Trigolion Cynnar | Early inhabitants
Trigolion Cynnar | Early inhabitants
Gwyddom fod trigolion cynnar wedi ymweld gyda’r ardal hon yn y cyfnod Mesolithig. Helwyr crwydrol oedd y rhain yn symud o amgylch yr ardal o Oes yr Ia tan tua 5000 C.C. Roeddent yn byw ar gynnyrch naturiol y tir, hela anifeiliaid a chasglu ffrwythau, aeron, pysgod a chregyn.
Pobl Neolithig Oes y Cerrig oedd yn byw yma o tua 5000 C.C. tan 2000 C.C. yn fras a gadawsant nifer o henebion ac offer yn waddol. Prif henebion y cyfnod yw siamberi claddu’r cromlechi a cherrig unigol. Rhestrir isod ychydig o enghreifftiau o’r cromlechi a’r cerrig:
- Cromlech Long House (Plwyf Mathri)
- Cromlech Garn Llys (Plwyf Tremarchog)
- Cromlech Penrhiw (Plwyf Llanwnda)
- Cerrig Claddu (Plwyf Llanwnda)
- Cromlech Garnwnda (Plwyf Llanwnda)
- Ar weundir Rhos y Clegyrn saif carreg sylweddol yn dyddio o tua 3000 C.C.
Rhwng tua 2000 ac 800 C.C. cyrhaeddodd llwythi o bobl o Orllewin Ewrob : y rhai cyntaf i ddefnyddio pres a rois fod i’r enw Oes Efydd. Roedd y bobl hyn hefyd yn grochenwyr dawnus a chyfeirir atynt yn aml fel Pobl y Bicer oherwydd eu harfer o gladdu eu potiau neu biceri gyda’u meirwon.
Fe’u dilynwyd gan bobl Geltaidd o Ganol Ewrob a oedd yn gyfrifol am gyfnod yr Oes Haearn. Gyda hwy hefyd daeth y Goideleg, rhagflaenydd Gaeleg, Gwyddeleg a Manaweg, a’r Frythoneg rhagflaenydd y Gymraeg, Llydaweg a Chernyweg.
Felly roedd yr ardal hon o tua 2000C.C. tan y flwyddyn 100 O.C. yn gartref i weithwyr metal o gyfnodau Efydd a Haearn. Ar Garn Fawr ac uchelfannau cyfagos ceir gweddillion ceiri o’r Oes Haearn a pheth tystiolaeth o bosib’ o weithgaredd o’r Oes Efydd diweddar. Roedd y gaer ar Garn Fawr yn sylweddol gyda gwrthgloddiau helaeth a ffosydd. Mae lluniau o’r awyr yn dangos patrwm y caeau a ddatblygwyd oddi amgylch. Ceir caer arall o’r Oes haearn ar fferm Clegyr.
Gwyddom fod llongau Rhufeinig, a lluoedd Rhufeinig o bosib’, wedi ymweld gyda’r ardal ond nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth iddynt fyw yma.
Cyfnod yr Oesoedd Canol Cynnar yw’r enw a roddir ar y cyfnod rhwng ymadawiad y Rhufeiniaid (cwblhawyd 410 O.C.) a choncwest y Normaniaid. Mae’r cyfnod hwn yn cwmpasu’r seintiau Cristnogol cynnar, a Dewi’r blaenaf ohonynt, ac amryw o dywysogion Cymreig.
Daeth llwyth y Deisi o Iwerddon i Orllewin Cymru rhwng 100 O.C. a 500 O.C. Daethant gyda’u harysgrif ogham a gwelir hwn ar nifer o gerrig hynafol yng ngogledd Sir Benfro.
Yn y cyfnod hwn caed ffermio ymgynhaliol, rheolaeth o’r wlad gan dywysogion Cymreig dylanwadol a rhai llai, a datblygiad cynnar Ty Ddewi.
Yn dilyn hyn daeth cyfnod hwyrach y Canol Oesoedd gyda Thywysogion Cymreig pwysig yn rheoli: Rhodri Mawr (841 O.C. tan 878) a Hywel Dda (910 tan 950 O.C.) Gadawodd y ddau hyn ddylanwad parhaol ac yn enwedig yr olaf gyda’u gyfundrefnu o Gyfreithiau Cymru.
We know that early inhabitants visited this area in the Mesolithic period, being hunter gatherers moving around the area after the ice age, until about 5,000BC. They lived off the natural produce of the land, hunting animals and gathering fruits, berries, fish and shell fish.
From about 5,000BC to roughly 2,000BC the area was occupied by Stone Age (Neolithic) people, and we are left with a number of Stone Age monuments and tools. The major Stone Age monuments are the Cromlech burial chambers, together with Dolmen single stones. A few examples of the Cromlechs and stones in existence are listed below.
- Cromlech Long House (Mathry Parish)
- Cromlech Carn Llys (St. Nicholas Parish)
- Cromlech Penrhiw Farm, Goodwick (Llanwnda Parish)
- Burial Stones (Llanwnda Parish)
- Cromlech Garn Wnda (Llanwnda Parish)
- In the low lying marshy area of Clegyrn Farm is situated a substantial standing stone, probably dated around 3000BC.
From about 2000 to 800BC further groups of people arrived from south west Europe being the first metal workers using bronze. This has given rise the term Bronze Age. These people were also skilled in pottery and, because of the pottery that they are buried with, are often referred to as Beaker people.
They were followed by Celtic people from Central Europe responsible for the Iron Age period. They also brought with them the proto Celtic languages Goedelic from which Gaelic developed, and Brythonic from which present day Welsh developed.
Thus this area, from approximately 2,000BC down to AD 100, was occupied by metal working peoples of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Garn Fawr and adjoining elevated areas contain the remains of Iron Age forts and possibly some evidence of earlier activity in the late Bronze Age. The Iron Age fort on Garn Fawr was extensive with major ramparts and ditches. Aerial photographs show the field patterns that were developed around the hillside.
Another circular Iron Age fort exists on Clegyrn Farm.
We know that Roman ships and possibly Roman troops visited the area, but there is no evidence of Roman occupation and habitation.
The period from the withdrawal of Roman forces from Britain ( completed by AD 410), until the Norman Conquest can be termed the Early Middle Ages. This period covers the early Christian Saints of which Dewi or David was the most prominent, together with various Welsh Princes.
Early in that period, peoples from Ireland came to west Wales, namely the Dieisi tribe in between 100AD and 500AD. They brought with them the Ogham script found on many ancient stones in the north Pembrokeshire area.
Early subsistence farming, control of the area under major and minor Welsh Princes, and the early development of St. Davids occurred during the early part of this period.
Following this came the high middle ages, with important Welsh Princes in control, namely, Rhodri Mawr (AD840 to 878), and Hywel Dda (AD910 to 950). These two Welsh Princes left lasting affects in particular, under Hywel Dda, the codification of Welsh Law.