This isn’t really about the past it’s about me and the blog ! Just recently I’ve been wondering , in archaeological and research terms where to go from here – the Dee Valley that is .
Some of the most unresearched sites and monuments are to be found in the Dee Valley . Excavations and university department interests have been lamentably scarce in this part of the world .
Unlike the better known monuments such as Bryn Celli Ddu (above) on Anglesey the Dee Valley is relatively little understood throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age and only begins to emerge in the archaeological record around the Iron Age . By around 600BC we begin to see the development of what we call hillforts , the large impressive hilltop settlements which crown the hills around the Vale of Clwyd and in lesser numbers the Dee Valley . Suddenly we become more aware through the physical presence of the defended settlements , of what is around us in historic terms .
.
Take for example the defended hilltop settlement of Caer Drewyn which around 2500 years since the great walls were constructed, still keeps a watchful eye over Corwen and the surrounding area. From the top of the hill it’s possible to see for miles….and miles . When I stand up on the hill and look towards the numerous hillforts of the Clwydian range I try very hard to imagine what was going on in the domestic, social, and political world of the people who lived within these walls a couple of thousand years ago . What did they think of their neighbours a few miles away ? Were they related? Did young people walk miles to meet lovers they had met at communal gatherings and the Iron Age equivalent of fairs? What did they eat? What did they wear and where where they buried ?
I’ve decided one of my quests is to find out how these people lived and that means a trip back to my favourite place the neolithic …… so gather round the fire for the next story ….coming soon
So
