Mark Redknap

Treasures of Late Celtic Wales

The Christian Celts

By analysing historical findings and fieldwork, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the effects that the Vikings had on Wales.

An Archaeological Quest

Vikings in Wales

Sian Rees

Alan Aberg

An ambitious and extremely comprehensive reference book with hundreds of colour photos, presenting the whole of Wales' maritime history.

Wales and the Sea - 10,000 Years of Welsh Maritime History

Alan Lane

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

Llangorse Crannog

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 analysed, 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.

The study of artefacts found on wrecks was the subject of an international conference held at the National Musuem of Wales in 1994. Concentrating on the period of transition in Europe, from the end of the Middle Ages to 1785, these essays describe some of the most important recent results. Contents include: Ships as integrated artefacts: the archaeological potential (Colin J M Martin); The IJsselmeer-polders: a 'source book' for late medieval and early post-medieval wreck inventories (Karel Vlierman); Material culture research of Canadian historical shipwrecks: the Machault legacy (Stephen Davis); The material culture of the Mary Rose as a fighting vessel (Alex Hildred); Reconstructing 16th centruy ship culture: the Cattewater wreck (Mark Redknap); A study of chests from Henry VIIIs warship Mary Rose, 1545 (Maggie Richards); Arms and armour from wrecks (Ruth R Brown); Footwear and other Artefacts from a 16th century Spanish Basque Galleon (Stephen Davis); Rhenish stoneware frpm shipwrecks: ceramic function and lifespan (David Gaimster);The identification, analysis and interpretation of tobacco pipes from wrecks (David Higgins); Coinage from Post-Medieval Wrecks (Edward Besly); Metal ingots from dated wrecks (Paul Craddock and Duncan Hook); The galley, utensils and cooking, eating and drinking vessels from a wreck on the Zuiderzee in 1673 (Karel Vlierman); The Cromwellian shipwreck off Duart Point, Mull (Colin J M Martin); Identifying a ship's place of departure with the help of artefacts (Piet Kleij);Wreck de Mer and the dispersed wreck sites: the case of the Ann Francis (1583) (Mark Redknap and Edward Besly); Artefacts from the Kronan (1676): preservation and social structure (Lars Einarsson); Family life on board: Dutch boat people 1600-1900 (A F L van Holk); Conclusion (Alan Aberg).

Mark Redknap

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