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Historical Society

The society’s May talk will be given by local archaeologist Andrew Wolfe on 8 May at the Neuadd Goffa starting at 7.30pm and the title is ‘The Archaeology of Agriculture in Ardudwy’.

This will be Andrew’s fourth talk for the society on the archaeology of the Ardudwy area.

The previous three talks covered the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

On this occasion the aim will be to look at these prehistoric periods, together with some of the more recent archaeology, by focussing on the way in which agriculture has altered the landscape of Ardudwy.

The invention of agriculture shortly after the last Ice Age changed the human race forever.

We could have continued as a rather clever, but otherwise unremarkable, mid-sized mammal and carried on hunting and gathering as the homo lineage had done for millions of years. Instead, we chose a different route with a far less certain future.

The development of agriculture is one of archaeology’s biggest themes. How it got to Britain from the Middle East and what happened when it did is a story of epic proportions. But it is also a story of the people, the folk, the gwerin. Until relatively recently most people worked on the land and their efforts can be seen in every field wall and clearance cairn.

In Ardudwy we are extremely fortunate to have retained a great deal of our agricultural heritage.

The earliest farming periods were mainly concerned with clearing woodland to creating pasture and the rearing of livestock but by the Iron Age crop production was being carried out on an impressively large scale.

The last major reorganisation of the landscape was carried out in the early 19th century when the ruler-straight field walls were built in an effort to improve productivity.

The talk will draw to an end by looking at that pre-railway snapshot of Ardudwy’s agricultural history provided by the tithe maps and schedules.

The talk will be followed by refreshments. All welcome; croeso i bawb. Non-members £2.

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