Editing Chysauster Ancient Village

{{Short description|Ruins in Cornwall, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox ancient site
  |name = Chysauster
  |native_name = 
  |alternate_name = 
  |image = Chysauster.jpg
  |alt = Fragmentary stone walls
  |caption = Rooms in a building within Chysauster village
  |map_type = Southwest Cornwall
  |map_alt = 
  |map_size = 
  |location = [[New Mill, Cornwall]]<br>{{gbmapping|SW471350}}
  |region = 
  |coordinates = {{coord|50.16103|-5.54022|display=inline}}
  |type = Ancient village
  |part_of = 
  |length = 
  |width = 
  |area = 
  |height = 
  |builder = 
  |material = 
  |built = {{circa}} 100 BC
  |abandoned = {{circa}} 300 AD
  |epochs = [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]]/[[Roman Britain|Roman]]
  |cultures = [[Romano-British culture|Romano-British]]
  |dependency_of = 
  |occupants = 
  |event = 
  |excavations = 
  |archaeologists = 
  |condition = Ruins
  |ownership = [[English Heritage]]
  |public_access = Yes
  |website = 
  |notes = 
}}
'''Chysauster Ancient Village''' ({{langx|kw|Chisylvester}}, meaning ''Sylvester's house'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornishplacenames.co.uk |title=Cornish Language Partnership: Place names |publisher=cornwall.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2019-07-27}}</ref> is a late [[Iron Age Britain|Iron Age]] and [[Romano-British]] village of [[courtyard house]]s in [[Cornwall]], England, [[United Kingdom]], which is currently in the care of [[English Heritage]]. The village included eight to ten houses, each with its own internal courtyard. To the south east is the remains of a [[fogou]], an underground structure of uncertain function.

[[File:Chysauster Village Fossick.jpg|thumb|Over the top of Chysauster Ancient Village]]
[[File:Chysauster Village2 Fossick.jpg|thumb|Aerial View of Chysauster Ancient Village]]

==Location==
Chysauster lies in southwest [[Cornwall]] in the [[Penwith]] District. It is located about 5&nbsp;km north of [[Penzance]] at 175 m above sea level. The site is open from March/April to early November, and it is in the care of [[English Heritage]], who charge an admission fee.<ref name="engherprices">[http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/chysauster-ancient-village/prices-and-opening-times Chysauster, prices and opening times], English Heritage, retrieved 11 April 2011</ref> The iron-age [[Hillforts in Britain|hill fort]] of Castle An Dinas is just over 1&nbsp;km to the east.<ref name="pastscape"/> Another similar Iron Age settlement is [[Carn Euny]] about 10&nbsp;km to the southwest and comparisons can be made with the contemporary Atlantic [[Castro culture]].

==Settlement==
[[File:Remains of doorway at Chysauster ancient village - geograph.org.uk - 1389707.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to one of the houses]]
[[File:Chysauster - geograph.org.uk - 972.jpg|thumb|right|Temporary roof placed over one of the rooms, July 1993]]
Chysauster village is believed to have been inhabited from about 100 BC until the 3rd century AD;<ref name="britainexp">[http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/cornwall/ancient/chysauster.htm Chysauster Iron Age Village], Britain Express, retrieved 11 April 2011</ref> it was primarily agricultural and unfortified and probably occupied by members of the [[Dumnonii]] tribe. The village consists of the remains of around 10 courtyard houses, each around 30 metres in diameter.<ref name="pastscape">[http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=423417 Chysauster Settlement], Pastscape, retrieved 11 April 2011</ref> Eight of the houses form two distinct rows,<ref name="pastscape"/> and each house had an open central courtyard surrounded by a number of thatched rooms.<ref name="engher">[https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chysauster-ancient-village/ Chysauster Ancient Village], English Heritage, retrieved 11 April 2011</ref> The houses have a similar layout. The buildings are oriented on an east-west axis, with the entrance facing east.<ref name="britainexp"/> The walls survive to heights of up to 3 metres. A field system in the vicinity attests to the site's farming connections.

Chysauster has been excavated several times, including a dig by the antiquarian [[William Copeland Borlase]] in 1873.<ref name="pastscape"/> Reconstruction work has been carried out on several occasions.<ref name="pastscape"/>

==Fogou==
To the south of the settlement is an underground passage of a type known locally as [[fogou]] (from the permanently [[Lenition|lenited]] form of ''mogow'', [[Cornish language|Cornish]] for ''cave''). Fogous can be found in other places in the UK and Ireland, and are known more generally as [[souterrain]]s; their purpose is unclear. The fogou at Chysauster was originally recorded as running well over 16 metres in length but was blocked up in the late 20th century for safety reasons.<ref name="pastscape"/> It was recorded around 1847 by [[Henry Crozier]] who described it as a "voe or sepulchral chamber".<ref name="pastscape"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Cavendish, Richard: ''Prehistoric England'' (London, 1983)
* Christie, Patricia Maeve Lascelles: ''Chysauster Ancient Village, Cornwall'' (London, English Heritage, 1987)
* Reynolds, P. K. B., ''Chysauster, Cornwall, Great Britain.'' Ministry of Public Building and Works (London H.M.S.O., 1960)

==External links==
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chysauster-ancient-village/ Chysauster Ancient Village information at English Heritage]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/chysauster-ancient-village-info-for-teachers/  Teachers' resources for Chysauster Village: English Heritage]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/chysauster-ancient-village-hazard-information/  Hazard information for risk assessment for group leaders: English Heritage]

{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|50|9|39.7|N|5|32|24.8|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cornwall]]
[[Category:English Heritage sites in Cornwall]]
[[Category:History of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Prehistoric sites in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Iron Age sites in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Roman sites in England]]
[[Category:Cornish courtyard houses]]
[[Category:Fogous]]