A Corpus of Early Medieval Inscribed Stones and Stone Sculpture in Wales Volume 1

Glamorgan, Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Radnorshire and geographically contiguous areas of Herefordshire and Shropshire

Mark Redknap and John M. Lewis

With contributions by Gifford Charles-Edwards, Jana Horák, Jeremy Knight, Patrick Sims-Williams

(A revision of V E Nash-Williams 1950, The Early Christian Monuments of Wales)

Inscribed stones and stone sculpture form the most prolific body of material evidence which survives for early medieval Wales, c. AD 400–1100. The inscribed memorial stones in Latin or Old Irish ogam (or both) during the fifth and sixth centuries commemorate the elite of Welsh society at this time, and are crucial to our understanding of the degree of continuity with preceding Roman culture, Irish settlement and the development of the early Welsh kingdoms, as well as language, literacy and the development of the church.

The inscribed stones are a main source for the Latin, Welsh and Irish languages in post-Roman Wales. The cross-carved stones and larger freestanding crosses allow us to identify a range of early medieval ecclesiastical sites within a wider landscape, and trace the patronage of the church by the secular elite. The stones also provide evidence for the impact of external cultural contacts from Ireland, the Irish Sea zone and Anglo-Saxon England. This well-illustrated corpus provides fresh new studies of these aspects, revised interpretations of stones, and many previously unpublished newly discovered examples.

Mark Redknap is the Curator of Medieval and Later Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology & Numismatics at the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff. John M. Lewis was formerly Assistant Keeper in the Department of Archaeology and Numismatics at the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff.

PART 1
Preface (including background)
Chapter 1. Earlier Research
Chapter 2. Recording Methods
Chapter 3. Physical Environment and Historical Background

1. Topography of S.E. Wales
2. Historical Background to S.E. Wales c. 350-800
3. Historical Background to S.E. Wales c. 800-1100

1. Distribution of potential source material
2. Factors influencing the selection and working of stone

1. Latin- and ogam-inscribed stones Formulae
2. Cross-carved stones
3. Crosses

Incised linear crosses
Incised ring crosses
Outline crosses
Sculpted crosses
Classification of ornament
Abstract repeating patterns
Line patterns
Figural representations/iconography
Faunal representations

1. The introduction of sculptural techniques
2. Identification of sculptural groups
3. The Glamorgan disc-headed crosses
4. The Monmouthshire group of cross slabs
5. The Brecon crosses
6. Two late Glamorgan groups
7. The Anglo-Norman transition

1. Latin memorial stones Fifth-sixth-century background Text and context
2. Incised crosses and cross-slabs
3. Later sculptured crosses.

PART 2
THE CATALOGUE
Form of catalogue entries
Form of place-names

1. Breconshire (B1-B53)
2. Glamorgan (G1-G120)
3. Monmouthshire (MN1-MN5)
4. Radnorshire (R1-R6)

The contiguous areas of
5. Herefordshire (H1-H7)
6. Shropshire (S1-S2)
7. Dubia

PART 3
GAZETTEER
Indices
Letter forms
Decorative patterns
Index locorum
Index nominorum
A concordance of new with old numbering
A concordance of familiar names with new numbering

BIBLIOGRAPHY