Pen Dinas
Encyclopedia
Pen Dinas is the name of a hill south of Aberystwyth
on the coast of Ceredigion
, Wales
, upon which an extensive Iron Age
hill fort
is situated.
The name is more correctly 'Dinas Maelor', this could be translated into English as 'Maelor's Fort' or 'Maelor's City'. Tradition refers to it as being the fort of the giant Maelor Gawr
. Pen Dinas strictly speaking only refers to the highest point, 'Pen y Dinas' or 'Head of the Citadel', (upon which the Wellington Monument now stands). The southern summit is also where, in the Bronze Age
, a burial mound was erected.
. The main gateway is on the western side and is formed by a stone lined gap in the ditch and bank.
After this first fort was eventually abandoned several decades passed before work began on a new fortification on the higher summit to the south. This second site is better protected by a steeper slope on the western side. To the south and east huge terraced earth works were built faced with shale which would again have been topped with a wooden palisade. Entrance into the southern fort is via gateways to the north and south. They are both formed of narrow passageways through the earthworks and would also have had timber bridges to cross the ditches. The northern gateway is kinked to the left, probably to aid defence by slowing down attackers.
Eventually the southern fort too became derelict and there is evidence that some of the wooden structures by the northern gateway were burnt. This could be following a hostile raid on the fort or because lack of resources lead to its abandonment. However, sometime later the defences of the southern fort were rebuilt this time to a different layout.
The final phase in the fort's construction was the refortification of the northern section and the construction of banks and ditches to connect the two forts together thereby enclosing the entire hill top. The coming of the Romans
to the area in about 74 AD may have led to the forcible abandonment of the fort or it may have fallen from use before then but the only evidence from the Roman period is an early 4th century coin
hoard
of Roman currency
possibly left as an offering to a shrine on the hill.
Pen Dinas is one of many hill forts in the locality; Bow Street
village and Hen Gaer hillfort lies 4 miles to the north; Goginan 6 miles to the east and Llanilar
4 miles to the south. However, there are many features of this fort that are in common with hill forts from the Welsh Marches
to the east and in contrast to some other Welsh hill forts. This may indicate that Pen Dinas was constructed by people moving into this area from the east at around 300 BC (Stanford, 1972).
Finds from Pen Dinas are sparse. The only archaeological excavations as yet made are those directed by Professor Daryll Forde between 1933 and 1937, which found fragments of a pottery vessel of a type dating to about 100 BC, also beads, loom weights and fragments of corroded iron and bronze.
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
on the coast of Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, upon which an extensive Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
is situated.
The name is more correctly 'Dinas Maelor', this could be translated into English as 'Maelor's Fort' or 'Maelor's City'. Tradition refers to it as being the fort of the giant Maelor Gawr
Maylor Gawr
Maylor Gawr is a giant of Welsh folklore, who lived in Castell Maylor near Aberystwyth before "the coming of Brutus to this island". The tale of Maylor and his three sons, Cornippyn, Crygyn and Bwba, is recorded in the late sixteenth century "The Giants of Wales and their dwellings" by Sion Dafydd...
. Pen Dinas strictly speaking only refers to the highest point, 'Pen y Dinas' or 'Head of the Citadel', (upon which the Wellington Monument now stands). The southern summit is also where, in the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, a burial mound was erected.
Phases
The hill fort actually consists of two separate forts built many years apart, which were later combined to form a larger structure. The first fort to be constructed was on the lower northern summit. It consists of an outer ditch and inner rampart of rubble. It would originally have been surmounted by a wooden palisadePalisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
. The main gateway is on the western side and is formed by a stone lined gap in the ditch and bank.
After this first fort was eventually abandoned several decades passed before work began on a new fortification on the higher summit to the south. This second site is better protected by a steeper slope on the western side. To the south and east huge terraced earth works were built faced with shale which would again have been topped with a wooden palisade. Entrance into the southern fort is via gateways to the north and south. They are both formed of narrow passageways through the earthworks and would also have had timber bridges to cross the ditches. The northern gateway is kinked to the left, probably to aid defence by slowing down attackers.
Eventually the southern fort too became derelict and there is evidence that some of the wooden structures by the northern gateway were burnt. This could be following a hostile raid on the fort or because lack of resources lead to its abandonment. However, sometime later the defences of the southern fort were rebuilt this time to a different layout.
The final phase in the fort's construction was the refortification of the northern section and the construction of banks and ditches to connect the two forts together thereby enclosing the entire hill top. The coming of the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
to the area in about 74 AD may have led to the forcible abandonment of the fort or it may have fallen from use before then but the only evidence from the Roman period is an early 4th century coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
hoard
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of Roman currency
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
possibly left as an offering to a shrine on the hill.
Pen Dinas is one of many hill forts in the locality; Bow Street
Bow Street, Ceredigion
Bow Street is a large village in the Tirymynach district of Ceredigion, Wales, approximately north-east of Aberystwyth. As well as Bow Street itself, it is now often considered to include the neighbouring smaller village of Pen-y-garn and the hamlet of Rhydypennau...
village and Hen Gaer hillfort lies 4 miles to the north; Goginan 6 miles to the east and Llanilar
Llanilar
Llanilar is a village in Ceredigion, Wales, about 4 kilometres southeast of Aberystwyth.- History & Amenities :The village was built along the southern side of the River Ystwyth and contains a parish church, Nonconformist chapel, post office, primary school, GP Surgery and garage. The church is...
4 miles to the south. However, there are many features of this fort that are in common with hill forts from the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
to the east and in contrast to some other Welsh hill forts. This may indicate that Pen Dinas was constructed by people moving into this area from the east at around 300 BC (Stanford, 1972).
Finds from Pen Dinas are sparse. The only archaeological excavations as yet made are those directed by Professor Daryll Forde between 1933 and 1937, which found fragments of a pottery vessel of a type dating to about 100 BC, also beads, loom weights and fragments of corroded iron and bronze.
External links
- Pen Dinas Iron Age hillfort, David M. Browne, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (Published: 10 May 2004) http://www.walespast.com/article.shtml?id=41
- WELSH BORDER HILL-FORTS by S. C. STANFORD: published in THE IRON AGE IN THE IRISH SEA PROVINCE: C.B.A. Research Report 9 (1972) page 35 http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/cbaresrep/pdf/009/00903003.pdf;