Church Archaeology 02

Iona’s long settlement history has resulted in uneven and complex archaeological remains, depleted by generations of conservation works on the main ecclesiastical sites. Archaeological investigations at these sites have not always been successful and have yet to produce a coherent narrative of early ecclesiastical settlement on the island. No summary of this work has explicitly stated the full extent and piecemeal nature of successive excavations, or the significance of this for the long term curation of Iona as an early church site of international importance. This is a problem which may offer lessons for the care of other medieval church sites with extensive standing and buried remains.

The churches in the Black Mountains of the South Wales borderland contain an exceptional number of 18th-century stone wall tablets commemorating people from various social classes. Many of the stones were signed by local masons and it is possible to recognise both families and individuals at work, and determine the market areas they exploited. The most colourful of these monuments were produced by three generations of the Brute family from Llanbedr in south-eastern Breconshire. Each member of the family created his own distinctive style, but while Thomas Brutes products were distributed widely, competition at the end of the 18th century restricted his grandsons work to a limited area around Llanbedr.

The archaeological project at Chester cathedral was the result of proposals to replace the floor paving of 1777 and install an underfloor heating system in the nave and part of the south transept. A thorough process of evaluation and survey was carried out prior to excavation. Excavation was limited in depth but located a possible Saxon church extending westwards from the present church. Details of the Norman, possible 13th-century and long drawn-out 14th- to 15th-century rebuildings were recovered. The alterations introduced following the change from abbey to cathedral in 1541 indicate a period of decline in use and low status burials. Eighteenth- and 19th-century restorations marked a renewal of activity.