St George Quarry, Dinorben, Abergele, Conwy, North Wales: Archive Report

A staged programme of evaluation and mitigation was undertaken during the project including: " A walkover survey in November 2001; " Limited geophysical survey of three areas in May 2002 by GSB Prospection ( GSB 2002); " A desk-based assessment and Environmental Statement (NAA 2002a); " Evaluation of the geophysical survey results by trial-trenching in December 2002 (NAA 2003); " Two stages of archaeological strip, map and sample excavation in August 2005 to April 2006, and September to October 2006 (Areas 1, 2 and 3, NAA 2015a); and, " A final stage of archaeological strip, map and sample excavation between June and September 2008 (Areas 4, 5 and 6, NAA 2008). Analysis of the site record, the finds and biological assemblages from St George Quarry has enabled preparation of this report to fulfil the aims and objectives and, where relevant, the research objectives as laid out in the Written Scheme of Investigation and Updated Project Design for the project. These were agreed with the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT), who at the time acted as the archaeological advisers to Conwy County Borough Council. In 2024 the four Welsh regional archaeological regional trusts were combined and CPAT now forms part of Heneb, The Trust for Welsh Archaeology. The various phases of archaeological work explored large areas of a ridge running to the south of the former Dinorben Iron Age hillfort. The excavations recorded 590 features indicating exploitation of the ridge for various purposes since the Early Neolithic period. Throughout the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age the site seems to have been the subject of repeated visits by people who dug numerous pits and small wells for collecting water, but there was no evidence for long-term continuous settlement at this time. By the Middle Bronze Age larger wells (effectively small ponds) were being dug to supply water for 'burnt mound' activity, where troughs were constructed for boiling water using heated stones, although the purpose of this remains uncertain. Arable agriculture in the area was demonstrated by the presence a grain-drying kiln. Such Bronze Age 'corn-driers' are rare across Britain and this example, possibly the earliest found in Wales, is therefore of national significance. A small funerary monument may also have been of Bronze Age date, but in the absence of any human remains, grave goods or other dating evidence, this interpretation remained speculative. In the Early Iron Age, a small, short-lived circular palisaded settlement enclosure was constructed within the northern part of the site. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates from this complex, compared to a series of dates from the nearby Dinorben Hillfort, suggests that the settlement was present only prior to, or during the earliest phases of, the larger fortification. This suggests that the circular enclosure could have been superseded by the hillfort, with no subsequent Iron Age occupation found within the site. Thereafter, the site appears to have remained under arable agriculture, with a strong emphasis on cereal production. Roman activity comprised a series of features associated with a corn-drier. Similarly, the early medieval archaeology primarily comprised a series of between four and nine corn-driers. The main evidence for later medieval arable land use was the pattern of ridge and furrow cultivation which had served to truncate many of the earlier archaeological features. This presumably represented the open fields of the settlement associated with the Dinorben faur manor located immediately to the south of the site. Several non-domestic probable structures of unknown function had generally suffered severe truncation or were of uncertain date, an exception being a 13th century corn-drier. Although most of the archaeological features did not contain artefacts, a small but significant finds assemblage was recovered.