Biographies of Projects, People and Places: Archaeologists and William and Martha Harries at Henllys Farm, Pembrokeshire

Abstract

Extensive excavations at Henllys Farm revealed the remains of a 16th-century house that was continuously occupied until its demolition in the 19th century. For the second half of the building's life it was the centre of a tenant farm, and the Harries family rented this for several generations. Using the archaeological evidence together with surviving documents, the traditional archaeological narrative is extended by considering the biographies of the research project, the house and William and Martha Harries. The voice of the archaeologist in the present is contrasted with invented responses from past inhabitants to highlight potential differences in perception and meaning, and emphasize lived experience over impersonal structures revealed through excavation