ARCHAEOLOGIA CAMBRENSIS Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association VOLUME 121 (1972)

With the general theme of continuity of occupation in the vernacular house in mid-Wales, houses in the upper Severn Valley are discussed, concentrating on the central-chimney house. The normal plan of this form has a central chimney-stack with two back-to-back fireplaces, one in a parlour, and the other in a living room which has a pantry and dairy opening off it. By 17th century many of these houses had such marks of distinction as timber-floored parlours, cellars, jettied first floors, storeyed porches, and timber partitions. In 18th century the service rooms were placed in a projecting rear wing. An earlier common form of house was the hall-house, with its occupants by the end of 17th century no longer amongst the wealthier group. E W

SJ 189305. A mound formerly regarded as natural was excavated 1951-68 by the Offa Antiquarian Society and was found to contain two burial pits containing Beakers, one urned cremation and three un-urned cremations. One of the Beaker pits contained jet buttons, jet rings, a flint knife and "whetstones" (or "sponge-finger" stones); both burial pits contained iron pyrites. Small fragments of Neolithic "A" and "B" pottery and of Beakers and urns were also found scattered in the mound material, together with flints of pre-Bronze Age types. A radiocarbon date in mid-2nd millennium BC was obtained for Pit 1. Au(adp)

SH 552445. Posthumous publication of excavations in 1950 and 1953. The mountainside round Llyn Cwmystradllyn is thickly strewn with isolated huts, unenclosed hut-groups with associated field systems, and a single enclosed homestead. The site on Braich-y-Cornel dug by Bersu contained two round huts facing each other with a rectangular structure (?dairy) between, all cut into the hillslope at the same time and very solidly built. The complete absence of Roman pottery and the presence of stone and slate pot-lids could mean either pre- or post-Roman occupation; on the basis of similar sites in Merioneth a post-Roman date might be preferred. An isolated hut was also partly investigated.