Our Human Needs

Oxygen, water, food (sugars, fats, proteins), clothing, shelter, security, and social group, are all foundational to our human existence. The environment that surrounds one is often helpful or harmful in helping to provide for these basic human needs. This was especially true for our family's small piece of the world. The two previous posts have shown the water, and rocks which make up most of the environment in which our Jones family came to live. By itself, the weather would have changed around the priority for some of the items, making clothing and shelter perhaps more important. [During winter months especially!]

It has been estimated that about 5 hectares (a hectare is 2.47 acres) are needed to support one human. Of course this assumes the land can be planted or grazed upon. The map to the right shows roughly the land that might be best to live upon in our little part of the world. The water (ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams) would certainly provide a plentiful source of food and water. The land is another story. What parts could you farm or raise livestock upon? The geography appears to divide the land into regions that are separated by hills and mountains. There are four major land divisions that could support social groups (families). I have shown these by Roman numbers I, II, III, and IV. As family groups would increase in size, the demands on the land and sea would also increase. The families that gain control of the areas of "plenty" would have an advantage over others. As time would tell, these four geographic areas became the major settlement areas of our land.

Last Choice

Mountains, mountains, and more mountains seemed to form the character of the land. Surrounded by ocean (sea level) on three sides, the land quickly rises to over 600 feet. [see last post] Here billions of years ago, the first limestone, sandstone, and slate were formed. [Known as the Cambrian period which is thought to represent the earliest geologic period.]

The map to the right is my attempt to show the tallest mountain peaks and their geographic locations. The center of the compass is located approximately in the central Beacons. The highest peak is 2097 feet and in 1586 a writer named Camden called the Becons "Arthure's Hill". To the north shows the general distribution of the mountain peaks which slice the land into ridges, hollows, moors, lakes, forest and streams. The highest peak is Yr Wyddfa [Snowdon] which in the Welsh is Eryri meaning "abode of Eagles". Snowdonia refers to the whole group of mountain peaks that form a distinctive ridge which separates this part from the rest of the land. The mountain ridges run various directions, some north to south, some northeast to southwest, some east to west, producing a very narrow coastline and a quilt like pattern of land which could support farming and agriculture. You can certainly understand how the land provided areas that could be settled (family tribal groups) yet separated from one another by mountain ridges rather than by miles. You can also understand how this land might be the last choice in which to settle your family.