Fascinating discovery on the site of the new Celtic Manor Coach Park
As preparations for the Ryder Cup next year move into their final phases the Trust, the archaeologists to Celtic Manor, have made a fascinating discovery on the site of the new coach park. Over the summer we carried out trial excavations, which revealed part of what we thought was the Roman road that runs up the east bank of the River Usk, between the fortress of the Second Augustan Legion at Caerleon, and Usk, the site of an earlier fortress that was replaced by a smaller fort. We had seen this road before, where it passed through the settlement at Bulmore, and were rather surprised that this new section was only lightly metalled. Alongside it was a mass of rubble. As a result of the evaluation, construction went ahead with an archaeological watching brief, during the course of which the rubble turned out to belong to a small building. Construction work on this part of the site halted while we excavated this building and its surroundings.
The building, which had been robbed to its foundations almost everywhere, was nearly square with no traces of internal walls or floors surviving. Just enough of the walls remained to show that it must have measured about 3m x 3m internally. It was built from the local sandstone, and the blocks used in the foundations looked as though they had come from some other building. There was also most of a quernstone that had been abandoned during manufacture, and part of a larger millstone. In the rubble that overlay the building were two pieces of an inscription, with a few letters on each. Fortunately we found that these fit together, and we are now waiting to see whether experts can make sense of what they say.
Immediately outside the entrance was the remains of a lightly-metalled track. It was this that had first been discovered during the watching brief, but we could now see that the real road was 20m further down the hill and much more substantially constructed than the track. In places the road had been terraced into the hillside to keep it level, but the builders had not felt it necessary to provide drainage ditches. The two ran roughly parallel with each other, and we assume that the track must have branched off the road somewhere outside the coach-park area. It was traced over a distance of150m, but we do not know where it was bound.
If we can find out what the inscription says, this will give us a better idea of what the building was for. The two main suggestions at the moment are either that it was something military, an outpost on the main road concerned with sending messages or controlling access to the legion’s pastures, or that it was a monument, perhaps serving as a mausoleum. Its position, about 1km north of Bulmore and clearly visible from Caerleon and other points in the river valley, would have been suitable for either. The other finds may also provide clues when they have been studied. The most interesting are a small mattock of the kind used by the army and a tiny piece of an early Roman ribbed bowl in brown and yellow marbled glass.
Click on an images below to enlarge
27th August 2009
GGAT help to promote the 'Open Doors' events
Although some of our ancient parish churches are always open, this is not possible for all. Over the last few years, the Church in Wales has been encouraging parishes to take part in the Open Doors events co-ordinated every September by the Civic Trust for Wales . It has its own Open Doors Day on 19th September, and has set up the Churches Tourism Network Wales website where parishes can provide details of when their churches are open to the public.
The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, with the support of Cadw, has been working with the dioceses in our area - Llandaff, Monmouth, and Swansea & Brecon - to promote the churches that will be opened to the public in September.
The Trust has produced a series of guides to help you plan your church crawl, however, if you're wondering how you are going to visit all of the churches in three dioceses in one day don't worry, as not all the churches will be opened on 19th - some are open instead (or additionally) on other weekends, giving you more time to explore this rich heritage.
Download a pdf version of the Churches to visit leaflet for your desired area below
Below is just a taster of some of the beautiful churches you can visit (click on the images to enlarge)
29th July 2009
The GGAT Archaeological Extravaganza
The Trust’s contributions to the Festival of British Archaeology 2009 started with a bang on Saturday 18th July. The Festival is a rebranding of the National Archaeology Week organised by the CBA, which extends this year over two weeks, hence the change in name. However, the only change to our highly popular collaboration with Swansea Museum was that it was bigger and better. We were incredibly lucky with the weather - it didn’t rain once - so the events in the museum garden were able to proceed with a swing. These events were planned with children in mind, but the grown-ups seemed to enjoy them just as much! In the east garden, on the corner with Burrows Place, members of the medieval re-enactment group Meibion y Ddraig were joined by Charles Ferris of the Friends of the Newport Ship who did a roaring business with his medieval mint.
The children’s mystery excavation took place in the Trust’s new tent, which had been set up in the more difficult to find west garden. Sculptor Susanna Ciccotti (head of the Trust’s Illustration Department in the 1990s) had brought her facial reconstruction of a Neanderthal man and explained to visitors how it was produced, before the children tried their hand at modelling their own Neanderthal heads. A new twist on an old favourite was the prehistoric pottery making, which was done as a living history event with the Trust’s Paul Huckfield dressed up as a Bronze Age potter guiding the children through making their own Bronze Age style pots and explaining why all his tools and other paraphernalia were made from wood, stone and basketry. We are grateful to Alan of Systembox, Port Talbot, who supplied the clay for this activity free of charge. Edith Evans’s Roman cookery demonstration included workshops for children to recreate a Roman recipe. We also brought back the do-it-yourself wattle and daub that had been so popular two years ago.
Inside, the Trust provided the usual opportunities to consult the HER and have their finds identified, along with an exhibition which featured the Oystermouth Castle community excavation. Andy Sherman, one of the dig’s directors, was on hand to talk about it and answer questions. The Friends of Oystermouth Castle also had their own stall. Other stalls and exhibitions were provided by were Aberavon Historical Friends, the Friends of the Newport Ship, Gower AONB, Swansea Bay 1940s Museum, Swansea Metal Detecting Club (also featuring detectorist Ron Saunders’ fine collection of flints), Swansea University Extramural Department, West Glamorgan Archive Service and West Glamorgan Family History Group. Talks were given by Gerald Gabb of the museum and Neil Maylan of the Trust. Refreshments were provided by members of the Royal Institution of South Wales. And wandering around was a 1940s Local Defence Volunteer with his bag of tools, checking for gas leaks after air raids.
The official visitor figure for the museum for the day was 1370, a very impressive total. We would like to say a big thank-you to all those who gave up their time to take part. This includes Penny Webb who greeted visitors to the event in medieval costume and made sure they new where everything was, and Nathan, Sam and Steffan who had been on work experience with the Trust the previous week and couldn’t keep away!
29th July 2009
Archaeological Planning Officer undertakes research into communities living within World Heritage Sites
The Trust has been helping one of its Archaological Planning Officer Claudine Gerrard undertake part-time postgraduate research into Community World Heritage. Claudine was lucky enough to secure a place as a research intern with the Herculaneum Conservation Project in Italy following the submission of a research design she had prepared. The research looks at the issues facing modern communities living with ancient sites within the framework of existing heritage protection policy and law and in particular World Heritage Site status.
The research design was subsequently submitted as a proposal for a postgraduate research programme to Swansea University with the help and support of GGAT. To read more about this work and leave comments go to www.communityworldheritage.org
7th July 2009
GGAT pioneer the use of new mobile phone technology at Community Excavation
If you go down to the community excavation today you’re sure of a big surprise- strange bar codes are popping up all around the site!
These two-dimensional bar codes are being pioneered by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, who are using this new mobile phone technology as part of their outreach initiative at the Oystermouth Castle community excavation. The codes provide the public with location-specific web-hosted audio guides and links so that visitors can view current finds and hear current audio news, and it is hoped in the future, video footage of the excavation.
The bar codes, known as QR codes - QR stands for "Quick Response" - are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two-dimensional codes. Most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera. QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about.
How does it work?
Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL.
For more information on QR codes visit Wikipedia
If your phone does not possess a QR reader there are numerous free readers to download on the web.
Click on the below image to view enlarge version
26th May 2009
Swansea’s earliest road discovered
In March 2009 the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust’s Projects Division recorded a short section of hurdle trackway, which had eroded out of the marine clay on the Swansea foreshore. The site was initially located by Brian Price, a member of the Swansea Metal Detecting Club, who reported his discovery to the Trust’s Portable Antiquities Recording Officer.
The hurdle panel, which formed the trackway, was woven from narrow branches of oak and alder, identified by Astrid Caseldine and Catherine Griffiths of the University of Wales, Lampeter. A simple oak peg had been driven through the hurdle panel into the underlying ground surface to hold the trackway securely in place. The entire structure was covered in a thin layer of brushwood to provide a level walking-surface. A single sample from the trackway was sent to the Beta Analytic Radiocarbon Laboratory in Florida for AMS dating; and was dated to the early Bronze Age (Cal BC 2140 to 1930 (Cal BP 4090 to 3880) with a 2 Sigma Calibration (Beta: 257022)).
During the early Bronze Age the climate was drier and warmer than today and the sea level was significantly lower. The trackway was therefore probably built through a wet, marshy environment. Because it has been eroded by the tide it is impossible to tell whether the entire trackway was composed of hurdles, or whether occasional hurdles were laid to cross particularly wet patches of ground.
Click on the below image to view enlarge version
8th April 2009
GGAT granted Heritage Lottery Funding for community archaeology project
The Trust is delighted to have received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to carry out a community heritage audit within the communities of New Tredegar and Penrhiwceiber. Through a series of hands-on workshops, members of the community will use the Historic Environment Record to find out what sites are recorded in their community and how they can contribute to the record. Participants will explore the methods archaeologists use to identify new sites as well as receive training in basic archaeological recording methods.
The first session for New Tredegar is being held tonight at the newly opened Winding House Museum and we will keep you updated on the progress of the project.
20th March 2009
Archaeological Planning Officer in Welsh learners video
GGAT's Archaeological Planning Officer Judith Doyle is featured in a new online video for Welsh learners
The video was made as part of the new “Pecyn Ymarfer” – Practice Pack for Welsh Speakers and Learners in association with St Fagans National Museum of Welsh Life as part of the new Perthyn Exhibition. It provides explanation of why and how people speak and learn Welsh and to encourage other learners.
Full details are available from the St Fagans website and follow links to Perthyn – Belonging.
Roedd y fideo hwn gwneud fel rhan o’r Newydd “Pecyn Ymarfer” – Practice Pack am ddysgwyr Cymraeg a siaradwr – gyda Amgueddfa Werin Cymru yn Sain Ffagan fel rhan o’r arddangosfa newydd Perthyn. Mae’n darparu gwybodaeth yn pham a phryd mae pobl yn siarad a ddysgu yr iaith Cymraeg ac annog ddysgwyr eraill. Mae manylion llawn ar gael o’r wefan Sain Ffagan Sain Ffagan a ddilynwch y linc Perthyn – Belonging.
This animation needs Flash Player to be viewed. Flash Player is free to download. Visit Adobe
If you're having trouble viewing the video on our news page it can also be seen on the GGAT blogs or on our YouTube site
12th March 2009
More find from Swansea Bay
The presence of a small wooden feature located approximately 330m south of the promenade on the Swansea foreshore was reported to Steve Sell, (GGAT’s Portable Antiquities Recording Officer) by Brian Price of the Swansea Metal Detector Club in the summer of 2008.
An initial site visit was conducted by GGAT field-staff with Brian Price on the 6th September 2008 during which the feature was tentatively identified as a short section of hurdle, and that a funding grant should be made to Cadw to enable further investigation of the feature. Cadw authorised a grant for the work to be carried out in early 2009 and a small team from GGAT Projects conducted a rescue excavation at the beginning of this month.
Working within a narrow tidal window the feature was cleaned, positively identified as a short section of hurdle, photographed and drawn. The six largest timbers from the hurdle where recovered for detailed post-excavation study, AMS dating and species identification. It is hoped that the AMS dating (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) will return a date during the Iron Age and thus be comparably to features recorded on the Brynmill Peat Shelf in 1992.
Currently two interpretations of the feature are postulated, firstly that it represents the remains of a fallen hurdle leader fence, used for guiding fish into single-basket, tidal fish-trap; secondly that it represents the remains of a hurdle trackway used to cross a particularly marshy piece of ground.
