Casgliadau ac Ymchwil

After two weeks of hard work by all the team to remove ploughsoil, and backfill from previous years’ excavation, the archaeological remains are finally being examined in detail. 

Today, one discovery brought the entire site to a halt, bringing everyone to gather around one of the smaller exploratory trenches opened last week.  Following clearing rubble from the upper fill of the enclosure ditch, the longbone of a burial was found on the western side of the enclosure ditch.  It is hoped that this exciting discovery will provide more information relating to a group of five skeletons previously found immediately to the south during the excavation seasons of 1998 and 1999. 

Weather conditions on site are currently excellent for the detection of archaeological features.  This is exemplified by the discovery of a several archaeological features within an area previously excavated in 1998 at the east end of the main trench.  Some of these features were previously known from the earlier season, but remained unexcavated because of a lack of time. 

Elsewhere in the main trench, the team has uncovered more of the enclosure wall defining the western boundary of the site, and have also begun the excavation of a slot through the enclosure ditch adjacent to that wall.  Exploratory slots placed through midden deposits at the east end of the trench are finding animal bones in large quantities, which will provide valuable dietary information about the inhabitants of the site. 

These tantalising glimpses into the archaeology of the site are getting everyone very excited, and we look forwards to seeing what new discoveries await us during the next two weeks.

Tudur Burke Davies

RETURN TO LLANBEDRGOCH (WEEK ONE)

The unexpected discovery in 2001 of an intramural burial within the early medieval enclosed settlement at Llanbedrgoch raised a new series of questions about the site, its occupants, their activities and their relationships with other regions. 

We returned to the site a week ago, and the last eight days have focused on setting out the new areas of excavation, removing ploughsoil, monitoring weather forecasts and adjusting the daily tasks to make the best of  at times trying conditions. The team of students includes volunteers from Bangor and Cardiff, and one from Toronto (Canada). Yesterday we were joined by some local, experienced, volunteers from Gwynedd and Anglesey. They have all been outstanding, and the early medieval archaeology of the site is already being transformed. Excavation is an ongoing process, and if you follow us over the next three weeks, the team will provide you with personal insights into the excavation.

Even though the research design has clearly stated objectives, the work often reveals evidence of a completely different nature. Our return this year was in fact the result of such an unexpected discovery and its implications. The burial from inside the enclosure (Burial 6) was not revealed in plan through specific searching for inhumations, or the recognition of subtle changes in soil colour or character, but by the decision to cut a narrow trench through the early medieval ‘black earth’ midden material in the south-western area of the site in order to reveal the midden sequence and facilitate section drawing and sampling. 

In spite of the profound silence of the individual in this grave and those discovered in 1998-99, they continue since their discovery to help us answer in increasing detail a range of fundamental historical questions: 

How did the people of Llanbedrgoch and north-west Wales, who had contact with Anglo-Saxons, Irish and Scandinavians, respond to such peoples? 

How does the archaeological evidence for the politics and economy of early medieval Wales compare to that provided by other sources? 

Were the daily lives of people at Llanbedrgoch during the sixth and seventh centuries different from those in the ninth and tenth centuries? 

What types of diet and health did they enjoy? 

How did Christianity affect their lives and burial practices? 

We have already begun to answer some of these questions – one of  the first artefacts to be found last week in the ploughsoil was a lead necklace pendant in the form of a cross – slightly larger than one found in an earlier season of excavation at the site. 

This site continues to amaze, surprise and inspire – follow us if you can. 

Mark Redknap

After a gap of more than a decade, a team of archaeologists has returned to excavate at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey. You can read more about previous seasons at this Viking-Age settlement here http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/archaeology/vikings/

Mark Redknap and his team made an exciting discovery towards the end of the 2001 season - evidence that there might be an early medieval cemetery on the site. Are they right? Finds are appearing already, but what can they tell us? Watch this space to find out more!

Mark is joined this season by

Evan Chapman (Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales)

David Griffiths (University of Oxford)

Tudur Davies (University of Sheffield)

Brian Milton, an experienced archaeologist from Cornwall who has spent many seasons at Llanbedrgoch

Archie Gillespie, one of the two metal detectors who originally found the site and who is a dab hand with the archaeological trowel too.

Students from Cardiff, Bangor and Toronto Universities, and other volunteers.

Hopefully you'll get to hear more about them as the dig progresses over the next 3 weeks.

Ddwywaith mewn wythnos? Wel, pam lai - tra bo'r haul yn dal i wenu...

Postiad bach clou i'ch hysbysu am bwt fydd ar y radio heno. Ar Ddydd Mawrth, ges i ymweld â'r BBC yn Llandaf i recordio cyfweliad ar gyfer 'The Arts Show' ar Radio 2. Bydd yn cael ei ddarlledu heno, am ddeg o'r gloch. Penny Smith sy'n cyflwyno yn lle Claudia Winkleman. Sai'n gweud bo fi di siomi, ond dwi yn falch na wnes i wisgo lipstic pinc yn deyrnged i Claudia, fel o'n i wedi meddwl gwneud. Cynhaliwyd y cyfweliad dros donfeddau hudolus y BBC - finne o flaen bocs o switsys a goleuadau pert, a nhwythe mewn stiwdio yn Llundain. Ro'n i di gwisgo'n smart rhagofn ac felly'n teimlo bach yn sili mewn stafell ar fy mhen fy hun.

Ta waeth. Fe ges i hwyl arni, yn sôn am fy ngwaith ac am Sain Ffagan yn gyffredinol - er gwaetha'r ffaith i gwestiwn am y nifer o lafariaid sy' gyda ni yn y Gymraeg godi'i ben. Rhaid ifi gyfadde ei fod yn ystrydeb sy'n fy nghorddi fymryn weithie, felly ro'n i'n eitha balch ifi lwyddo i dorri'r myth mewn ffordd hoffus, ac heb godi 'mhwysau gwaed. Fe fydd raid i chi wrando i weld a ydych chi'n cytuno!

Radio 2 Arts Show - 22:00 - Dydd Gwener 27 Gorffennaf

Pan dwi�n edrych �nôl dros y dudalen 'ma, mae�n edrych yn debyg taw�r haul sy�n gneud imi sgwennu cofnod. Mae�n ddiwrnod godidog yma heddi eto, felly dyma danio�r injan flogio a dechre sgrifennu.

Dy�n ni i gyd mewn hwylie da iawn ar hyn o bryd, hefyd. Ar ôl treulio misoedd yn cyd-weithio, fe gyflwynom ni gais trwch (a dwysder) torth o fara brith i Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri. Maen nhw wedi ei archwilio, ac wedi penderfynu rhoi nawdd o �11.5 miliwn tuag at brosiect i ail-ddatblygu�r amgueddfa. Mi fydd angen i ni weithio�n galed i godi gweddill yr arian, felly fe lawnsiwyd yr �apêl punt y pen� wythnos diwethaf. Ei neges? Yn fras: os oes punt �da chi i�w sbario, rhowch hi i ni a mi wnewn ni rwbeth arbennig hefo hi!

Er fod ein cynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol yn arbennig o fanwl, mae�n teimlo fel bo realiti�r peth dal y tu hwnt i�r gorwel. Buan iawn y byddwn ni�n gweld y safle�n newid, fodd bynnag. Bydd yr amgueddfa yn ei hanfod yn newid hefyd � a�n gobaith ni yw y dowch chi hefo ni ar y daith �ma. Dy�n ni�n awyddus iawn i greu rhagor o gyfleoedd i chi estyn at y casgliad, ac i gael hwyl wrth fynd i�r afael â bywyd bob dydd yr amgueddfa.

Ar hyn o bryd, fodd bynnag, mae pethe�n dal i dycio �mlaen. Mi ges i amser wrth fy modd yn tywys pobl o amgylch y gerddi Tuduraidd yr wythnos diwethaf � doedd dim diferyn o law, nag un gwlithen, i�w (g)weld yn unman. Daeth myfyrwyr o�r Almaen, Ffrainc, Lloegr a Siapan gyda fi, yn ogystal â rhai teuluoedd Cymreig/Sbaenaidd/Seisnig. Amser maith yn ôl, ro�n i�n ieithydd go-lew, felly dyma geisio pysgota peth o �ngeirfa mas o gefn y meddwl. Mi fuom ni�n blasu ac yn arogli wrth ymweld â�n gerddi, 'ble mae rhywogaethau o�r 16 ganrif yn dal i dyfu. Fel arfer, fe fyddwn i�n gofyn i bobl beidio â phigo planhigion yma, er mwyn cadw digon o fwyd i�n cymdogion blewog/pluog! Yn ffodus, fe ges i ganiatâd i gael ambell i damaid fan hyn a fan draw � ac yn fwy ffodus byth, fe ddysgodd Bernice a Paul y garddwyr imi pa rai i�w bwyta a pha rai i�w hosgoi!

Ddoe, bûm yn cwrdd a myfyrwyr o Brifysgol Caerdydd, i drafod sut y gallwn ni ddefnyddio gwybodaeth a gwrthrychau sy�n hannu o gloddio archaeolegol i greu gweithgareddau i�r cyhoedd. Fe edrychom ni ar y pigmentau ar waliau�r eglwys, ar gyfarpar coginio, a hydnoed set doilet Duduraidd! Bore �ma, cario wythdeg pedwar (fe gyfrom ni) o dariannau cardfwrdd i�r Pentre Celtaidd oedd tasg cynta�r diwrnod. Mae Sian ac Ian wrthi�n cynnal gweithgareddau peintio yno, fel rhan o Ŵyl Archaeoleg Prydain.

Dwi yn y swyddfa erbyn hyn, er gwaetha�r heulwen. Paratoi sgwrs ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod �dwi. Mae�n fraint cael siarad, felly dwi eisie gwneud yn siwr y bydd y ddarlith yn dangos Sain Ffagan ar ei gorau! Thema�r ddarlith fydd murluniau Eglwys Cadog Sant, Llancarfan, a Bro Morgannwg yn gyffredinol. Mae�r holl ddarllen am ddarluniau cudd wedi codi blys mynwenta arnai!

Dwi�n gobeithio eich bod chithe�n mwynhau�r ysbaid heulog �ma � os �dych chi�n meddwl dod i ymweld â ni, cliciwch yma i weld beth sy� mlaen. Cofiwch, yn ogystal â Bws 32, gallwch ddala bws gwennol newydd sbon, rhif 5, o du allan yr Amgueddfa Genedlaethol yng Nghaerdydd, at ein trothwy ni yn Sain Ffagan.

ON: bydd mwy o luniau tro nesa, dwi�n gaddo!