Bread and Butter

      After all the meats from the sheep, pigs, calves, and oxen have been ordered, it would seem appropriate to augment the menu with some bread and butter. Now bread depended on a lot of wheat, and some good ovens. The Cornovii were specialist at growing wheat at their home base on the lowlands. This had been the location to the farms and plowed fields for generations of my Celtic ancestors.  Ovens (kiln) had been a steady part of this activity for many generations. This wheat growing had become such an important part of their livelihood that some of the earliest coins of the Celtic culture made its debut.

      Here it is! The gold coin of Cunobelinus. Used as a symbol on this coin, it is thought to represent the ear of barley. Wheat on the back of a coin. [Not sure I have seen this before?] It is discussed in both the book by Jones and Mattingly p.53, and the book by Salway p.32. The front side (heads)  shows the name belinus (CVNO) and a horse. The horse being one of the most prized possessions.

       Pass the butter please.

Where's The Meat

       What would be on your menu for 6,000 military folks coming for dinner from Deva? Oh yes, there would be an additional 6,000 empty stomachs just down the road from Wroxeter asking "Where's the meat?" Caesar's salad was a go some years back [post May 10 last month], but you would need some real meat to feed all these guys. This was one of the questions that I ask along the long trail of ancestor searching. How did my Celtic ancestors adjust to all these empty stomachs, and still survive to live another day?

      The last post gives a reference to a book that discusses many of the factors that came into play. Not just a few factors, but everything asked by me during my many, many years of Jones surname research. The following table is found on page 231, Map 6:48, in the comprehensive Atalas by Barri Jones (no known relationship), and David Mattingly. Just take a look from 50 AD through 350 AD to help answer the question, "Where's the meat?"

      Leg of lamb would be first on the menu starting around 50 AD. Probably from the fact that my Celtic ancestors keep a lot of sheep going from the highlands to the lowlands. The young of the domesticated cows kept around the farms were added to the menu by 100 AD. This was when the military assault into northwest Wales was completed, bring two Legions to the dinner table. [12 - 15 thousand men!] The Ox and pig also began showing their contributions.  Now horses were probably not to be eaten because of their value to all those men of the calvary. I guess they were kept in large numbers around those military bases when needed for rapid movement. The menu seems to be much the same after all the roads and military bases were formalized.

Maps, Maps, and More Maps

       The land of my Celtic ancestors underwent many, many changes after the invasion of those Roman folks. Beginning after the first 100 years of Roman conquest, the dust started to settle, giving 300 years of changes made to the surface anatomy of the land that my ancestors had occupied 500 years before. The book by Barri Jones and David Mattingly named An Atlas Of Roman Britain, gives all the maps that one could image showing the political and military story of these changes. Economic activity such as mining and pottery, in the context of life in the towns and country, are depicted. The Celts would face many new adventures. The cover of my copy is shown as follows:

      The illustration on the cover is a medieval copy of a Roman map of Britain. It is taken from the Notitia Dignitatum contained in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England.

       To find a single map that summarizes most of the changes that occurred during the time of Roman occupation has been difficult to discover. However, the following map depicts many of the changes giving a "big picture". It comes from the book discussed last post by Peter Blair, p, 59.  Let's take a look.

    First, locate the two Celtic tribes that my Y-DNA seems to have its origin. The Deceangli on the highlands of the west side of the land bridge, and the Cornovii on the eastern side.  The dark square blocks represent the locations of the Roman forts that help occupy, control, and administrate the Roman world as it developed. Deva (Chester) was the fort that my Deceangli would have to interact, and Worxeter was the military base that the Cornovii would have to give their attention. Salt and iron production centered on Deva, and wheat and wool would focus around Worxeter. The Roman roads connected the two forts giving control of the waterways to the sea. [The Dee to the north, and the Severn to the south.] Old Oswestry is just about in the middle of things. This location served as the community center of my Celtic ancestors the 500 years before these Roman changes came into existence. This map helps understand the stage that was built during the 300 years that my Celtic ancestors had to dance.

Jones B., Mattingly D.: An Atlas Of Roman Britain, Oxbow Books, Park End Place, Oxford, 2002. [First published by Blackwell Publishers, 1990]

Blair, P.H.: Roman Britain and Early England, W.W. Norton & Company, N.Y., 1963.

World Turned Up-side Down

      For most of the first 500 years my Celtic ancestors who reached their world's end... [In a geographic sense, see last post.]... occupied their family's land, lived, loved, reproduced, responded to multiple threats, and grew as the years went along. Legends and traditions developed around their small collection of settlements to be centered around a common place of refuge on a hilltop. A sameness of blood, and the descent from a common ancestor gave rise to kin groups. An aggregate of families formed tribal groups sharing language and customs which was the social glue that bonded one generation to the next. Little did anyone guess their world would be turned up-side down.

      Say what? During the next 400 years you Romans plan to ship over from Gaul (France) four huge military units of roughly 6,000 men each. Let's see, invade, kill off those who oppose, claim the land, take the resources, and control every tribe who remains? You want to be fed, housed, entertained, clothed, and maintain all these new folks in their new bricked walled military forts? You've got to be kidding? A militaristic society that speaks the language called Latin, and you expect us to figure out how to survive? A whole bunch of strangers you want to flop down upon us? Our domestic reality in a new political world it is going to be? No wonder our world will be turned up-side down.

      A comprehensive discussion of this "Romanization" can be found in the book by Salway, chapter 18, titled "The Assimilation of Britian", pp. 337-367. The cover of my copy is shown in post dated May 7. Also, an enjoyable read on these complex issues can be read in Roman Britian and Early England, by Peter Blair, first published by The Norton Library, London in 1963. The cover of my copy is shown.

      Chapter 5, pp.90-113, discusses the town life and the Provincial Roman government that played an important role in my Celtic ancestors "Romanization". Chapter 6 is titled "The Countryside in Roman Britian", pp.114-135. Raising corn, cattle, and sheep, which my Celtic ancestors knew something about.

World's End

       It has been difficult to imagine the changes my Celtic ancestors faced during the first 100 years of Roman invasion. [By now you know I have a lot of that imagine thing.] Certainly, many in the family must have thought their world was coming to an end. When finding a map which identifies "World's End", it made me think of the Roman military revolt that came from fear of this very real concern. They were about to be transported to the unknown, and they were concerned about the end of their world. You have seen these maps in previous posts but, my Celtic ancestors lived around this area of the world.

      Looking again around this area, you will see the geographic location "World's End". It is enclosed by the green markings which ends southward toward Old Oswestry hillfort. My Jones family followed this pathway over many generations, much, much, much later. [Long way to go before we get to those stories.] Offa's Dyke is outlined in purple, and Wat's Dyke follows the orange colors. Notice how the two dykes come together near, you guessed it, Old Oswestry Hillfort! Now the following shows an enlargement of this drawing to give you another view of the surrounding named present day names.

      The Vale of Llangollen (the Dee) is central to this location. Many of these locations were involved with my Celtic ancestors, followed by my JONES ancestors. Here is an image that was hand made by the Welsh thread (wool) of Llangollen as I walked these paths myself.

Red Hair/Curly Hair, But Backward

      More than 2000 years ago, this fellow named Tacitus wrote his observations about my Celtic ancestors.  Red hair and large limbs were from Caledonia (Scottish), and curly hair with dark complexion were from the Iberian race (certainly Celtic). The following pictures are from my present-day

Celtic family.  Speaking of red hair! This is my JONES (Welsh/Iberian) family through my Y-chromosome. An autosomal recessive gene carried on chromosome 16. (tagged MC1R) A mutation of this gene is felt to have occurred, which caused it not to be able to breakdown certain chemicals. If one parent carries this mutated gene, it will be expressed when it is joined by another who transmits this mutation. Thus on my father's side both parents (Grandfather/Grandmother to me) must carry this recessive trait.  Can you believe all five children with red hair? Knowing red hair is considered fairly rare among the human race (Scotland around 13%) and Ireland a close second, what is the chance that all in the family would be red headed?

      The next picture is of my mother's (X-chromosome). Curly hair and dark complexion is the norm. Her maidan name was Ewen and, she was one of a dozen! A Scottish surname indeed. 

      Say what? My JONES gene (Welsh) is red headed, and my EWEN side (Caledonia) is curly hair and dark complexion. Did Tacitus get this backward? Well anyway, 2000 years is enough time to mix these genes in a variety of combinations.

 

Tacitus (II)

      The writing of Tacitus continues as regards my Celtic ancestors.

       "Who were the original inhabitants of Britain, whether they were indigenous or foreign, is, as usual among barbarians, little known. Their physical characteristics are various, and from these conclusions may be drawn. The red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia point clearly to a German origin. The dark complexion of the Silures, their usually curly hair, and the fact that Spain is the opposite shore to them, are an evidence that Iberians of a former date crossed over and occupied these parts. Those who are nearest to the Gauls are also like them, either from the permanent influence of original descent, or, because in countries which run out so far to meet each other, climate has produced similar physical qualities. But a general survey inclines me to believe that the Gauls established themselves in an island so near to them."

      A little of this, and a little of that.  Let's see, red hair and large limbs would be the Scots. [Caledonia] Not German but Celtic they are. [The Romans had not seen all the red hair in Ireland.] Dark complexion and curly hair would certainly fit my family group. Iberians is certainly correct.  A theory that the Gauls established themselves in an island so near to them would be a sound suggestion from the first 100 years of a new millennium!

      Taken from Mellor, p.399. Complete reference is given post 30 April.