4)
SECTION 5. EVIDENCE FOR CRAFT ACTIVITIES
Chapter 16. The metalworking evidence with contributions by P. Northover and Tim Young
Chapter 17. The evidence for textile manufacture
SECTION 6. WATER TRANSPORT
Chapter 18. Logboats from the Lake with a contribution by Damian Goodburn
SECTION 7. POST-CRANNOG FINDS (PHASES 5-6)
Chapter 19. Medieval Finds with a contribution by Edward Besly
SECTION 7. SITE CONSERVATION
Chapter 22. Conservation of the Crannog and Artefacts with a contribution by Sian Rees
SECTION 8. LLANGORSE CRANNOG IN CONTEXT
Chapter 23. Pre- and early history
Chapter 24. Early Medieval History
Chapter 25. Two Primary Historical Sources
Chapter 26. The Charter Material by Andrew Seaman
Chapter 27. Significance of Llan-gors Crannog
Chapter 28. Llangorse Lake in the Middle Ages
Chapter 29. Ownership and dispute in the sixteenth century
Chapter 30. Recent Folklore
Chapter 31. A Destination to Delight
APPENDICES
Table of contexts
Table of all timber
