Ancient site might reveal Saxon hall - Powys

[Neil]

Courtesy of BBC Online 3rd August 2010

Archaeologists are to investigate what might be a rare 5th Century Saxon hall or palace on farmland in Powys. Cambrian Archaeological Projects (CAP) will spend a month excavating a site at the Gaer Farm in Forden, near Welshpool. CAP said if it was a Saxon building then it would only be the second of its type in Wales to be unearthed. The site was first identified in 1987, but it has not been properly excavated until now.

Land at the Gaer Farm is historically significant because it is home to the remains of a Roman fort and other ancient settlements.Aerial photographs and preliminary excavations have revealed a post-Roman settlement. Large post holes, which would have formed the foundations for a large building, have also been discovered.
 
Project leader Mark Houliston said it was difficult to date the site. It is thought to be from the Saxon period, but it could be medieval or a Welsh settlement.

"We're excited it's a large building and post Roman, but until we excavate the site it's hard to say for certain what it is and when it was built," Mr Houliston added.

"There's speculation it could be a Saxon long house or palace and if that's the case it would be a significant find. We'll carry out radio carbon dating to try and date what we find.
The building would have been a very large timber hall and possibly a palace. It measured 40m by 15m from aerial photos."

A geophysical survey has been carried out, which detects below-ground features and is useful in assessing the presence of archaeological remains.

Mr Houliston said the site could also be a Welsh llys (court) settlement, which were administrative buildings and more commonly found.

Ten volunteers and three archaeologists will spend a month, from 9 August, on the dig in Forden. There will be a public open day on 30 August.

[handyman [Alan}]

A good read there Neil. the anglo saxon map got me searching and i came across this site.

i recommend it

http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=show&page=Maps

cheers

[waltonbasinman]

Yes indeed a good read Neil. Thanks for that. Alan would you agree or disagree that since these maps were drawn they are to regimented, in drawing lines they give the illusion of static boundaries. Just from place name evidence alone I feel the map of the Ninth century southern England especially the Mid Welsh Borders were much different.

[handyman [Alan}]

i totally agree PAul, as i am convinced that boundaries were fluid at that time. however, from the maps i contend that one could allow an error of +/- 10 miles ... which in turn could help when selecting areas to search.

i would agree that the maps are a rough starting point, to be fine tuned by examining the place names.

cheers

btw -- rest of the site is a good read as well!

[Chef Geoff]

The majority of maps drawn at least from the late Saxon period are 99% accurate as they take there boundaries from land charters issued during this time. I think the question is not where one territory began or ended, but where influences began and ended. If you had asked someone in the 9th century, in which kingdom they lived you may have gotten a blank expression from them, purely because these were things that had little or no effect on their lives.
Nationalism is a relatively new invention, first used in earnest during the Tudor age for political ends. Prior to this, characters such as Boudicca, Owain Glyndwr, Alfred the Great, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace etc although now seen as National hero's were at the time fighting for power and land, pure and simple.

From the national DNA project that was carried out by Cambridge Uni a few years ago, we know that there was no mass Saxon invasion nor was there any systematic genocide of the Romano British, we simply changed our habits by influence.
 And these influences could be strengthened or weakened by something as simple as geography and where you went to market on a Wednesday. So although you may have lived in a Saxon area, if your pears all lived in a more sub Roman fashion then that is how you would probably live too.
Maps were made for Kings and commerce.

[waltonbasinman]

A good point Geoff. The supposed Saxon Hall building mentioned on one of the other threads is not going to be a Saxon building. It will be a building if it turns out to be that from a period when Saxon influence was at its most influential and like Roman Villas they were localised Brits living in a Roman Life style.

[Chef Geoff]

Thats it Paul, It always annoys and tickles me when people, Historians and archaeologists included say how long the "Romans" were here. Well first define the meaning of the word Roman, after the fall of the Republic very few Romans actually came from Rome, so after probably only 100 years we were all Romans, we never, we just became something else.
I think the maps are OK its the dates when these influences happened that are the mystery, Most new trends came from the East and traveled westward, thus the Bronze age is 200 years later in Wales than in East Anglia.