Welsh Journals

be much more interesting and significant than might at first sight have been supposed in view of its rather remote and bleak terrain. Some of the chambered cairns and gallery graves of the early third millennium B.C., like Carneddau Hengwm, are impressive examples of their kind. Then there are the round cairns, of which more than one hundred are already known and many more probably remain to be discovered. Objects of bronze and gold from the county, including gold torcs and the famous "Nannau bucket," are things of beauty as well as of archaeological interest; and by 1000- 800 B.C. Merioneth was clearly able to support a population that was large by prehistoric standards. Even later, from 450 B.C. to the Roman period, when the standard of living in the area must be assumed to have fallen sharply the paradox was that it must still have maintained metalworkers whose craftsmanship and artistry were of the highest order, as can be gauged from the superb Trawsfynydd tankard and the recently-discovered Talyllyn hoard. In his discussion of the Roman occupation Mr. Gresham skilfully blends accurate description of known Roman remains with intelligent speculation about others which may still be awaiting discovery. Professor Bowen's contribution to this volume is necessarily more modest, but is characteristically lucid and stimulating. In addition to writing a succinct introduction on the physical background of the county he has tackled the difficult chapter on the Dark Ages. In spite of the fragmentary and unsatisfactory evidence available for a study of this period, it was clearly one of crucial importance for three reasons the development of agriculture and settlement; the spread of Christianity and the establish- ment of political authority and social organization. Our warm congratulations must go to the contributors and to the general editor, Mr. E. D. Jones, on the publication of this volume. Its handsome appearance matches the excellence of its contents. May it soon be followed by successive volumes of comparable quality All in all it sets an example which other counties (among them our own) will envy and should strive to emulate. GLANMOR WILLIAMS "A CERTAINE SCHOOLE". A History of the Grammar School at Cowbridge, Glamorgan, by Iolo Davies. Cowbridge (D. Brown and Sons, Ltd.) 1967. pp. 7-392. 35s. In recent years many grammar schools have disappeared in Wales and still more are likely to disappear in the near future. But if these traditional cultural landmarks have lost (or will soon lose) their identity they can at least cherish their history, and one can only hope that, amidst all the educa- tional ferment of the present day, they will take advantage of this turning- point in their fortunes to record it or, where it has been recorded already, to bring it up-to-date and thereby enable future generations to appreciate what they set out to do and what, by and large, they did so well. This volume points the way, though it was written not in the shadow of the "Comprehensive" bomb but in the sunshine of the School's 350th