The Collfryn Hillslope Enclosure, Llansantffraid Deuddwr, Powys: Excavations 1980–1982

Abstract

Page 90 THE EXCAVATIONS 92 EARLIER PREHISTORIC ACTIVITY 104 THE IRON AGE SETTLEMENT 104 LATE IRON AGE AND ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT 117 MEDIEVAL AND LATER ACTIVITY 124 THE FINDS 124 APPENDIX: INDEX TO MICROFICHE 133 The report on partial rescue excavations of the Collfryn enclosure between 1980-81 presents a summary of the first large-scale investigation of one of the numerous semi-defensive cropmark and earthwork enclosure sites in the upper Severn valley in mid-Wales. Earlier prehistoric activity of an ephemeral nature is represented by a scattering of Mesolithic and Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age flintwork, and by a pit containing sherds of several different Beaker vessels. The first enclosed settlement, constructed in about the 3rd century be probably consisted of three widely-spaced concentric ditches, associated with banks of simple dump construction, having a single gated entranceway on the downhill side. It covered an area of about 2.5 ha and appears to have been of a relatively high social status, and appropriate in size for a single extended-family group. This was subsequently reduced in about the ist century be to a double-ditched enclosure, by the recutting of the original inner ditch and the cutting of a new ditch immediately outside it. The habitation area between the 3 rd and ist centuries be probably focused on timber buildings in the central enclosure of about 0.4 ha, whose gradually evolving pattern appears to have comprised between 3-4 roundhouses and 4-5 four-posters at any one time. Little excavation was undertaken between the outer ditches of the first phase settlement, but these are assumed to have been used as stock enclosures. A mixed 1 The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, 7a Church Street, Welshpool, Powys, SYii 7DL 89 THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY farming economy is suggested by cattle, sheep/goat and pig remains, and remains of glume wheats, barley and oats. Industries included small-scale iron and bronze-working. The Iron Age settlement was essentially aceramic, although there are significant quantities of a coarse, oxidized ceramic probably representing salt traded from production centres in the Cheshire Plain. The entranceway was remodelled in about the late ist or early 2nd, century AD by means of a timber-lined passage linked to a new gate on the line of the inner bank. There is equivocal evidence of continued occupation within the inner enclosure continuing until at least the mid-^th century AD, possibly at a comparatively low social level, associated with domestic structures of uncertain form sited on earlier roundhouse platforms, and including some four-posters and possible six-posters. Drainage ditches were dug across parts of the site during the Medieval and post-Medieval periods, which were associated with various structures, including a corn-drying kiln inserted into the inner enclosure bank in the 15th century.

Geophysical surveys of Bury Walls hill fort, Shropshire

“…The excavations on the hill fort at the Breiddin (Musson, 1991) have shown that hill fort development was early in date and intermittent in character in the region. The total excavation of the nearby lowland settlement at Collfryn (Britnell, 1989) has demonstrated the character of lowland occupation in the area. Such settlements are now known to dominate the occupation of the region in the Iron Age (Whimster, 1989), and thus it becomes increasingly difficult to see the hill forts as the most important element in the Iron Age community.…”

Salt Production, Distribution and Use in the British Iron Age

“…This would have been equally true at the other extension of the VCP distribution region into south Wales. Salt in VCP, probably transported by boat through the port of Meols (Philpott, 2007: 384) An example of the importance of the salt trade between the Cheshire salt makers and the occupants of the Severn Valley watershed is clearly in evidence at Collfryn, shown in Figure 24, excavated between 1980 and 1982 (Britnell, 1989). The heavily defended farmstead, dating to the fourth or third century BC, contained multiple roundhouses and four-and six-post structures thought to be used for various types of storage.…”

Excavations and Metal-working at Llwyn Bryn-dinas Hillfort, Llangedwyn, Clwyd

“…Similar material has been found at the Breiddin hillfort in Iron Age, Romano-British and possibly late Bronze Age contexts (Musson 1991, fig. 55, nos 131-137;Morris 1991, fabric 21), and at the Collfryn hillslope enclosure in Iron Age and possibly early Romano-British contexts (Britnell 1989 Copper alloy pin (JPN) 25 Fragmentary ring-headed pin (ig), 32 mm long, ring diameter 7 mm, with straight shaft 1.9 mm in diameter; ring and shaft in a single plane (fig. 2).…”

“…(Further comment on the Dinorben material would demand a careful consideration of its dating.) By contrast, the bronze casting residues associated with triangular crucibles at the settlement site of Collfryn in north Powys (Britnell 1989) show no trace of zinc (Northover unpublished).…”

“…Llwyn Bryn-dinas joins an increasing number of sites in this part of the Marches that have produced evidence of metal-working activity at various dates throughout the 1st millennium BC. Apart from the Breiddin hillfort, however, which has a significant late Bronze Age phase of metal-working activity, the dating is predominantly late, and in most instances the association has been specifically with bronze-casting industries, represented by hearths and copper waste at Llanymynech hillfort, mentioned above, as well as crucibles or crucible fragments occasionally associated with hearths at the Old Oswestry (Varley 1948) and Breiddin hillforts (Musson 1991), the Collfryn hill-slope enclosure (Britnell 1989), Four Crosses (Warrilow et al, 1986, 60, Site z), and a single sherd of a handled crucible from The Berth, all within a radius of about 16 km of Llanymynech Hill (fig. 4…”