> Three iron age forts on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd are on Garn Madryn,
> Garn Boduan and the famous Tre'r Ceiri on one of "The Rivals" (which
> incidentally local legend says was in use well into the 18th century). St.
> Mary's Well in Nefyn is near Boduan and the well at Llanaelhaearn sort of at
> the bottom of the latter, although Pistyll is possibly equidistant. I cannot
> think of one equally near Madryn off-hand.
Another of my period interjections, just to let you know
I'm still an interested lurker!
Tr'r Ceiri, I know from my student days in Bangor, appears
to have been built with no internal water supply, the
nearest spring being on the saddle between the two 'Rivals'
(Yr Eifl?) where there is a cluster of hut circles
There are a number of theories as to how those who
inhabitted/took refuge in Tre'r Ceiri (City of the Giants
is an approximate translation) would have supplied
themselves with water, the most plausible of which
postulates cisterns of some kind, and another accounts for
the presence of a very large number of flattish boulders on
the site with a hollow depression in one side (natural),
which, it is suggested, were gathered and distributed on
the site as rain water collectors. I personally prefer the
cistern idea, though I'd be interested to hear how an
effective cistern could be made without hydraulic cement,
hollowing out a stone to make a trough being my only
suggestion here, within the technological pirview of those
who built the hugely impressive, but architecturally
unsophisticated Tre'r Ceiri.
Incidently, Richard Lee, formerly of this list, and Myself
spent a very memorable day trying to puzzle out this water
supply question and could not, and I think it would take a
latter day Frontinus! We also attempted to gain access to
the enclosed well at Llanaelhaern, at the foot of Tre'r
Ceiri, and sadly met with a hostile refusal from the
keyholder, the first time I have experienced this problem
in ten years.
More anon!
Graham
----------------------
Graham Williamson-Mallaghan
School of Classics and Theology
Queens Building
Queens Drive
University of Exeter
EX4 4QG
01392-676239
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