Carn Euny
| Cornish: Chapeluni | |
Carn Euny ancient village
|
|
 Shown within Cornwall
|
|
| Location |
Brane, Cornwall grid reference SW402288 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°06′08″N 5°38′04″W / 50.10234°N 5.63448°W |
| Type | Ancient village |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 200 BC |
| Abandoned | c. 400 AD |
| Periods | Iron Age/Roman |
| Cultures | Romano-British |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Ownership | English Heritage |
| Public access | Yes |
Carn Euny (from Cornish: Karn Uni) is an archaeological site near Sancreed, on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom with considerable evidence of both Iron Age and post-Iron Age settlement. Excavations on this site have shown that there was activity at Carn Euny as early as the Neolithic period. There is evidence that shows that the first timber huts there were built about 200 BC, but by the 1st century BC, these had been replaced by stone huts. The remains of these stone huts are still visible today.
Carn Euny is best known for the well-preserved state of the large fogou, an underground passageway, which is more than 65 feet (20 metres) long. This fogou runs just below the surface of the ground and is roofed with massive stone slabs. Although the exact purpose of these fogous is still a mystery, possibilities include storage, habitation, or ritual. The site was abandoned late in the Roman period.
Carn Euny lies in southwest Cornwall in the Penwith District, near the village of Sancreed. The archaeological site can be accessed at any time and the admission is free. Parking can be found in the nearby hamlet of Brane. The site is overlooked by the Iron Age hill fort of Caer Bran. Another similar Romano-British settlement is Chysauster about 10 km to the northeast. Carn Euny is managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust on behalf of English Heritage.
Traces of human activity in Carn Euny have been detected from the early Neolithic period. The first settlement of wooden huts was around 200 BC. In the 1st century BC these were replaced by stone huts, the remains of which are still visible. At this time, the people of Carn Euny lived from agriculture, livestock, trade, and perhaps tin mining. The houses were of a type with enclosed courtyards. The most important structure of the site is certainly the fogou (Cornish for cave), a man-made underground passage which is covered with massive stone slabs. Fogous can be found in other places in the UK and Ireland, and are known more generally as souterrains. Their purpose is unclear. The fogou of Carn Euny is in particularly good condition and consists of a 20 m long corridor, with a side passage that leads to a round stone chamber with a collapsed roof, and a small tunnel which may be a second entrance.
...
Wikipedia