Before Detecting a new area.

[waltonbasinman]

Before you go to detect any new land it might be worth looking at the first edition Ordnance Survey map for that area. I am astonished how many footpaths and trackways are on these maps that have now completely disappeared. On the other hand it shows all the old rifle ranges and you will be amazed at how many are scattered around the countryside. Hope this helps

[hedgehog]

I agree to some extent but I and many others have researched a site and the expectations are sometimes higher than the actual result. I did come to the conclusion that if you can get permission then try out the land you soon learn what is to be found!

[waltonbasinman]

I totally agree Steve but it can also give you a picture of what the previous landuse has been and the access to it.

[hedgehog]

Can't argue with that, I do feel that sometimes focussing on busy areas that we may be missing those prehistory finds and maybe ought to focus on the sparser areas up in the hills, I think the find that Trys made has sparked my interest in trying to find bronze age sites, did they farm the higher ground in that period or did they come down into the lowlands?
Have been reading a book by S.C. Stanford (The archaeology of The Welsh Marches) in the Iron age it looks like the population in Herefordshire was about 25000 and it didn't come back up to those numbers until the middle ages.
He has theorised that the Dobunni were not the tribe that wandered around here but the Decangi (as opposed to the Deceangli up in the north) and that does make sense. Also the Decangi didn't produce their own coinage, from all of the information I have read it would make sense that with the Roman invasion (Caractacus and all that) that the Decangi moved territory to join forces with the Silures in the fight against the invaders.
Coming back to the main point, with the population that high, where are all of the finds to be made?

[waltonbasinman]

 A very good point Steve. How i understand from the DARK SIDE ( Archies ) In Herefordshire the people of the Iron Age had more to do with the Welsh People but no boundary was a fixed boundary. Mid and South Wales tribes of the Silures, Ordivices and the Dobunni Were very much as we are today. Farming the high and low ground in the summer and the lower ground in the winter. Evidence is rife that Every 200 or so years from the middle Bronze Age basically right through to today heavy summer flooding in the river basins moved the population around the landscape. This has buried deep some ground levels from prehistory and these only show as crop marks during heavy summer rain. The prehistoric peoples of Herefordshire stylistically are matched with Welsh and Irish traditions and this seemed to change around 200 ad after 150 years of Roman Influence. The coinage is a contentious issue because Herefordshire has a extremely larger than average area of Iron Working throughout the county. With Ariconium near Ross on Wye being a major producing area. Was currency paid in metal not coins. So many questions need to be answered .

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Surely . the reason why Iron age finds are so low is the depth they are going to be?

[mole]

Compared to roman finds bronze and Iron age finds are scare partially because of the differance in production quantitys greater demand produces greater supply mole

[waltonbasinman]

Also Iron Age metal working is not as good a quality  as the later Roman stuff

[hedgehog]

That's the point though Mole, the population in Herefordshire was at a high in the iron age, next time it peaked to a similar amount was in the medieval period, so with a population of 25000 the demand was there, just can't seem to find the right area to make the finds that must be around!

[outlaw]

These are valid points.

The romans basically stayed on the left hand side of the river usk nearly all the way to Newport ! A varying levels !

When you look at medieval churches etc, they varely flood. So it stands to reason that in the iron age period, they wernt stupid, to camp / farm at levels above flood plains, and areas easilly defended !

[mole]

We could be missing quite a lot of Iron age finds because we are all using to much discrimination and if one looks at the overall picture across britain some parts of which are a lot more prolific in Iron age finds the ratio of these finds compared to roman theres no comparision also quite a few finds come into the grey area classified as romano british / does this mean made by britons during roman occupation or made by romans while occupying briton  or both / classifying something as romano british  could very well be an archeological  escape clause  in other words we have,nt got a clue file it under romano british ???mole

[hedgehog]

I agree with what you are saying, but I was wondering, should we be detecting on the slopes and hilly areas? Is that where the finds are more likely to be? Although they did move down to the valleys in the less wet months they must have spent the majority of the time up in the hills and or higher ground. I know when I have detected on the higher areas the finds are few and far between and maybe give up too soon and go to areas where I know I am going to make finds. I suppose I need a LIDAR really to see through the trees before detecting. 

[mole]

Hedgehog what is a LIDAR you are basically right in the bronze age in this part of wales the lowlands were covered by forests  and to a slightly lesser extent in the Iron age the wild animals other tribes etc posed a very real threat hence fortified settlements on mountain tops 

[Malcolm.mtts]

LIDAR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIDAR

[waltonbasinman]

Don,t forget folks that around 80% of metalworking is and was recycled in the Iron Age and Early Roman period. It was a huge business. Also don,t forget the largest religious figures in that period were water deities and gods. With huge deposits being made into water.