This thread has been subverted. Fourwinds asked, "was [Anglesey] the centre of the world?".

Having poured over celestial bodies and snakes we could always discuss the archaeological and historical evidence (crazy idea I know). What is there to indicate that Ynys Môn (call it Anglesey if you must) was any more of a focal point than, say Cornwall* or Pembrokeshire**? Not a lot.

What the Romans did up there tends to colour our perception of the place. It's all too easy to make assumptions about the importance of Anglesey based on a romanticised idea of scary Celts fighting bad old Roman soldiers. While it would seem likely that there was something big happening there during the latter part of the Iron Age, what evidence is there that the island was an exceptional focal point before that?

Druids aside, how does Anglesey differ from other agriculturally rich areas on the west coast? I'd argue it doesn't differ greatly. It's a wealthy slab of land with the farming surpluses to support a specialisation of labour. Very 'des res', but so are a lot of other places. The obvious trade routes with Ireland are not dissimilar to those that ran through Cornwall, Pembrokeshire, Cumbria, the Isle of Man*** and large chunks of Scotland**** (I'll stop the asterisks now - it's getting silly).

The factor that stands out is the defensive quality of the island. It has the Snowdonia mountain range as a natural defence, and when you add the mountains to the Menai Straits you get a tidy stronghold. That's what it comes down to I reckon - location location location!. Maybe not the best place to live in times of peace (nasty dual carriageways and people speaking in spiky Gog accents), but a great place to defend.

K x

* Kernow
** Sir Benfro
*** Mann
**** Alba