The coastal archaeology of Wales

REVIEWS

Department of Archaeology at University College, Dublin, Southampton University’s Oceanographic Centre, and the E & HS. After an introductory chapter, further chapters divide naturally into four groups: (i) the evolution of the lough, coastal archaeology and history and submerged landscapes; (ii) fishing, fish traps/weirs, tidal mills, landing places, ports, and the kelp industry; (iii) navigation, pilotage, shipwrecks, boats, and boatmen; and (iv) the protection and management of archaeological sites. The main text is followed by a gazetteer which includes sections on prehistoric objects in museums; fish traps/weirs; landing places; shipwrecks; and the like. There are also three appendices, a glossary of special terms from ‘astrolabe’ to ‘yawl’, a well-stocked bibliography, and a very useful index. The aims of the Strangford project were: to undertake foreshore, coastal and sea-bed surveys; to use archaeological and historical evidence to compile a picture of the maritime cultural landscape of Strangford Lough; and to identify areas for future research. The primary focus of the fieldwork was the foreshore (inter-tidal zone) which was documented by comprehensive fieldwalking and by limited excavation during periods extending some two hours either side of low water. The coastal survey was less ambitious aiming to document maritime structures above the high-water mark culled from existing records. Two seabed surveys were also undertaken using sub-bottom profilers and side-scan sonar. The annual periods of fieldwork lasted for about five months, and, before each season, one member of the team studied aerial photographs, specialist maps, hydrographic charts from the 18th century, and 6-inch Ordnance Survey maps from the 19th century, as well as relevant documentary sources (annals, state documents, family papers, local journals, and the like). The aims of this Strangford project were generally similar to those of the 1987–1994 inter-disciplinary investigation of the maritime cultural landscape on the island of Fyn, the second largest of the Danish islands (Binderup et al., 1996). The Danish research was limited to the period from the Iron Age to the Middle Age, and the only fieldwork needed was geological since the island’s coastal regions were already well-documented archaeologically and historically. The Danish team included specialists in the geo-sciences and in history as well as maritime and terrestrial archaeologists. There was also a toponymist who used place names as a source of historical and geographical information, whereas, in the Strangford project only limited use was made of this valuable tool. The Norse derivation of ‘Strangford’, and the Irish place-name elements ‘cora’ and ‘aire’, respectively signifying stone, and, wattle fish traps/weirs. The originators, fieldworkers, authors, illustrators and publishers of the Strangford Lough project are to be congratulated. This pioneering work was undertaken to first-rate standards and it has been published commend-

ably soon after fieldwork ceased. Such inter-disciplinary research must be the way ahead for future investigations of the maritime and fluvial regions of the world. Taken together, the Irish and Danish reports present a ‘road map’ for maritime archaeological and historical research in the early 21st century. SEA u N McGRAIL

Reference Binderup, M., Christoffersen, J., Crumlin-Pedersen, O., Holmberg, B., Nielsen, N., Porsmose, E. & Thrane, H. 1996. Atlas over Fyns kyst i jernalder, vikingetid og middelalder. Odense: Universitetsforlag.

The coastal archaeology of Wales (CBA Research Report 131) ANDREW DAVIDSON (Ed.) 160 pp., 81 b&w line drawings, maps and photographs, 17 tables CBA, Bowes Morrell House, 111 Walmgate, York YO1 9WA, 2002, £19.95. ISBN 1-902771-27-3 As its Summary says, this publication is a report about the state of coastal archaeology in Wales rather than, as its title suggests, a book about Welsh coastal archaeology, though several short archaeological casestudies and many examples are included in support of sections of the book. The nine experienced contributors including the editor are well-respected for their work with the various Welsh archaeological trusts, the University of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments. Consequently the publication is well written and retained this reviewer’s interest through to the end. Having but 160 pages the coastal archaeology of Wales can be given only an overview treatment. This is with a clarity that should make it an attractive introductory volume for anyone, including the professional, needing to find a way into the breadth of archaeological work that has been completed and the opportunities that await further sound archaeological practice. Regretfully, its precision does not extend to all of the eighty-one illustrations. Slight errors occur in about 10% of them. These are mainly incorrect spellings though transposition of place names is present too. The aerial photograph of the Menai Straits (fig. 2.2) has been printed from the back of the negative. Captions deserve more care, the Roman lead anchor stock (fig. 1.1) being found near Aberdaron not Criccieth (why not show the real lead stock instead of a reconstructed Roman anchor?). Meanwhile the photograph of Amlwch (fig. 1.2) does not show the creek but the developments at the mouth of the harbour. The Mawddach estuary (fig. 2.7) is not ‘one of several deep estuaries along the west coast 271

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 32.2

of Wales’ since all suffer from a high tidal range, shallow sand-filled estuaries at low water and rather nasty sand bars at their entrances. Their industrial use by sailing ships depended on remarkable seamanship and a precise understanding of tides and the problems of sailing towards a lee-shore. On page 105 reference is made to Tables 9.1 and 9.2 in the context of fish-traps but Tables 9.1 and 9.2 should be 10.1 and 10.2 since Tables 9.1 and 9.2 list designated wrecks in the previous chapter and unfortunately no Table 10.2 is even published. These errors will not upset knowledgeable readers but may distract those looking for a secure entry into Welsh coastal archaeology. The Introduction sets the course which is to be taken by the contributors, briefly looking at the influence of Wales’ coastline on her history, the way coasts may preserve the archaeology but also what threats arise including those from human influences. Following this, the volume is then divided in three parts under the titles ‘Background and Archaeological Method’, ‘Chronological and Thematic Overviews’ and ‘Management Issues’. These sub-divide into twelve essays which reflect the areas of expertise of their authors and succeed in creating a fascinating description of the archaeologists’ involvement and responsibilities in all aspects of coastal research. Essays range over coastal changes from those due to sea-level adjustments to the results of land reclamation from Roman to recent times, over Man’s history of involvement with the sea from Palaeolithic remains to recent (Second World War) industrial archaeology; and over management of coastlines having a high potential value in archaeological terms. The essay on the application of aerial photography to the coastal and intertidal zones was outstanding as a brief exposition of its usefulness and quite clearly written by a hands-on expert even more so than is usual from archaeologists. This reviewer is inspired to press-gang his PPL’d daughter to take him flying over North Wales. As with all works about a dynamic subject, events overtake the date of publication. One thinks of Nigel Bannerman and Cecil Jones’ paper in IJNA 28:1 Fishtrap types; a component of the maritime cultural landscape, published 1999, and of course the recovery of the 15th century ship from Casnewydd/Newport in 2002. Archaeology driven by the coastlands is an on-going subject. The List of Abbreviations was useful since these soon become the bane of a technical subject and even then another eight were added from the text. There is a Bibliography of nine pages which is especially valuable because of the many less-well known sources listed. The comprehensive Index of seven pages allows rapid access to the text and illustrations though some minor errors were noticed. An opportunity was missed by the publishers to group the widely known and used original Welsh names of places with those also having Anglicised names, these latter being used almost exclusively throughout. The majority of English place names in Wales mean 272

nothing; or are a garbled attempt at the Welsh pronunciation, or have no relevance to the source of the original Welsh name. The latter often has a clear, direct link with the past history or function of a place or may be understood (with some research) for its medieval or earlier meaning. For example, Maggor on the Gwent levels is Magwyr which describes an enclosure, probably walled, which would have been at the head of the medieval creek. Tenby is really Dinbych y Pysgod which describes a fortified town with a fishing industry. Newport in Gwent is Casnewydd and recalls the new castle built in 1446–50 to replace the one burnt down in 1402 by Owain Glyndw ˆ r, the Prince of Wales. Clawdd y Milwyr is described in the text but just its name immediately tells of the presence of a barrier built by warriors. Pendine means nothing in Welsh except perhaps a crude description of someone’s head but the original Pentywyn is a place at the edge of sand dunes. By not making full use of, or not being familiar with, the Welsh terminology, as an archaeological resource—if a living language may be termed that—disadvantages desk-top research at the very least. Despite a few minor publishing errors Andrew Davidson has brought together a learned combination of specialists who have written well on their subject. The Coastal Archaeology of Wales is a sound assessment of the archaeological research and methodology being undertaken in a fringe area which has tended to be ignored despite its important inter-facing of the way peoples have lived both by, on and because of the sea. There are lessons to be learnt from it by archaeologists working in other countries’ coastal areas. OWAIN T. P. ROBERTS

The Evolution of the Fishing Village: Landscape and Society along the South Devon Coast, 1086–1550 (Leicester Explorations in Local History) HAROLD FOX (with maps by Kenneth Smith) 226 pp., 15 b&w illustrations, 11 maps, 6 tables Leopard’s Head Press, Oxford, available from ‘Explorations’, 5 Salisbury Road, Leicester LE1 7QR, UK, 2001, £13.50 (pbk), ISBN 0-904920-43-7 This is a really enjoyable book. Scholarly, but easy to read and broad in its outlook, it fully lives up to the aim of this new series ‘to be attractive and accessible not only to the very many historians in universities who have an interest in local research but also, and perhaps especially, to the greatly more numerous army of dedicated, knowledgeable and learned men and women who have an interest in their own localities or in the subject in general’. Based on over 20 years of research and fieldwork, the book concentrates on inshore and estuarine fisheries,