Llyn Cerrig Bach
| Llyn Cerrig Bach | ||
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| Geographical location | Anglesey , Wales | |
| Drain | in the strait between Anglesey and Holy Island | |
| Places on the shore | Royal Air Force Base RAF Valley | |
| Location close to the shore | Holyhead | |
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| Coordinates | 53 ° 15 '32 " N , 4 ° 32' 25" W | |
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particularities |
Archaeological site of the Iron Age |
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Llyn Cerrig Bach ( Wal. [ Ɬɨn ˈkɛrɪg baːχ ], lake of the small stones ) is the name of a small lake in the northwest of the Welsh island of Anglesey near Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn . In the years 1942 / 43 a breakpoint that was here when building Royal Air Force (RAF) is the most important stock of artifacts from the La Tène period to the British Isles found.
Archaeological site
Iron Age artifacts came to light when the marshy bank area in the Cors yr Ynys moorland on the southern edge of the lake was drained . The first thing that was discovered was an iron slave chain, which, however, was not immediately recognized as being from the Iron Age. The chain, which is more than 2000 years old, was initially used as a tow rope for vehicles that got stuck. After it was later dated, a systematic search began by the archaeologist Cyril Fox (1882–1967).
A total of 181 artefacts made of iron , copper and bronze as well as several animal bones were found, above all various weapons, around 22 fittings and remains of chariots (such a chariot was reconstructed from some of the parts), harness, remains of a carnyx (trumpet), and cauldron fragments , Fittings for cult rods and scepter as well as another slave chain. A moon-shaped gold-plated bronze plate from the 2nd or 1st century BC. Is divided into triskeles by circular strokes . Their purpose as offerings could be recognized by the deliberate bending and breaking of the found objects.
The places of manufacture could be localized partly as local, partly in Ireland , but mostly in southern England . The time of use as a sacrificial site was from the 2nd century BC. Dated until the Roman invasion (1st century AD), most of the offerings were made between 150 BC. BC to AD 60.
When the Roman general and governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus conquered Anglesey around AD 60 , the island was an important center of Druidism , which confirms the importance of the place of sacrifice. From this point on there were almost no more offerings in Llyn Cerrig Bach.
Almost all of the artifacts are now on display at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff .
See also
literature
- Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
- Sir Cyril F. Fox: A Find of the Early Iron Age from Llyn Cerrig Bach, Anglesey. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff 1946.
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .