Abandoned Landscapes: Archaeological Journeys
Submitted by TimPrevett on Friday, 10 March 2006 Page Views: 4772
Multi-periodCountry: Wales
Abandoned Landscapes: Archaeological Journeys - A Personal Journal of Archaeological Walks in the Hills of North Wales by M M Robinson*.
We are pleased to be able to publish an extensive series of articles concerning the archaeology of the North Wales uplands. As a taster for what is to come, this is the preamble from the author. As will be seen, this is a considerable document, and will be brought online in stages. Click to read the introductory teaser.
"The tide of human settlement has largely receded from the hills and mountains of North Wales, leaving us with one of the richest historic landscapes in Europe. This journal describes a series of walks through the valley and moorland environments of these uplands. Recurring themes include the search for ancient route ways and holloways, the importance of seasonal movements of stock (transhumance), the abandoned territories of the Bronze Age, and more recent features which often go unnoticed such as sheepfolds, intake walls and abandoned homesteads. My intention is to share with others the profound enjoyment which exploring the archaeology of these uplands has given me, and to encourage readers, especially those who are frequent walkers in the area, to experience more fully the richness, texture and time-depth of this wonderful landscape. There is so much more to appreciate in these hills than slogging up the standard walkers paths and bagging the high tops.
There is plenty here for readers whose starting point is an interest in megaliths. Firstly, many of the megalithic monuments and remains in the region are included in the journal, both in the synthesis section and the walking routes. Secondly, a key strand of the journal has been to investigate the ancient routeways in the region, and many of the important prehistoric monuments are intimately associated with these trails. Thirdly, I have sought to examine whole landscapes, viewing the stone monuments as part of an ever-changing and evolving environment rather than as isolated occurrences. Thus I hope that those interested in stone circles, standing stones and tombs, will find their appreciation and understanding of these sites enhanced.
I followed those routes which interested me and have written about the places and periods which I found most fascinating. This means that the geographical and archaeological coverage of the journal is somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent. In overview, the area dealt with includes Snowdonia in the north, across to the edge of the Wrexham plain and Llangollen in the east, the Berwyns and Cadair Idris to the south, and the Rhinogau (Harlech Dome) to the west. Important uplands within my core area of study such as the Clwydians, Aran, Hebog and the Moelwyns have been omitted, as have the great tracts of Pumlumon Fawr and the Cambrian Mountains of central Wales, and the high ground of the Lleyn Peninsula to the west. I apologise if there is too much emphasis on Snowdonia, and not enough on the regional diversity and more localised traditions across the region as a whole. The chronological coverage is also incomplete as I did not feel competent to tackle the Roman and Early Medieval periods although there are passing references to them."
The journal starts with a short introduction which seeks to identify the deep historical patterns and currents which have defined the archaeological character of the uplands. The remainder is in four parts:
Part One consists of my working notes on the long-term history of the region, gleaned mainly from published sources, supplemented with personal observations. It was written to help me make sense of the deep structures of the archaeological landscape in my own mind. Whilst these incomplete and amateur musings may be of some interest, for authoritative interpretations and information the reader should refer to the section on further reading.
Part Two presents a series of journeys investigating the archaeological topography of each of the main hill groups. To an extent these walks mirror the localised seasonal movement from lowland to upland by commencing in the more settled and cultivated areas, passing through the intermediate zone of upland farms, walls, minor roads and tracks to emerge into the special domain of the high pastures on the valleys and moors and cairn-lined mountain ridges.
Part Three consists of longer journeys along some of the natural and ancient routeways across the mountains. Here I seek to explore the pathways which thread together the larger patchwork of upland territories, rivers and passes, and which connected them with the wider world.
Part Four contains brief technical notes on the routes, suggested further reading and a bibliography. Please note that the journal was written up in 2002 and therefore discoveries made and sources published since then are not included.
Readers may be advised to initially skip Part One, which can be heavy going, and instead dip into Parts Two or Three, perhaps starting with localities with which they are familiar. Each chapter also has links to notes which provide more detailed descriptions or digressions on related issues. Whilst I have included a basic route map with each chapter, I recognise can be difficult to make sense of the route detail and the topographical descriptions. Thus access to appropriate OS maps, both 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 would be of considerable help in following the text.
*M.M.Robinson is an archaeologist who lives and works in the north of England. His enthusiasm for the archaeology of the Welsh uplands came about almost by accident through a passion for hill walking in the region. His main periods of interest are later prehistory and the Post-Medieval period.
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.