Discovery
Background
The discovery of a large early
medieval period (410-1066) cemetery near Fonmon Castle has caused quite a stir
within the archaeological community-so much so that as well as doing the rounds
in the local and national press, the site was featured in an episode of the
popular archaeology tv program Digging for Britain.
Excavations carried out over two
seasons by the author’s alma mater Cardiff University, and Reading
University, in 2022-2023 (more are planned) have revealed the site of an
enclosed mass burial dating (provisionally) to the sixth and seventh centuries
AD. An estimated seventy graves have been discovered so far, with more still thought
to be in the vicinity. What was particularly interesting was, according to Dr
Andy Seaman of Cardiff University, was that this burial site was not just a
place to dispose of the dead but was also a place where communities seemingly came
together for feasting and games. There is even evidence of metalwork occurring
on site. This is something more akin to prehistoric communities than those from
the early Medieval period.
Archaeological sites from the early
medieval period within Glamorgan are rare, but not unknown. These particular idiosyncrasies
however were not expected as there is no known precedent within the local
archaeological records.
This site poses many interesting questions
regarding the relationship between Fonmon and other early medieval sites within
the Vale of Glamorgan, but also deeper questions relating to the formation of
this small part of Wales and the origins of the communities formed by our
common ancestors after the Romans left south Wales.
Late
Roman-early medieval period
Following the withdrawal of Roman
governance from Britain in around the early fifth century AD, most-if not all
vestiges of Romanisation were lost. Roman socio-economics, architecture and
culture seemingly disappeared overnight. This is the enigmatic period in
history referred to as the Dark Ages.
Contemporary literature referring
to this sub-Roman period in Wales is non-existent. With almost no written
information available it is to archaeology that we look to in order to try to
understand the early transition from Romano-British society to the emergence of
early Welsh society and its kingdoms. Not an easy task.
Depopulation
During this period depopulation is
thought to have occurred-something that is reflected directly in the
archaeological record. A good example of this depopulation can be seen through
the number of known Romano-British farmsteads that have been excavated or
discovered throughout the Vale of Glamorgan. These farmsteads or estate centres
in regard to the larger ones, are in themselves a fascinating study. They show
a great deal of variation in the extent of Romanisation on the indigenous British
population. We can see this effect through not only the material culture-monetary
economy and transaction being a good example as coin finds tend to be numerous,
but perhaps more interestingly through architecture.
Architecturally Romano-British
farmsteads were for the most part comprised of the traditional British
roundhouse as constructed in both the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Many of the
more prosperous ones however gradually were rebuilt into something resembling a
Roman villa and exhibited features found in Roman villas such as plastered
walls and hypocaust systems. The villas at Llandough and Whitton Lodge are good
examples of this. Very few of these estate centres however, and certainly none
of the other of the smaller Romano-British farmsteads, show much in the way of activity
after the late Roman period.
It was as if the inhabitants
seemingly disappeared overnight. Certainly, the main economic mainstay of Roman
Britain, agriculture, did not seem to be a driving factor in early medieval Welsh
society as there was no standing army to feed and the larger Romano-British settlements,
such as civitas capital Venta Silurem (Caerwent), and the numerous Roman
military garrisons such as Cardiff and their associated Vicus settlements
went into terminal decline almost as soon as the Romans left Wales.
The
emergence of the kingdom of Morgannwg
So what came next? This period is
regarded by archaeologists and historians alike as something of a mystery - indeed,
it has been the focus of a great deal of archaeological and academic interest
over the years as it is so poorly understood.
According to medieval Welsh
sources, the western portion of former Silurian territory was in the early
fifth century a petty kingdom ruled by a king called Glywys. This large tract
of land was supposedly named after him and was subsequently referred to as
Glywysing - later to be called Morgannwg. This western portion of former
Silurian territory was, according to twelfth century sources divided up into
seven portions or cantrefi, (Seven Cantrefs of Glamorgan) with each
cantref according to tradition, named after the sons of King Glywys.
It is possible however that King
Glywys never actually existed, and like his contemporary King Arthur, is the
product of legend. But what is certain is that by the latter part of the early
medieval period the Welsh kingdom of Morganwg was well attested to in
documentary records.
Christianity
and Religious settlements
Despite the historical records regarding
the formation of Morganwg being sketchy at best, we do know for certain that
this period in Welsh history saw the beginnings of the spread of Christianity throughout
Wales with Glamorgan in particular having the distinction of being home to not
only numerous pre-eminent early religious establishments such as Llantwit Major
and Llancarfan, but also home to a number of much venerated Saints such as
Llltud, Cadoc and Baruc.
Written records regarding this
early period in Welsh history, which were all written during the latter part of
the early medieval period, do not give us any information about the ordinary
folk who inhabited Glamorgan at this time. We do know however that this small
corner of Wales was unaffected by ‘barbarian incursion’ or colonisation as seen
in England in the fifth and sixth centuries, meaning that the people who were
buried at Fonmon, and other early Medieval cemeteries throughout Glamorgan, are
likely to be ethnic descendants of the Romano-British Silurians.
Llandough Early Medieval Cemetery
Most of the known early medieval cemeteries
within Glamorgan appear to have strong associations with monastic/religious sites.
St Baruc’s holy shrine on Barry Island is a good example of this. The best
example however is to be found at Llandough near Penarth.
In 1994 in advance of a housing
estate development, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a vast sub-Roman, early
Medieval cemetery comprising the remains of over one thousand individual
inhumation burials adjacent to the church of St Dochdwy. These Christian
burials, the earliest of which is thought to date to the fifth century
ascertained using radiocarbon dating and the presence of imported Bii amphorae
which was found in five graves, coincided with the foundation of an early
Christian monastery in the vicinity.
Located near to this cemetery were
the remains of a Romano-British villa which was occupied until the early fourth
century AD. It is highly probable that there was some continuity of settlement at
Llandough during the transition from the Romano-British period to the early
Medieval period.
Osteoarchaeology (study of bones)
has revealed many interesting aspects of the population at Llandough during the
early Medieval period. One particularly interesting aspect was the study of
fractures. The extant fractures were for the most part consistent with injuries
relating to agricultural practice rather than with acts of aggression meaning
that conflict and violence here appeared to be very rare indeed. And just as
interestingly was the presence of gout in some individuals-strongly suggestive that
a number of people here partook in excessive alcohol consumption.
Secular Settlements-Atlantic Trading Estate
Another example of, albeit brief,
continuity from a Romano-British community to a sub-Roman period community within
Glamorgan is to be found in the Romano-British-early sub-Roman cemetery at the Atlantic
Trading Estate on the outskirts of Barry. This multi-period site has not had
the benefit of systematic archaeological study but has been uncovered piecemeal
since the late nineteenth century. Also uncovered in the vicinity are what are
thought to have been the remains of buildings leading archaeologists to infer
that this cemetery had a strong association with a ‘prestigious Roman
settlement’, likely a villa.
The burials, forty five in total, appeared
to be markedly Roman in character and were represented by both earlier cremation
burials in glass urns, and later inhumation burials ranging from the late third
to late sixth century. Other burials found within the area contained
high-status grave goods such as late Roman gold coins and gold finger rings. There
appears to have been some brief continuity at this site after the Roman
withdrawal as the burials indicate, but shortly after this period sometime
during the late sixth century AD the last small glimmer of the light of
civilization spluttered and flickered and was eventually extinguished. Did it
burn itself out? Or was it snuffed out?
The mass abandonment of important agricultural
estate centres, and their smaller farmstead subsidiaries, lends an important
question. Given that this part of Roman Britain was unaffected by Barbarian
incursion, where, when and how did the elite of early Glamorgan morph from
estate owners to the early rulers of Morgannwg, and who exactly were these
rulers and was there any relation between them and the cemetery at Fonmon?
Dinas Powys Hillfort-A new Centre
of Power
Dinas Powys hillfort is considered
by archaeologists to have been an important high-status power-centre during the
early medieval period. Lesley Alcock, who conducted excavations at the site in
1953-58, regarded Dinas Powys as being the site of a ‘princely household’,
perhaps even the home of the chieftain of the newly formed kingdom of
Glywysing. The excavated remains date from the fifth through to the seventh
centuries AD. This occupation coincided with a period when fortified hillfort
locations were readopted as centres of power after Roman withdrawal from
Britain.
The settlement at Dinas Powys after recent (2023) re-analysis has been shown to have been much better defended than previously thought. The importance of Dinas Powys was inferred not only by its fortified hilltop location, but also by the fact that the site was rich in high-status finds. Archaeologists have found imported Mediterranean pottery dating to the fifth century, and Merovingian glass and pottery from the sixth and seventh centuries. These finds as well as showing us the status and importance of its inhabitants, also show us how trade networks changed during this poorly understood period.
In addition, evidence was uncovered
to show that there were hearths for industrial activity with metal production
occurring on site, and that Dinas Powys was home to both a blacksmith and an
Irish jeweller who crafted high-status items made from bronze and gold. Stock
raising also appeared to have formed a large part of the economy at Dinas Powys.
Although economically underdeveloped compared to most sites in Anglo-Saxon
England, Dinas Powys represents an important early medieval centre of power and
hence important in any discussion upon the early Medieval period in Glamorgan,
and perhaps beyond.
Knight asserts that there was very
much an amicable relation with the fortified site at Dinas Powys and the
monastic site at Llandough during the sixth century (Knight 2005). Seaman
asserts that Dinas Powys and Llandough may have formed a part of a ‘polyfocal
central zone’ (Seaman 2013). Could the
descendants of the elite at Llandough have re-located to Dinas Powys during the
sub-Roman period? And could they have had influence over a wider area?
Fonmon
Burial Site
One thing that is striking about
the burial site at Fonmon is that it appears to have existed in isolation. The
burial site at Llandough for example has Romano-British antecedents and was
associated with an early monastic establishment and appeared to have had direct
links with Dinas Powys hillfort. The late Roman, sub-Roman burial site at
Atlantic Trading Estate also had a clear context of an associated ‘prestigious
villa’, or estate centre.
It is of course perfectly possible
that there did exist some sort of localised context for this intriguing site
that has yet to be discovered but for now we can only work within the remit of
our current knowledge. The burial site at Fonmon however is located between two
important early Christian monastic sites, those of Llantwit Major and
Llancarfan respectively. Perhaps there was some connection between them
although this for the time being must remain speculative.
What
has particularly intrigued archaeologists was the unusual burial positions and the
unexpected artefacts found within this cemetery.
Burial Positions
The vast majority of burials
discovered at Fonmon were standard inhumation burials (body lying flat on its
back), something which is typical for both the late Roman period and for the
sub-Roman period and has a strong association with Christianity. The majority
of graves found at Llandough for example exhibit this type of inhumation burial.
There were, however, a number of burials that deviated from this norm at Fonmon.
One burial was found in a crouched
position. A very small number of burial variations were also encountered at
Llandough. One body was found on its side and four were found ‘flexed’). None of the bodies at Llandough however were found in a crouched
position. This discovery has intrigued archaeologists and is regarded as being
significant. Who was this person who was subject to this unusual burial
practice, and why?
The crouched burial position is interesting as it’s something that is strongly associated with late Iron Age burials, in particular that of the ‘Durotrigian-type’ inhumation burial practice as found in Dorset. This crouched type of Durotrigian inhumation burial was in use well into the Roman occupation and are often found with items such as ceramics, jewellery and joints of meat.
Exotic Glass, Games and Feasting
The discovery of an’ Ice cream
shaped glass cone’ originating from Bordeaux in France is both
fascinating and significant. Such items were the sole preserve of the
elite as we have seen from the hillfort at Dinas Powys. Although not unequivocal, the presence of
exotic glass found at Dinas Powys and at Fonmon makes it very tempting to draw the
conclusion that there was some sort of relationship between the two places-or
at least that it shows that they utilized similar, if not the same, trading/exchange
networks. Despite this possibility, it would be somewhat simplistic to base
this inference upon the presence of the glassware alone, but certainly the
presence of this exotic glassware at two relatively near locations is
significant and it is not unreasonable to assume that there might have been
some sort of relationship in existence.
The evidence for feasting and games
at early medieval burial sites within Glamorgan is something that is (to our
knowledge) unprecedented within the local archaeological record and is strongly
indicative of various communities coming together to feast, and in this
instance, perhaps play games as the small wooden peg, or games counter suggests.
Another intriguing aspect was the presence of metal working hearths on this
site. Why was this?
Conclusion
As is so often the case in
archaeology, the evidence serves to ask more questions than to provide answers.
That a community or communities came together at Fonmon is certain, but for a
large cemetery to exist seemingly in isolation with no antecedents or
contemporary context during this period in early Medieval Glamorgan is without president.
It is likely that these people
were, for the most part at least, ethnically of Silurian descent. As only a
small number of the estimated seventy graves have been fully excavated, we can
expect further excavations to elicit more information. The analysis of the
Skeltons at Fonmon has barely begun, and it will be interesting to see what
information both DNA analysis and osteoarchaeological examination can yield. For
example, a cursory examination of the worn teeth of one individual showed that
they were likely engaged in some type of manufacturing activity such as leather
making, using their teeth as a sort of grip.
Was the community or communities
these people belonged to as seemingly peaceful as that of Llandough? Did they
suffer from malnutrition? Did these individuals drink alcohol to excess? Were they kin as has been shown with the burials at Atlantic Trading Estate?
The excavations at Fonmon are set
to continue next Summer, and we look forward to seeing if further digging can
shed more light on this ancient, forgotten and mysterious community.
The right of Jonathan and Mark Lambert to be identified as Authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted, reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic means, including social media, or mechanical, or by any other means including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the authors.
