A Bronze Age Round Barrow Cemetery, Pit Alignments, Iron Age Burials, Iron Age Copper Working, and Later Activity at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys

Abstract

Excavation undertaken at the Upper Severn valley round barrow cemetery at Four Crosses, Llandysilio, Powys, between 2004 and 2006 has increased the known barrows and ring ditches to some twenty-seven monuments within this complex, and revealed additional burials. Based on limited dating evidence, and the data from earlier excavations, the majority of the barrows are thought to be constructed in the Bronze Age. The barrows are considered part of a larger linear cemetery. The landscape setting and wider significance of this linear barrow cemetery are explored within this report. Dating suggests two barrows were later, Iron Age additions. The excavation also investigated Iron Age and undated pit alignments, Middle Iron Age copper working and a small Romano-British inhumation cemetery and field systems. Much of this evidence reflects the continuing importance of the site for ritual and funerary activity.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The fieldwork was undertaken on behalf of Jennings Homes (now David Mclean Homes) at the request of Waterman CPM and subsequently the Environmental Dimension Partnership. Elan Homes generously funded the post-excavation work. We are grateful to Royston Clark, Andrew Crutchley and Shaun McCarthy for their support. The site was monitored by Mark Walters of Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust Curatorial Section, and we are grateful for the support of the Trust during the course of the project.

The project was managed for Cotswold Archaeology by Mark Collard and Mary Alexander, directed in the field by Tim Harvard, supported by Dave Cudlip and a team of dedicated excavators. The post-excavation project was managed by Annette Hancocks and Mary Alexander. Pete Moore and Jonathan Bennett prepared the illustrations, which were edited by Sam O’Leary. Teresa Gilmore undertook the preliminary analysis of the human remains. Timothy Darvill usefully commented on the presentation of the results in this report, and Neil Holbrook of Cotswold Archaeology and Mark Walters of Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust Curatorial Section commented upon an earlier draft of this report. The project archives and finds will be deposited with Powysland Museum (Welshpool) under accession number A467/2005.