The crannog on Llangorse Lake near Brecon in mid Wales was discovered in 1867 and first excavated in 1869 by two local antiquaries, Edgar and Henry Dumbleton, who published their findings over the next four years. In 1988 dendrochronological dates from submerged palisade planks established its construction in the ninth century, and a combined off- and on-shore investigation of the site was started as a joint project between Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. The subsequent surveys and excavation (1989-1994, 2004) resulted in the recovery of a remarkable time capsule of life in the late ninth and tenth century, on the only crannog yet identified in Wales.
This publication re-examines the early investigations, describes in detail the anatomy of the crannog mound and its construction, and the material culture found. The crannog’s treasures include early medieval secular and religious metalwork, evidence for manufacture, the largest depository of early medieval carpentry in Wales and a remarkable richly embroidered silk and linen textile which is fully analysed and placed in context. The crannog’s place in Welsh history is explored, as a royal llys (‘court’) within the kingdom of Brycheiniog. Historical record indicates the site was destroyed in 916 by Aethelflaed, the Mercian queen, in the course of the Viking wars of the early tenth century. The subsequent significance of the crannog in local traditions and its post-medieval occupation during a riotous dispute in the reign Elizabeth I are also discussed. Two logboats from the vicinity of the crannog are analysed, and a replica described. The cultural affinities of the crannog and its material culture is assessed, as are their relationship to origin myths for the kingdom, and to probable links with early medieval Ireland. The folk tales associated with the lake are explored, in a book that brings together archaeology, history, myths and legends, underwater and terrestrial archaeology.

• Cover
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword by Lord Elis-Thomas, AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism in the Welsh Government
• Acknowledgements
• Summary
  • Summaries in Welsh, French and German
• SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND SETTING
  • 1 The Crannog, its Name and its Setting
    • 1.1 Site Location
    • 1.2 The Name of the Lake and the Name of the Crannog, by David N. Parsons and Alan Lane
    • 1.3 The Crannog Today
    • 1.4 Location, Environment and Land-use
    • 1.5 Communications
  • 2 Discovery of the Crannog and Early Investigations
    • 2.1 The Discovery of the Crannog
    • 2.2 The Crannog 1870–1980
    • 2.3 The Rediscovery of the Crannog
• SECTION 2. THE EXCAVATIONS
  • 3 The Survey and the Excavation Strategy 1989–2004
    • 3.1 Teams and Seasons
    • 3.2 Survey
    • 3.3 Related Surveys
    • 3.4 LiDAR
    • 3.5 Excavation Sequence (1989–1993, 2004)
    • 3.6 Excavation Methodologies
  • 4 The Excavation Results
    • 4.1 The Construction Sequence of the Crannog: Introduction and Summary
    • 4.2 The Excavated Features
      • 4.2.1 Trench A
      • 4.2.2 Trench B
      • 4.2.3 Trench C
      • 4.2.4 Trench D
      • 4.2.5 Trenches E–L
      • 4.2.6 Underwater Searches and Shore Survey
      • 4.2.7 The Early Medieval Bridge
      • 4.2.8 Summary and Site Taphonomy
      • 4.2.9 Post-abandonment Processes: Collapse, Decay, Deflation and Erosion
  • 5 Dating of the Site
    • 5.1 Dendrochronological Dating, by Cathy Tyers and Nigel Nayling
    • 5.2 Radiocarbon Dating, by Mark Redknap, Alan Lane and Andrew Seaman
  • 6 Structural Timber
    • 6.1 The Structural Timber, by Mark Redknap
    • 6.2 Wood Identifications
      • 6.2.1 A Note on Wood Identifications, by Catherine J. Griffiths and Nigel Nayling
• SECTION 3. ARCHAEOZOOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTS
  • 7 Palaeo-environmental Evidence
    • 7.1 The Pollen and Earliest Environmental Data, by Heather S. Pardoe
    • 7.2 The Plant Remains, by Astrid E. Caseldine and Catherine J. Griffiths
  • 8 Animal and Human Bone
    • 8.1 The Animal Bone from Llangorse Crannog, by Jacqui Mulville, Adrienne Powell and Julia Best
      • 8.1.1 Method
      • 8.1.2 Results
      • 8.1.3 Discussion
      • 8.1.4 Comments on bone data and the spatial distribution, by Mark Redknap and Alan Lane
    • 8.2 The Human Teeth
• SECTION 4. PREHISTORIC, ROMAN AND EARLY MEDIEVAL ARTEFACTS
  • 9 Pre-Crannog Artefacts
    • 9.1 The Prehistoric Lithic Artefacts, by Elizabeth A. Walker
      • 9.1.1 Introduction
      • 9.1.2 Methodology
      • 9.1.3 Raw Materials
      • 9.1.4 Technology
      • 9.1.5 Interpretation
    • 9.2 The Roman Artefacts, by Mark Redknap
      • 9.2.1 Romano-British Ceramics
      • 9.2.2 Gaming Counters
      • 9.2.3 Roman Metalwork
      • 9.2.4 Discussion
  • 10 Early Medieval Metalwork
    • 10.1 Early Medieval Copper-alloy Objects, by Mark Redknap
      • 10.1.1 Objects of Faith
      • 10.1.2 Scientific Analysis of the Glass Inlays on the Carrying Hinge, by Colleen P. Stapleton, Sheridan G. E. Bowman and Mary Davis
      • 10.1.3 The Llangorse Shrine Fittings and their Wider Context
      • 10.1.4 Dress Accessories
      • 10.1.5 Personal Possessions and Toiletry
      • 10.1.6 Bindings
      • 10.1.7 Objects of Uncertain Function
      • 10.1.8 Hospitality
    • 10.2 Analysis of Early Medieval Metalwork and Metalworking Waste, by Peter Northover and Mary Davis
    • 10.3 Early Medieval Ironwork, by Mark Redknap
      • 10.3.1 Personal Dress Accessories
      • 10.3.2 Implements and Fittings
      • 10.3.3 Personal Items
      • 10.3.4 Early Medieval Fittings and Other Items
      • 10.3.5 Ironwork of Uncertain Date
      • 10.3.6 Nails
    • 10.4 An Experiment in Manufacturing the Llangorse Strap-slide, by Mark Redknap and Andrew Murphy
  • 11 Early Medieval Lithics
    • 11.1 Shale, Lignite and Cannel Coal Rings, by Mark Redknap and Mary Davis
    • 11.2 Early Medieval Utilised Stone, by Mark Redknap and Jana Horák
      • 11.2.1 Quernstones
      • 11.2.2 Whetstones
      • 11.2.3 Grinding or Slipstones
      • 11.2.4 Other Utilised Stone
      • 11.2.5 Discussion
  • 12 Early Medieval Beads, by Mark Redknap and Mary Davis
  • 13 Early Medieval Organic Artefacts, by Mark Redknap
    • 13.1 Worked Bone Objects
      • 13.1.1 Bone Combs
      • 13.1.2 Pins
      • 13.1.3 Discussion
    • 13.2 Early Medieval Leather
    • 13.3 Early Medieval Wooden Objects
  • 14 The Early Medieval Textiles
    • 14.1 Introduction
    • 14.2 Recovery and Stratigraphic Contexts
    • 14.3 Conserving and Recording the Textiles, by Louise Mumford
    • 14.4 Summary Catalogue of Textile Fragments, by Louise Mumford and Mark Redknap
    • 14.5 Interpreting the Motifs and Composition of the Llangorse Textile, by Mark Redknap and Tony Daly
    • 14.6 Comments on the Embroidery Technique and Construction of the Llangorse Textile, by Hero Granger-Taylor
    • 14.7 Experimental Embroidery of the Llangorse Textile, by Julie Taylor
    • 14.8 Experimental Weaving of the Llangorse Textile, by Heather Prosser
    • 14.9 Recreating the Sennit, by Louise Mumford
    • 14.10 The Context of the Llangorse Textile within the History of Insular Embroidery, by Hero Granger-Taylor and Frances Pritchard
    • 14.11 The Imagery of the Llangorse Textile and its Place in Early Medieval Insular Art, by Mark Redknap
• SECTION 5. EVIDENCE FOR CRAFT ACTIVITIES
  • 15 Early Medieval Crafts
    • 15.1 Archaeometallurgical Residues, by Dr T. P. Young
    • 15.2 Manufacture (metalworking scrap), by Mark Redknap with Peter Northover
    • 15.3 Textile Production, by Mark Redknap
• SECTION 6. WATER TRANSPORT
  • 16 The Logboats, by Mark Redknap and Damian Goodburn
    • 16.1 Background and History of Logboat Studies in Wales
    • 16.2 Llangorse Logboat 1
    • 16.3 Reconstructing Llangorse Logboat 1, by Damian Goodburn and Mark Redknap
    • 16.4 Theory: Likely Stages of Making Llangorse Logboat 1
    • 16.5 Practice: Recreating Llangorse Logboat 1
    • 16.6 Performance
    • 16.7 Llangorse Logboat 2
    • 16.8 Dated Logboats
    • 16.9 Reconstructing Parent Log Sizes and Observed Deformation of Oak Logboats
• SECTION 7. POST-CRANNOG FINDS (PERIODS 5–6)
  • 17 Medieval and Tudor Finds, by Mark Redknap
    • 17.1 Medieval Pottery
    • 17.2 Medieval Copper-alloy Objects
    • 17.3 Medieval Ironwork
    • 17.4 Medieval and Tudor Wooden Objects
    • 17.5 Stone Shot, by Mark Redknap and Jana Horák
  • 18 Post-medieval Finds
    • 18.1 Post-medieval Pottery, by Mark Redknap
    • 18.2 Clay Pipes, by Mark Redknap
    • 18.3 Post-crannog Glass, by Mark Redknap
    • 18.4 Coins, by Edward Besly
    • 18.5 Post-medieval Copper-alloy Metalwork, by Mark Redknap
    • 18.6 Post-medieval Ironwork, by Mark Redknap
    • 18.7 Gunflints, by Mark Redknap
  • 19 Lead Objects of Uncertain Date, by Mark Redknap
    • 19.1. Post-crannog Lead Sheet
    • 19.2. Post-crannog Lead Shot
    • 19.3. Post-crannog Net Sinkers
    • 19.4. Form and Date of Lead Sinkers
    • 19.5. Context
• SECTION 8. SITE CONSERVATION
  • 20 Conservation of the Crannog, by Sian E. Rees
    • 20.1 The Problems of Erosion at the Crannog
    • 20.2 The Engineering Solution
    • 20.3 Results
• SECTION 9. LLANGORSE CRANNOG IN CONTEXT
  • 21 Early Medieval Historical Sources
    • 21.1 Early Medieval History of Wales, by Alan Lane with Mark Redknap
      • 21.1.1 Introduction
      • 21.1.2 Brycheiniog
      • 21.1.3 Irish Settlement in Wales
      • 21.1.4 Irish Settlement in Brycheiniog
      • 21.1.5 Brychan
      • 21.1.6 Wales and England
      • 21.1.7 Wales and the Vikings
      • 21.1.8 Historical context when the crannog was constructed
    • 21.2 Two Primary Historical Sources, by Alan Lane
      • 21.2.1 Asser
      • 21.2.2 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
    • 21.3 The Charter Material, by Andrew Seaman
      • 21.3.1 The Llandaff Charters
      • 21.3.2 The Brycheiniog Charters
      • 21.3.3 Dating the Charter Bounds
      • 21.3.4 The Location of the Grants and the Charter Bounds
    • 21.4 Conclusion
  • 22 Llangorse Lake in the Middle Ages
    • 22.1 Background
    • 22.2 Gerald of Wales
    • 22.3 Walter Map
    • 22.4 The Later Welsh Annals
    • 22.5 Welsh Poetry
  • 23 Llangorse in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
    • 23.1 Ownership and Dispute in the Sixteenth Century: the Case of Blanche Parry and Hugh Powell vs Robert Knollys/Knowles
    • 23.2 Fortification of the Crannog
    • 23.3 Other Sixteenth-century Accounts
    • 23.4 John Dee and Llangorse
    • 23.5 Llangorse Lake from the Seventeenth Century
  • 24 Recent Folklore
  • 25 A Destination to Delight
    • 25.1 Scenic Landscapes and the Growth of Tourism, by Mark Redknap
    • 25.2 Inspiring Communities: Ynys Gwydr: Island of Glass, by Mark Redknap and Peter Morgan Barnes
    • 25.3 Stories, Display and Access
  • 26 The Significance of the Llangorse Crannog
    • 26.1 Introduction
    • 26.2 The Original Appearance of the Crannog
    • 26.3. The Likely Form and Appearance of Buildings
    • 26.4 Llangorse in Context: An Irish-style Crannog?
    • 26.5 A Royal Site?
    • 26.6 Twinning of Crannogs and Ecclesiastical Sites
    • 26.7 The Material Culture of an Early Medieval Llys
    • 26.8 The Future of the Crannog
• APPENDICES
  • Appendix 1 Context Summary (excludes structural timber)
  • Appendix 2 Glossary of terminology
• Bibliography