Sunday 17 May 2009

On Safari in Cornwall (4)

Iron Age Village-Chysauster.
Here's Harry Safari telling us all about the Iron Age village of Chysauster. As you can see its a very misty day but the reflections are clear.
One of the Iron age village Buildings
Here's another of the village Buildings.



Chysauster Iron Age Village
Chysauster was an Iron Age village inhabited from about 100 BC to sometime in the 3rd century AD. It was probably built by members of the Dumnonii tribe of Cornish Britons. The village is composed of eight courtyard houses, laid out in two rows of four. Outside the main grouping of houses is another stone house, and there are the remains of several outlying buildings in the surrounding fields.
Each of the main houses is similar in layout. The building is oriented on an east-west axis, which the entrance in the east. The east-west diameter is approximately 90 feet. A passage leads from the entrance to an inner courtyard of about 25 feet diameter.
On the far side of the couryard is a small circular room with chambers radiating out from it. Rooms for storage and living were built into the walls, which are as thick as 14 feet in places.
In some of the houses there is evidence of covered stone drains. A quern for grinding grain can be seen at the site, as can a collapsed fougou, or underground tunnel.
The inhabitants of Chysauster survived by farming and livestock raising. Evidence of field enclosures show where the herds were prevented from getting at food crops.

Info from Britain Express click HERE to see more of the buildings.

Here's another B/W just to set the Atmospheric scene

To be continued.
Dont forget to click and enlarge for you to enjoy.





13 comments:

Cezar and Léia said...

Wonderful scenery!
The reflection is really fabulous in that picture!
Many thanks for sharing
Léia

Anonymous said...

Another great place! It looks like a nice bunch of folks you were with - whereabouts were they all from?

Marian Dean said...

I find it fascinating that we can detect what people were doing, and how, all those years ago.
History at school I thought 'a bore', but now I find it wonderful! Thanks to folk in blogland, there is always more to be brought to my attention!
Thanks imac.
Love Granny

Jinksy said...

True ancient Brits!

Shammickite said...

Strange to think that my ancestors may have lived in that small village....

Anonymous said...

Interesting post. Old cities and caves and nomads and how they survived are interesting to me. I don't know that much about the ancient people of your country. I should know more. It wasn't big in our history books.

Thumbelina said...

Beautiful scenery. I love that black and white shot at the end. Lots of atmosphere in that!

George said...

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying this safari in Cornwall. Thanks for the history and the fascinating pictures.

Laura ~Peach~ said...

awesome stuff!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Mac: Very neat captures of the olden village. We only had wilderness in the USA at that time.

Gattina said...

I didn't know that at all, very interesting and good to know that others then the old romans have built interesting things ! Wherever I went even in northern Africa I saw roman ruins !

ANNA-LYS said...

Interesting!
At least I have a roof :-D

(( hug ))

// The cave-woman

Rune Eide said...

Somehow the fog and the wet were very suitable for theses pictures and the theme. Have they found any of these sites with the setting stones for the houses in a ship-like pattern?