The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

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Carn Edward (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>Carn Edward</b>Posted by mountainman

Carn Llwyd North (Carningli) (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images

<b>Carn Llwyd North (Carningli)</b>Posted by mountainman

Carn Ingli Camp (Hillfort) — Images

<b>Carn Ingli Camp</b>Posted by mountainman<b>Carn Ingli Camp</b>Posted by mountainman

Cot Llwyd (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Fieldnotes

Looked at this area several times in the winter of 2007-2008 -- much easier than in the summer, when the bracken is high. The pictured hut is called Hut No 1 by Pearson:
http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/geo/research/carningli/archaeology.htm
There is another hut circle on lower ground adjacent to Cot Llwyd cottage. Abundant Bronze Age traces everywhere -- old walls, clearance cairns, trackways, stone takes etc.
There appears to have been one small settlement here, and another around Carn Llwyd N, where there are 5 or 6 huts (I find more every time I walk across the area. Easy to see just now, after some very big gorse burns this past winter.

Carn Llwyd North (Carningli) (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Fieldnotes

Curving ditch and embankment not far from Carn Llwyd (NB beware -- there are two tors with the same name in this area!) which appears to have been abandoned when only partially complete. Ditch on the outside and embankment on the inside. Something of a mystery.... but in the neighbourhood there are many Bronze Age hut circles -- at least 10 on this side of the mountain and at least 3 on Carningli South. Also a Bronze Age burial cairn at Carn Briw -- so this was a substantial Bronze Age settlement area. Described in detail by Alastair Pearson -- and now very clear on the new Google satellite imagery.

Carn Llwyd North (Carningli) (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images

<b>Carn Llwyd North (Carningli)</b>Posted by mountainman

Cot Llwyd (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images

<b>Cot Llwyd</b>Posted by mountainman

Carningli South (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images

<b>Carningli South</b>Posted by mountainman

Carningli South (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Fieldnotes

Shown on some versions of the OS maps, and clearly visible on the new Google satellite imagery, this little round house base is easily accessible and close to the footpath from Carningli Lodge up onto Carningli Common. It's almost certainly a farmstead -- it is associated with small storage structures, at least one larger rectangular hut, and a "lane" leading up to various enclosures / paddocks higher up the slope. It's very similar to the other Bronze Age huts and associated features on the N flank of the mountain. News report here:
http://www.brianjohn.f2s.com/carningli3.html
and some linked photos here:
http://www.brianjohn.f2s.com/carningli2.html

Glyn Gath (Ring Cairn) — Fieldnotes

There is now a little sign on this site, placed there by the National Park, just in case anybody is tempted to bulldoze it away. The vegetation is lower now, so it's a bit easier to spot. There is another ring cairn (hidden in the heather) just to the east of Carn Enoch.

Cerrig y Gof (Burial Chamber) — Fieldnotes

This is a fascinating site with its cluster of outward-facing chambers -- nothing like it anywhere else in West Wales. Recently the chambers and capstones have been covered with brambles, but staff of the National Park have recently done a good clearing job (spring 2008) and the chambers are now much easier to see. Apparently the owner does not mind people taking a look at the stones. Negotiations are under way to allow proper access to the site -- but be aware that parking on the roadside verge is dangerous, and the traffic is fast!

Carn Ffoi (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

This is a very simple hillfort -- maybe related to Carningli in some way? There is just one defensive embankment, enclosing a small settlement site. Again the rocky crag itself has been used as a part of the defences. From the NW this defended site must have looked quite intimidating. According to legend, an Irish chieftain and his band lived here during the Age of the Saints. That's quite feasible -- and very handy for creating a spot of bother on the pilgrim route that ran along the coast from Nevern westwards towards St David's.

Carn Briw (Round Cairn) — Fieldnotes

Carn Briw has been very seriously messed about with, by walkers and children looking for something to do......... it was probably originally a conical mound, like many other Bronze Age burial cairns in this part of the world. There has been some recent burning to the north of the cairn, and now one can see clearly the "stone takes" from which stones and rubble were taken for the original construction of the mound.

Carn Edward (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Fieldnotes

Carn Edward roofed shelter?

This isn't just a natural feature -- although it is a very beautiful tor. I recently discovered a very old curving stone wall on the downslope side of the eastern of the two rocky crags. This was either a sheepfold or -- more likely, I think -- a roofed-over shelter or small dwelling. There are several of these on Carningli -- where the rock face provides the shelter from the west, and where a semi-circular stone wall has been built to make a cost-effective shelter. There is one at Carn Enoch, another not far away beneath a small tor between Carn Edward and Carningli, and several on Carningli itself. There are others among the tors at the eastern end of Mynydd Preseli. How old are these features? My guess would be Bronze Age, but some could be Iron Age or even later. Maybe they were used as shepherd's shelters for more than two thousand years.......

Bedd Morris (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Folklore

There are several legends relating to this stone. the best-known is that the stone is effectively a memorial to a young man names Morris who was in love with the maid of Pontfaen, whom he could not marry because of her father's opposition. there was another suitor, and according to the tale the two suitors fought a duel on the highest point of the road between Pontfaen and Newport. Morris was killed in the duel, after which of course the poor girl also died -- of a broken heart.

The other legend is that the robber called Morris (who lived in a cave on the mountain and was always accompanied by a small white dog) was caught and executed here.

According to tradition, the small boys of newport parish are always beaten here (very gently) during the annual "beating of the bounds" ceremony. This is supposed to ensure that they do not forget where the parish boundary is located.

Carn Ingli Camp (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

I've been mapping the "camp" or hillfort for the last 12 month, using a base map from Hogg and also using Google satellite imagery and other published photos. A lot is visible just now, following extensive burning.

My revised map is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carningli_hillfort

This is a very spectacular and technically sophisticated hillfort, with features similar to Norman motte and bailey castles. The fort is on a rocky ridge, with a 'village" inside a pronounced defensive embankment at the NE end (the lee side of the mountain) and three connected enclosures or baileys at the SW end. On the SE face of the mountain natural cliffs and scree slopes are used as defences -- and on the NW side substantial defensive embankments have been built. The rocky summits of the mountain are the "motte" -- no doubt used as a last defensive position in case the defences were breached.

The defensive embankments have been slighted -- when and why?

Mynydd Carningli (Sacred Hill) — Folklore

This site has a mass of folklore attached to it. I've tried to capture the "magic" of the mountain in the six novels of the Angel Mountain Saga (published 2001-2007) in which the heroine, Martha Morgan, has frequent encounters with the supernatural and has a very special relationship with the mountain. The mountain is, in effect, a character in the story.

More info:

http://www.brianjohn.f2s.com/index.html
http://www.angel-mountain.info/index.html

Mynydd Carningli (Sacred Hill) — Links

Carningli Bronze Age roundhouse


Previously unrecorded Bronze Age (?) roundhouse on the flank of Carningli, discovered Spring 2008. Other traces in the immediate vicinity suggest it was the centre of a farmstead, with storage huts, paddocks, trackways etc associated.

Carningli prehistory book


New heavily-illustrated book about the prehistory of Carningli, published 2008.

Carningli Hillfort


Map made by Brian John, after Hogg and others -- info added 2007 and 2008

Mynydd Carningli (Sacred Hill) — Fieldnotes

Been doing a lot of walking on Carningli lately, and am now convinced that there are at least 12 Bronze Age dwellings there, mostly on the north flank, but with one small cluster (3 huts?) on the southern slope of the mountain. There is fantastic new imagery on Google (satellite images) with 2007 imagery -- much more detailed that what was there before. Most of the hut circles show up very clearly. in addition to the dwelling huts there are abundant stone takes, clearance cairns, trackways, entrenched tracks, standing stones, stone walls, ring cairns, paddocks etc -- and one burial cairn at Carn Briw. This was clearly a key Bronze Age settlement site -- probably much more important than the eastern end of Mynydd Preseli around Carn Meini and Foeldrygarn. Proximity to the sea and to a good fishing river might have had something to do with it?

The Iron Age community that lived in the Carningli "village" within the hillfort was much larger, and lived in a defended clustered settlement. I have posted a new map of the hillfort here:

http://homepage.mac.com/brianjohn4/PhotoAlbum13.html

and a photo gallery of prehistoric Carningli here:

http://www.brianjohn.f2s.com/carningli2.html

Stonehenge (Circle henge) — News

Latest fun and games at Stonehenge


Masses of info and speculation relating to the recent Darvill / Wainwright dig, on the BBC Timewatch web site, and a series of ongoing discussions on the Open University site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/stonehenge/

http://open2.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4502

The following might also be of interest -- particularly with respect to the enigma of the bluestones:

Bluestone web site:

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~brianj/bluestones59.html

Glastonbury-Stonehenge link?

http://www.mypembrokeshire.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/12/21/458ad107451ca
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