Table Of Content

Was this Camelot? NEW ASPECTS OF ARCHAEOLOGY Edited by Sir Mortimer Wheeler Was this Camelot? Excavations at Cadbury Castle 1966-1970 Leslie Alcock 15 Color Plates 95 Monochrome Plates 36 Line Drawings STEIN AND DAY, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK To DVC DME HSG CL CRM MGS whose skill and dedication ensured the success of the Cadbury-Camelot enterprise First published in the United States in 1972 This edition G, Thames and Hudson 1972 Library of Congress Catalog No. 72-82214 All Rights Reserved Printed and hound in Great Britain by Hazell Watson and Viney Ltd, Aylesbury Stein and Day, Publisher, 7 East 48 Street, New York, N.Y. 100017 ISBN 8128-1505-x Contents GENERAL EDITOR’S PREFACE J FOREWORD 9 Part One: Exploration I THE GROWTH OF A THEORY Leiand and the identification of Cadbury as Camelot 11 The authenticity of Arthur and Camelot 14 From antiquarianism to archaeologya t Cadbury Castle 19 Camelot revived 21 II RECONNAISSANCE I966-I967 The topographical data 24 The archaeological and historical data 25 Resources and organization 28 Survey and excavation, iç66 32 The geophysical reconnaissance : instruments and principles 51 The geophysical reconnaissance : survey and results $4 III EXCAVATION I967-I968 Policy and organization 63 The excavation of the defences, 1967 65 The prehistoric defences, 1968 68 The south-west entrance, 1968 69 False clues in the interior, 1967 70 Iron Age pits and buildings 73 Arthurian possibilities, 1968 74 IV FULFILMENT I969-I97O Policy and organization 76 The exploration of the Arthurian hall, 1969 78 Temples and workshops 79 Houses, circular and rectangular 84 The defences in 1969 and 1970 102 The elusive Arthurian gate 103 Massacre and defence 10$ Part Two: Results V THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS: NEOLITHIC, BRONZE AGE, EARLIER IRON AGE The enigmatic Neolithic phases 108 Dating the Early Neolithic phase 111 The Late Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age 113 The beginnings of settled li fe 114 The beginning of the Iron Age 118 The first defences 122 VI THE IRON AGE TOWN Developments in pottery 131 Developments in defence 133 The Iron Age town 135 Iron Age crafts and commerce 153 Fine metalworking 154 The status and function of the Iron Age town 156 VII CELTIC CLIMAX AND DOWNFALL The end of the Iron Age: historical evidence 159 The ultimate phase in the defences 161 The Durotrigian town 163 Crafts and commerce 164 Metalwork and art 167 The Roman assault 170 Cadbury during the Roman period 172 VIII CAMELOT AND CADANBYRIG Dating evidence in the late fifth and sixth centuries 174 The defences and gate 175 The hall 177 The status of Cadbury-Camelot 180 The strategic role of the fortress 182 Cadbury and Arthur 193 Saxons and Vikings in Wessex 194 The archaeology of Cadanbyrig 197 IX AFTER CADANBYRIG Medieval Cadbury 202 After the excavations 204 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 2IO-II EPILOGUE 212 appendix: the battle of badon 215 NOTES 217 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 221 INDEX 223