Details
Holy Island is a small island just off the west coast of Anglesey, North Wales, which is rich in archaeology of all periods. Between 2006 and 2010, archaeological excavations in advance of a major Welsh Government development site, Parc Cybi, enabled extensive study of the island’s past. Over 20 hectares were investigated, revealing a busy and complex archaeological landscape, which could be seen evolving from the Mesolithic period through to the present day. Major sites discovered include an Early Neolithic timber hall aligned on an adjacent chambered tomb and an Iron Age settlement, the development of which is traced by extensive dating and Bayesian analysis. A Bronze Age ceremonial complex, along with the Neolithic tomb, defined the cultural landscape for subsequent periods. A long cist cemetery of a type common on Anglesey proved, uncommonly, to be late Roman in date, while elusive Early Medieval settlement was indicated by corn dryers. This wealth of new information has revolutionised our understanding of how people have lived in, and transformed, the landscape of Holy Island. Many of the sites are also significant in a broader Welsh context and inform the understanding of similar sites across Britain and Ireland.
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Summary
Crynodeb
1. Introduction
2. A landscape through time
3. Mesolithic Period
4. Neolithic period – houses, halls and huts
5. Beaker period and earlier Bronze Age – ceremony and settlement
6. Later Bronze Age and Iron Age – settlement and politics
7. Roman and Early Medieval periods – industry, burial and corn dryers
8. Medieval and post-medieval periods – a farming landscape
9. Conclusion
Appendix I: Radiocarbon dates from Parc Cybi
Appendix II: Project background and methodology
Bibliography
Reviews & Quotes
"The volume is a valuable addition to the burgeoning canon of archaeological publications resulting from large-scale infrastructure projects on Anglesey and the mainland opposite"
William Britnell
Archaeologia Cambrensis - Cambrian Archaeological Association
(20/12/2022)
"Providing a fascinating long view of settlement in a slice of Welsh landscape, this publication, well illustrated with site photographs, clear plans and reconstructions, will offer an interesting point of comparison to some excavated landscapes on the western side of the Irish Sea."
Sharon Greene
Archaeology Ireland
(13/12/2022)
"Jane Kenney’s volume offers a detailed window on the transformation of a landscape that has provided a home for human populations for over 8000 years. "
Claire Nesbitt
Antiquity
(07/10/2022)
