The construction of a natural gas pipeline across southern Wales and into Herefordshire and Gloucestershire between 2005 and 2007 resulted in numerous archaeological discoveries, including sites of national significance. The project not only produced a wealth of new archaeological sites, it also generated important radiocarbon and environmental datasets for the region.
The earliest activity is indicated by worked flint of Mesolithic (or earlier) date, with the earliest Neolithic communities represented by pits, evidence for occasional timber houses, and the discovery of a previously unknown henge. Beaker and Bronze Age settlement and burial remains were found too, including a rare copper halberd. The excavations also produced evidence for Early Bronze Age houses and numerous examples of burnt mounds.
Other discoveries comprised much new evidence for Iron Age settlement (including some in areas of upland), Roman roads, crop-processing ovens, and ironworking. Rare evidence for the early medieval period was also found, along with the remains of later farmsteads and field systems. Moves towards industrialisation were reflected in the discovery of a brick kiln and charcoal-burning platforms.
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The volume is published to Cotswold Archaeologys usual high standards. There are also individual reports on their website of specific sites and stages of the route. Thechapters are a synthesis arranged in chronological order over the whole of the pipelines course and from the Upper Palaeolithic to 1900.
This book will be useful not only to those interested in the archaeology of the landscape of South Wales, but also, with the Network
Archaeology report on the Archaeology Data Service Library site, to a much wider audience especially in studying various
depths of hinterland of the Lower Severn and Wye Valleys in the past. * Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society * the volume highlights a well-organised project and offers valuable overviews of the archaeology of south Wales today. * Current Archaeology *
Timothy Darvill is Professor of Archaeology and Director of the Centre for Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University. His research interests focus on two main themes. The first is the Neolithic of northwest Europe, in particular the early development, use, and meaning of monumental architecture with fieldwork in Germany, Russia, Greece, Malta, England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. Second is archaeological resource management, especially the role of the tangible and intangible heritage as sources of social capital, cultural enrichment, personal well-being, and the social construction of knowledge. Andrew David, BSc, PhD, FSA: for his doctoral work conducted excavations at Mesolithic sites on The Nab Head and at Daylight Rock, Caldey Island, as well as field reconnaissance in north Pembrokeshire, published in 2007. He worked for many years at the Ancient Monuments Laboratory, London, specialising in geophysical survey, retiring from English Heritage in 2011 as Head of Archaeological Science and Archaeological Archives. He has since returned to interests in early prehistory and lithic collections, mostly in Wales and Sussex. Seren is a Senior Lecturer in Public Archaeology and Archaeological Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the PI on the AHRC-funded project TIME. She has period specialisms in European prehistory, with methodological specialisms in archaeological science and the history of archaeological thought. She is a 20202021 BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker. She sits on the Highways England Scientific Committee Jon Hart is a Senior Publications Officer with Cotswold Archaeology. He studied Archaeology at the University of Durham and has worked in commercial archaeology since then, having directed numerous excavations and contributed to many reports. in addition, he has played a lead role in a number of outreach projects.
