Posted on 04/13/2014 11:33:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
It was thought to have built by King Offa in the 8th century as border between England and Wales But even though it has been part of the British landscape for centuries, the ancient Offa's Dyke may have to be renamed, after archaeologists discovered it could have been completed 200 years before the great Anglo Saxon leader was born.
Experts used radiocarbon dating on the 177-mile dyke and revealed it could have been constructed as early as the 4th century...
The group behind the project said it is a 'tremendously exciting discovery' which challenges the accepted history of the ancient dyke.
The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust excavations were carried out on a stretch of the dyke along the Shropshire border near the town of Chirk.
Paul Belford, director of the Archaeological Trust, said: 'It's been known as Offa's Dyke for centuries but some sections may not have been built by Offa...
Today it is a protected monument and The Offa's Dyke Path is one of Britain's longest walks - stretching rom Prestatyn in North Wales down to Chepstow in the South.
The material came from an ancient layer of re-deposited turf underneath the bank suggesting it was laid down as part of the construction process.
Mr Belford said: 'This is the first time we have accurate scientific dates for Offa's Dyke...
But the section of earthwork near Chirk have been carbon dated and revealed a 95 per cent probability it was built between 430 and 652.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
this thread is Offa ;-)
This looks like a rather shallow trail or man made ditch. Did this start out as something quite deep and perhaps filled with water? Otherwise, I’m surprised natural erosion has not smoothed out and reclaimed this dug out fissure in the terrain. Every place else is as smooth as a golf course.
I thought this was a story about Hillary!
I’m not gonna try it. It looks like I might get some, um, esoteric sites...
There are other pics that make the scale of the thing more obvious. It’s longer than Hadrian’s Wall by a few miles. There’s a ten mile long earthwork that antedates the Romans, but called the Roman Ridge, so they didn’t get the idea from the Romans. Speaking of Hadrian’s Wall, I’ll go out on a limb again and say that it was the northern boundary of Aurelius’ kingdom.
https://www.google.com/search?q=offa%27s+dyke&tbm=isch
:’D
Hey, even we can’t get much more mileage out of that one joke. ;’)
Thx.
To say the least
Stop trying to ruin girl on girl porn!
Arthur lives!
He’s sippin’ wine on a beach somewhere in Avalon.
I guess the ancient Welsh were homophobic and fled at the first sight of a Dyke.
:’) Maybe, but they rushed in everywhere else.
Thanks blam!
You mean like saying it was built to protect the Kingdom of Mercia, which their work apparently disproves?
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