: Archeoleg

gan Sam, Mark, Hannah a Caitlin gwirfoddolwyr Amgueddfa Cymru

Pedwar gwirfoddolwr ydym ni a atebodd yr hysbyseb cyfle gwirfoddoli ar wefan Amgueddfa Cymru, a drefnwyd gan Elizabeth Walker, Prif Guradur yr Amgueddfa. Roedd cyfle i helpu i ddidoli a chatalogio casgliad o offer carreg cynhanesyddol.

Daw'r offer o'r casgliad sylweddol a wnaed gan Henry Stopes, casglwr preifat, ar ddiwedd y 19eg Ganrif. Amcangyfrifir bod rhwng 50,000 a 70,000 o arteffactau, gyda hanner miliwn o flynyddoedd o hanes, yn bennaf Prydeinig, ond mae'r casgliad hefyd yn cynnwys rhai gwrthrychau tramor dirgel.

Bob dydd Iau, gydag Elizabeth, rydyn ni'n treulio tair awr yn didoli'r blychau, gan rifo a chategoreiddio pob eitem. Mae’n waith cyffrous ac yn aml yn cael ei stopio pan fydd rhywun yn dod o hyd i rywbeth mor anarferol, maen nhw eisiau ei rannu gyda’r grŵp. Megis pen bwyell gaboledig Neolithig, wedi torri ac yna'n amlwg wedi'i hailgylchu neu hyd yn oed bêl gerfiedig Neolithig. Bydd Elizabeth bob amser yn ein helpu i adnabod a chynorthwyo gyda ffeithiau diddorol am yr offer carreg. Wrth i ni weithio rydym hefyd yn cynnal trafodaethau diddorol sydd hyd yma wedi amrywio o Beyonce i Ryfel y Boer; Neanderthaliaid i ffilmiau arswyd Corea! Pwy a wyr beth fydd pynciau'r wythnos nesaf?

Rydym ni, fel gwirfoddolwyr, yn teimlo’n ffodus i gael y cyfle hwn i fod yn rhan o’r gwaith amgueddfa ymarferol hwn, i gynnig ein hamser ac i fod yn rhan o’r gwaith o gofnodi casgliad Henry Stopes a fydd yn helpu gydag ymchwil offer carreg yn y dyfodol. Mae’r cyfle hwn yn ffordd ddiddorol o weld sut mae’r tu ôl i’r llenni yn gweithio mewn amgueddfa, ac mae’r wybodaeth a geir yn hynod ddefnyddiol i’n gyrfaoedd ym maes archaeoleg yn y dyfodol. Mae'r swm yr ydym i gyd wedi'i ddysgu o ddim ond 3 awr yr wythnos yn llawer mwy nag y byddem wedi meddwl.

Hyd yn hyn rydym wedi didoli, ail-becynnu a dogfennu 4,659 o offer a mewnbynnu 2,265 o gofnodion newydd i gronfa ddata'r casgliad.

Y llynedd, cafodd 77 canfyddiad ledled Cymru eu hadrodd fel trysor, a phob un dros 300 oed. Fy hoff achosion trysor yw’r rhai sy’n cynnwys gemwaith, yn enwedig modrwyau. Ydy, maen nhw’n eitemau bach hardd, ond maen nhw hefyd yn eitemau personol iawn gyda stori i’w hadrodd bob un.

Dwi’n aml yn meddwl am beth ddigwyddodd i’r eiddo gwerthfawr hyn iddyn nhw gael eu canfod yn y ddaear. Efallai wedi’u colli tra’n cerdded drwy gefn gwlad, a’r perchennog ond yn sylweddoli mewn panig llwyr ar ôl cyrraedd adref. Ffrae rhwng cariadon efallai, gyda’r fodrwy yn cael ei thaflu ar draws cae wrth wylltio. Neu gofio anwylyd drwy osod y fodrwy yn rhywle oedd yn arbennig i’r ddau berson.

Cariad, mewn un ffordd neu’r llall, yw’r thema cyffredin yn fan hyn, felly i ddathlu dydd Gŵyl San Ffolant, dewch i edrych ar rai o’r modrwyau sydd wedi’u datgan yn drysor yng Nghymru yn ddiweddar.

 

Modrwy arysgrif yn dyddio o ddiwedd y 1600au i ddechrau’r 1700au (achos trysor 21.26 o Gymuned Esclusham, Wrecsam). Mae’r ysgrifen tu mewn yn darllen ‘Gods providence is our inheritance’.

Roedd modrwyau arysgrif yn cael eu defnyddio i rannu negeseuon o gariad, ffydd a chyfeillgarwch rhwng y rhoddwr a’r derbynnydd. Roedd gwisgo geiriau cudd yn erbyn y croen yn cynnig cysylltiad teimladwy a phersonol.

 

Modrwy fede neu ddyweddïo aur ganoloesol, wedi’i haddurno â dail a blodau wedi’u hysgythru (achos trysor 21.14 o Gymuned Bronington, Wrecsam).

Mae’r arysgrif ar yr ochr allanol yn dweud ‘de bôn cuer’ sef ‘o galon dda’. Mae’r fodrwy yn rhan o gelc o geiniogau a modrwyau yn dyddio yn ôl i Ryfeloedd y Rhosynnau ar ddiwedd y 15fed ganrif.

 

Modrwy aur, yn dyddio o 1712, (achos trysor 19.41 o Gymuned Llanbradach a Phwll-y-pant, Caerffili).

Mae arysgrif o’r llythrennau cyntaf A. D. ac E. P. ar bob ochr dwy galon wedi ymuno, gan gynrychioli enwau y cwpl sydd wedi dyweddïo neu briodi.

 

 

Cofiwch gadw llygaid ar ein cyfryngau cymdeithasol am ddatganiadau trysor newydd ac ewch i’n gwefan am ragor o wybodaeth.
https://amgueddfa.cymru/trysor/

 

 

Dwi am orffen gydag ambell i gwestiwn cyffredin am Drysor – mae gan bawb syniad o beth yw trysor, ond beth yn union mae’n ei olygu?

 

Sut mae Amgueddfa Cymru yn cymryd rhan mewn datganiadau Trysor?
Mae curaduron yn Amgueddfa Cymru yn rhoi cyngor arbenigol ac yn gwneud argymhellion i Grwneriaid ar achosion o drysor o Gymru. Maen nhw’n cymharu canfyddiadau gyda’r diffiniad cyfreithiol o drysor, fel yr amlinellir yn Neddf Trysorau 1996 a Deddf Trysorau 1996: Cod Ymarfer (3ydd Diwygiad) o 2023. Mae gennym ni Swyddogion Canfyddiadau’r Cynllun Henebion Cludadwy yn ein hamgueddfeydd, sy’n cydweithio â’r canfyddwyr, yn aml defnyddwyr datgelyddion metel, sy’n dangos eu canfyddiadau archaeolegol sy’n drysor ac sydd ddim yn drysor, gan eu galluogi i’w cael eu cofnodi a’u hadrodd.

 

Pam mai Crwner sy’n penderfynu ar achosion Trysor?
Mae rôl Crwneriaid mewn achosion trysor yn dod o ddyletswydd canoloesol y Crwner fel gwarchodwr eiddo’r Goron, sef y brenin neu’r brenhines o’r cyfnod. Yn y Saesneg Ganoloesol, roedd y gair coroner yn cyfeirio at swyddog y Goron, oedd yn deillio o’r gair Lladin corona, sy’n golygu ‘coron’.

 

Beth sy’n digwydd i ‘Drysor’?
Pan gaiff canfyddiadau eu datgan yn drysor gan Grwneriaid, maen nhw’n gyfreithiol yn dod yn eiddo’r Goron. Gall canfyddwyr a thirfeddianwyr hawlio gwobr, fel arfer yn derbyn 50% yr un o’r gwerth masnachol annibynnol a roddwyd ar y canfyddiad trysor. Mae’r Pwyllgor Prisio Trysorau, grŵp penodedig o arbenigwyr sy’n cynrychioli’r fasnach henebion, amgueddfeydd a grwpiau canfyddwyr, yn comisiynu ac yn cytuno ar yr gwerthoedd a roddir ar drysor. Gall amgueddfeydd achrededig sydd â diddordeb gaffael y trysor ar gyfer eu casgliadau ac er budd ehangach y cyhoedd, drwy dalu’r pris a roddwyd ar ganfyddiad. 
 

Mae lleoliadau gwaith i fyfyrwyr yn Amgueddfa Cymru yn gallu bod yn gystadleuol, yn enwedig rhai ym maes archeoleg. Roeddwn wrth fy modd yn cael lle ar leoliad i helpu’r Amgueddfa asesu a chatalogio gweddillion dynol.

Gan ymuno â grŵp bach o unigolion ar leoliad, rhai ohonynt yn fyfyrwyr o gwrs Gwyddor Archeolegol Caerdydd, buom yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â’r Curadur i asesu sgerbydau o fynwent ganoloesol gynnar yn Llandochau, ger Caerdydd. Datgelodd y cloddiadau ar ddechrau’r 1990au dros fil o sgerbydau, a rheini wedi bod yn archif Amgueddfa Cymru yn disgwyl archwiliad llawn.

Dysgon ni sut mae'n rhaid storio a thrin y sgerbydau yn unol â safonau moesegol ar gyfer delio â gweddillion dynol. Caiff pob sgerbwd ei hasesu'n unigol ar gyfer cyflawnrwydd, ac weithiau mae'n bosib adnabod y rhyw a gweld tystiolaeth o oedran neu afiechydon. Cofnodwyd y wybodaeth i’w gynnwys yng nghatalog yr Amgueddfa, a bydd yn ddefnyddiol iawn yn y dyfodol wrth ymchwilio gweddillion dynol safle Llandochau, a bydd yn cyfrannu at astudiaeth archeoleg ganoloesol yn fwy cyffredinol.

Mae archwilio gweddillion dynol yn ysgogi adfyfyrio ar fywydau pobl ganoloesol ac, er efallai nad yw at ddant pawb, mae’n dod â ni’n nes at y gorffennol mewn ffordd arbennig. Roedd y lleoliad gwaith yn brofiad dysgu rhagorol. Roedd y Curadur, Adelle yn amyneddgar iawn gyda’r holl gwestiynau a godwyd ac yn hael wrth rannu ei gwybodaeth a’i sgiliau. Mae’n ffordd wych i Amgueddfa Cymru ymgysylltu â’r cyhoedd, ac rwy’n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i weld y tu ôl i’r llenni a chyfrannu at waith yr amgueddfa. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Amgueddfa Cymru yn parhau i gynnig cyfleoedd o'r fath i'r rhai a hoffai cymryd rhan mewn lleoliadau gwaith i fyfyrwyr.

 

Am fwy o wybodaeth am leoliadau gwaith i fyfyrwyr, ewch i dudalennau ‘Cymryd Rhan’ y wefan. Mae modd cofrestru i rhestr bostio i glywed am unrhyw leoliadau pan fyddant yn cael eu hysbysebu. 

Over the past year, we have all had to stay closer to home more often. We may have discovered new local places, and started to look in more detail at familiar places. The museum has launched a new set of web-based resources to help people continue this exploration. The new On Your Doorstep webpages help and encourage others to discover local archaeology and nature in Wales. We’ve included activities for investigating and learning more, in the countryside and urban areas. If you want to delve even deeper, you can explore our natural history and archaeology collections of over 4 million specimens, and find links to our specialist sites.

Visit: On Your Doorstep: Nature, geology and archaeology in Wales

Nature Bingo

Have a go at spotting everything on our nature bingo cards. Cards for spring and summer are available now, as well as cards with more abstract terms such as ‘hooked’, ‘shiny’ and ‘slow’ to challenge you to look more closely at nature when you are out and about. Get out there and start ticking them off! Who can get a full house first? You can improve your Welsh at the same time by using both English and Welsh versions together as well as the handy hints for learners.  

Spotter’s Sheets

The spotter’s sheets in Welsh and English are there to help you to recognise more of the natural world and the archaeology on your doorstep. Use our downloadable spotter’s sheets to identify animals, plants, fossils, rocks and artefacts. They can be used as an introduction to a particular theme, to remind you of helpful identification characteristics, or to learn interesting facts about ordinary things around us in Wales.

Guides…to animals and plants

Visit the nature spotters guides webpage. 

• Garden Pond Snails. Are there snails in your pond, if so what are they?
• Hitchhikers on Ocean Plastics. Some sea creatures use floating plastic, or other waste, to travel around the world. Get in touch with us if you find any in Wales.
• Brown Seaweeds. Brown seaweeds are often the most obvious living things on a rocky shore. Learn about a few selected seaweeds to get you started on the 120 you can find in Wales!
• Red & Green Seaweeds. When you’re next on a rocky shore, try looking for these red and green seaweeds which are common features of rock pools.

Guides…to geology

Visit the nature spotter's guide webpage.

• Have I Found a Fossil? Use this guide if you are unsure whether the object you have found is a fossil or not.
• The Main Fossil Groups. Working out which group your fossil belongs to will give you an idea of how old it is and tell you something about the habitat where it lived, millions of years ago.
• Penarth Fossils. Search the beach for loose fossils at Penarth and use this guide to work out what you have found.
• Building Stones of National Museum Cardiff. Look at geology in an urban environment, and learn more about the stones used to build National Museum Cardiff.

Guides…to archaeology

Visit the discovering archaeology webpage.

• Recognising Prehistoric stone tools. This guide helps to work out if a stone you’ve found is natural or if it has been shaped by a person in the past. 
• Housing in Wales before 1000 BCE. Today’s houses are a recent innovation. Find out what type of houses were common just a few thousand years ago.
• Making axes at the end of the Stone Age. People started making polished stone axes around 4000 BCE and used them to chop down trees, impress neighbours, or beat up enemies. But where do you go to find the right rocks to make an axe in Wales?

Get involved!

You can share archaeological finds with us on Twitter via @SF_Archaeology, and natural history finds via @CardiffCurator.

We currently have a project looking at new animals rafting across seas and oceans to Wales on plastics, so we really want to hear from you. Tell us if there are any other spotter’s sheets you’d like us to make. And if you complete any of our nature bingo cards, feel free to boast on social media by sharing your nature photos with us! To let us know about more sensitive things such as dinosaur footprints or rare plants, or for more help, please get in touch with our Museum Scientists.

Look out for more activities and features appearing on the ‘On Your Doorstep’ webpages through the year and keep an eye out for more archaeology which will launch fully for the 2021 Festival of Archaeology during July.

Shwmae! My name is Adelle, and I’m a PhD student at Cardiff University studying Iron Age mortuary practice in southwest Britain. I’m going to tell you about my amazing experience and some things I learned volunteering as part of the excavation team of the now-famous Iron Age chariot burial in Pembrokeshire. I’ll start from the beginning…

The Story

I received an email in the spring of 2018 inviting me to help with an excavation of what was thought to be an Iron Age hoard discovered in a farmer’s field somewhere in Pembrokeshire. I had dreamt of the day I’d get to excavate anything Iron Age, as my passion for Welsh prehistory inspired me to move from my home in rural Kentucky (USA) to study at Cardiff. I had no idea that this opportunity would lead to the most rewarding, enriching, and educational experiences of my life.

The dig site was in a beautiful field near the entrance to a spectacular Iron Age promontory fort that was previously unknown. The thought that there is still so much left to discover about the prehistory of Wales left me buzzing with inspiration and wonder. I had never been to this farm in Pembrokeshire but it somehow felt warm and familiar, like an old friend; it felt like coming home after a very long journey.

The initial excavation was…hot, to put it mildly! The clay we were digging baked in the sun as temperatures climbed to 32 degrees. The archaeology didn’t quite make sense as we searched for the rest of the “hoard”. And then, Mark Lewis, the curator at the National Roman Legion Museum at Caerleon (and whom I am pretty sure is actually a Time Lord from Gallifrey), uncovered the top of a massive iron tyre. This was no hoard—it was a chariot burial. The first one found outside of Yorkshire and Edinburgh; here in Wales. The whole team stopped and gathered around the tyre. We stood there in silence in a mutual understanding that everything we thought we knew about the Iron Age in Wales was about to change. Some of us grabbed onto each other in fear of falling off the face of the earth as our worlds turned upside down!

A chariot burial was beyond our timescale, and we needed the help of skilled conservators to ensure the survival of the 2,000 year-old metalwork. It was a long year until we were able to go back to uncover the chariot. With a bigger team, more time, more rainfall and more volunteers, we successfully uncovered the first chariot burial in Wales this spring. I sometimes go down to the Archaeology Conservation Laboratory at National Museum Cardiff to say hello to the chariot pieces and wish them luck as they embark on their new journey towards restoration! Louise Mumford, our archaeological conservator, is like a wizard bringing ancient and long-forgotten objects back to their former glory.

What I Learned

I learned more about archaeology during that excavation than I ever could have imagined. The combined knowledge of these archaeologists that I have long admired was mind-boggling, and I tried my best to soak in every delicious morsel of free expertise. I had read some of their books; these men and women had been teaching me since before I left Kentucky. As we discussed practice during work and theory over dinner, I felt myself becoming much more confident as an archaeologist.

Aside from growing as a researcher, I gained a much greater understanding for the public’s perception of archaeology. The archaeology of Wales is not a niche interest for academics—as heritage, it belongs to everyone, and people are very often as enthusiastic about it as I am. For example, one of my favourite aspects of the excavation was spending time with the farmer who owns the land and his family. It was heart-warming to see their interest in not just the things we were digging up, but how we were doing it. To have our field of work understood and appreciated for the (sometimes painfully slow) process that it is, was rewarding.

This satisfying combination of archaeological practice and public engagement has inspired me to continue volunteering at the museum for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru). Without PAS, this excavation wouldn’t have happened, and this significant part Wales’ story would have remained untold. PAS is giving an invaluable gift to the people of Wales by documenting their material heritage and making it easily accessible to everyone. I am honoured to be a part of it, and I feel better equipped to use my own research to give back to the public.

Get involved!

I encourage everyone to volunteer for archaeological excavations. It’s one thing to see beautiful ancient objects behind glass cases, or 2D images in a book, but to be there as the earth gives way and the object is reborn from it, is nothing short of magical. It’s dirty, often laborious, but the friendships made, the knowledge gained, and the magical sense of discovery is worth every drop of sweat as we rediscover lost memories from our ancient past.

I hope to see some new faces at future excavations. Iechyd da!

 

The project was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund