Sometime at the beginning of the Bronze Age, about 2,250 to 2,000 BC, some people walked through the wetlands where Swansea Bay now lies. Perhaps they used one of the wooden trackways which had been laid across the wet ground, parts of which can still be seen when the tide is out.

They had with them a special object, a fine flint dagger, a piece of exquisite workmanship made by an expert craftsman. The dagger was part of a Europe-wide culture, and was perhaps an important part of their identity.

For some reason the precious object was dropped; perhaps by accident, but more likely left as a deliberate offering in shallow water in a place of special significance.

Rediscovery

The dagger remained submerged, first in the water, and then, as the environment changed, in peat beneath the sands of Swansea Bay, for four millennia. Then, in 1971, a student, Paul Tambling and his girlfriend, Angela, were walking across the bay and saw it sticking out of the sand.

They picked it up and took it home, and it became a treasured object once more, associated with happy memories and a unique symbol of their relationship.

Reporting

Early in 2016 Paul and Angela heard of a flint knapping demonstration being held at Cyfarthfa House Museum in Merthyr Tydfil and decided to take their dagger along to show an expert.

The flint knapper recognised the dagger’s significance and it was reported to Mark Lodwick, the Portable Antiquities Scheme finds co-ordinator at Amgueddfa Cymru.

The dagger was identified as a ‘Beaker Dagger’, more commonly found in south-eastern England, often accompanying high-status burials, with only four other examples known of in Wales.

The discovery was exciting, and Mark contacted Paul and Angela, who brought the dagger in for recording and told him their story.

Recreation

Ideally, an object of this importance would belong in a public collection in a museum, but it is understandable that Paul and Angela want to keep it, given its personal significance to them.

Happily, a solution has been found in the form of flint-knapper Karl Lee, who attended Swansea Museum’s Welsh Museums Festival event in October and made a replica for display in their galleries.

It will now become a part of Swansea Museum’s Lost Treasures of Swansea Bay project, which invites communities to respond to the deep history of the bay through the many archaeological items found there by members of the public.

Here at the Mary Gillham Archive Project hub we’ve recently begun ‘timehopping’ on social media.

This involves using Mary’s detailed writings to find out what she was doing on today’s date, so many years ago, and then posting it on Twitter and Facebook (i.e. “on this date, in this year, Mary was doing this…”). It’s an interesting way to learn about Mary’s life history and see the many activities that she got up to in her day-to-day life.

A recent and particularly intriguing timehop posted on 16^th October described how on that day in 1982, Mary witnessed the enormous humpback whale lying washed up on Gilestone beach at Aberthaw, near the Power Station.

This sparked the interest of many and after a twitter conversation with National Museum Cardiff it turns out that the bones of the whale are now on display at the museum, right here in Cardiff! This means that you can still visit this gigantic sea mammal today and see a part of Welsh history with your own eyes, just like Mary did.

Crowds on Aberthaw Beach

For those fortunate enough to be there in 1982 Aberthaw, the experience was an unforgettable one.

In her archive, Mary explains that it was almost “impossible to photograph the whale” due to the thousands of people congregating to get a glimpse.

The coastguard had tied the tail of the whale to a large iron post in the ground with ropes (to prevent the animal from washing back out to sea).

Mary describes how she got the chance to hold one of the whale’s gigantic flippers while Piers Langhalt, formerly of National Museum Cardiff, cut the large barnacles from the animal. These same barnacles can be found preserved at the museum, alongside the whale!

One volunteer on the Mary Gillham Archive Project, Julia Banks, recalls the “overpowering, rotting smell” of the beached whale that she witnessed as a young child. Julia visited the scene with her parents and remembers joining the masses of locals all gathering for the unusual sight, as well as seeing a group of people measuring the whale in order to figure out its age.

Julia also remembers visiting National Museum Cardiff when the skeleton was put up on display, and “feeling proud that [their] whale was in the museum”.

For more of the story and info on how the whale was managed by National Museum Cardiff, why not take a trip to the museum to see for yourself how it stands today?

The Mary Gillham Archive Project is a Heritage Lottery funded project at South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre. 
For more info about the project visit our website: https://marygillhamarchiveproject.com/the-project/

Helo Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Diolch am rannu eich sylwadau gyda'r data tywydd wythnos dwytha. Rwyf wedi atodi rhai yn isod. Mae llawer ohonoch yn ddweud bod y tywydd wedi oeri a bod 'na mwy o law. Mae rhai ohonoch chi hyd yn oed wedi cael eira! Dyma pam dwi am esbonio sut mae meteorolegwyr (gwyddonwyr tywydd) yn mesur eira. 

Mae mesur faint o law sy’n disgyn yn hawdd o’i gymharu â mesur faint o eira sy’n disgyn. Fydd eira ddim yn bihafio! Bydd yn aml yn cael ei chwythu gan y gwynt ac yn lluwchio, sy’n golygu bod yr eira’n ddwfn mewn mannau ond yn llawer llai dafliad carreg i ffwrdd. Oherwydd bod yr eira’n disgyn yn anghyson, bydd y mesuriadau o’r llefydd yma’n anghywir! Dyna pam mae’n rhaid mesur mewn mannau gwastad, agored ymhell o ble fydd eira’n lluwchio. Bydd eira hefyd yn chwarae gemau gyda’r Meteorolegwyr sy’n ceisio ei fesur – bydd yn toddi’n ddŵr, cyn rhewi fel iâ. Felly dyw’r eira sy’n cael ei fesur ddim bob tro yn cyfateb i faint o eira sydd wedi disgyn. Mae eira newydd yn disgyn ar ben hen eira hefyd, ac mae’n anodd dweud faint o eira sydd wedi disgyn o un diwrnod i’r llall. 

Mae’n rhaid i’r meteorolegwyr gofio holl driciau’r eira a meddwl am ffyrdd i ddarganfod faint o eira sydd wedi disgyn. Byddan nhw’n edrych ar gwymp eira (faint o eira sy’n disgyn mewn diwrnod) a dyfnder eira (cyfanswm dyfnder yr eira, hen a newydd). Un ffordd o fesur cwymp eira yw gyda ffon bren. Bydd y meteorolegwr yn gosod y pren mewn lleoliad agored lle na fydd eira’n lluwchio ac yn mesur yr eira bob chwech awr. Drwy glirio’r eira o’r pren ar ôl ei fesur, dim ond eira’r diwrnod hwnnw fydd yn cael ei fesur, a gall y gwyddonydd ddweud faint o eira sydd wedi cwympo ar y diwrnod hwnnw. 

Gallwn ni hefyd fesur eira wedi toddi ar ffurf dŵr. Gallwch chi felly ddefnyddio’ch mesurydd glaw i fesur cwymp eira. Os taw dim ond ychydig o eira sy’n cwympo, bydd yn toddi yn y mesurydd beth bynnag, ond os yw hi’n bwrw’n drwm, ewch â’r mesurydd i mewn ac aros iddo doddi’n ddŵr. Gallwch chi wedyn fesur y dŵr fel rydych chi wedi’i wneud bob wythnos, a’i gofnodi fel glawiad yn eich cofnodion tywydd. 

Os oes eira ar lawr a bod digon o amser i arbrofi, beth am fynd ati i fesur dyfnder yr eira? Y cyfan sydd ei angen arnoch chi yw pren mesur (neu pren eira os ydych chi am siarad fel gwyddonydd gwych!). Gwthiwch y pren i’r eira tan ei fod yn cyffwrdd y ddaear a chofnodi pa mor ddwfn yw’r ddaear fesul milimedr. Rhaid i chi fesur o arwyneb gwastad (fel mainc) mewn lle agored lle nad yw’r eira’n lluwchio. Rhaid i chi gofnodi o leiaf tri mesuriad i gyfrifo dyfnder cyfartalog yr eira lleol. Cyfrifwch y cyfartaledd drwy adio’r cofnodion gwahanol a’u rhannu gyda’r nifer o gofnodion. Os ydw i’n cofnodi tri dyfnder o 7cm, 9cm a 6cm, rhaid i fi adio pob rhif (7 + 9 + 6 = 22) cyn rhannu gyda 3 (22 / 3 = 7.33). Dyfnder cyfartalog yr eira felly yw 7.33cm. 

Mae gorsafoedd tywydd fel y Swyddfa Dywydd (MET Office) wedi troi at dechnoleg i ddyfeisio dulliau newydd o fesur dyfnder eira. Edrychwch ar y llun o un o orsafoedd eira’r Swyddfa Dywydd. Mae nhw’n defnyddio synwyryddion laser i fesur dyfnder yr eira ar yr arwyneb gwastad. Gall meteorolegwyr gasglu data o bob cwr o’r wlad wrth wasgu botwm – llawer haws a mwy dibynadwy nag anfon pobl allan i’r oerfel gyda phren eira! Mae pob un o orsafoedd eira’r Swyddfa Dywydd i’w gweld ar y map – oes un yn agos atoch chi? 

Os yw hi wedi bwrw eira, cofiwch fesur y cwymp gyda’r mesurydd glaw neu’r dyfnder gyda phren eira a nodi’r canlyniadau fel ‘Sylwadau’ wrth uwchlwytho eich cofnodion wythnosol. Bydd yn ddiddorol cymharu dyfnder yr eira â chwymp yr eira yn y mesurydd glaw! 

Daliwch ati Gyfeillion y Gwanwyn, 

Athro’r Ardd

Eich sylwadau:

Carnbroe Primary School: The weather in Carnbroe changed throughout the week. It started with beautiful crisp sunny days, snow on Wednesday and finally it rained and rained. Our plants were all well watered. Hooray!!

East Fulton Primary School: We had snow during Tues evening which is why rainfall reading is so high on Wed.

Auchenlodment Primary School: On Tuesday night it snowed so the rain gauge was filled with snow on Wednesday. We had to melt the snow so we could get a reading.

St. Charles Primary School: It was very icy this week and the water in the water gauge was frozen.

Ysgol Y Wern: Mae'r tywydd wedi oeri ond mae hi wedi bod yn heulog.

Arkholme CE Primary School: First really cold weather also got a bit of frost and one of the pots fell over. None of the bulbs have started to sprout yet though.

Stanford in the Vale Primary School: Frosty mornings, bright blue skies we have experienced this week.  Heavy rain on Wednesday.

Henllys CIW Primary: We had a lot of rain on Wednesday and it was cold on Monday

Beulah School: very rainy Tuesday night !!!!!!!!!!

Trellech Primary School: It rained on Wednesday but not any other day of the week. It was fun measuring the rainfall.

St. Nicholas Primary School: We had a lot of rain on Tuesday night.

Barmston Village Primary School: The weather has been rainy this week.

Ysgol Glanyfferi: A wet week in Wales! Getting colder. Looking forward to seeing green shoots.

Broad Haven Primary School: It was very windy to start this week but with some sun. We had more rain and it was cold in the mornings.

Ysgol Rhys Prichard: A lot of rain on Wednesday. Really cold on Tuesday.

Darran Park Primary: The rainfall hasn't been very consistent. On the other hand the temperature has been very consistent has only varied by 1 or 2 degrees.

St. Charles Primary School: It was very icy this week and the water in the water gauge was frozen.

Garstang St. Thomas' CE Primary School: We were on half term this week but Mrs Bosson kept a record of the rainfall and temperature for us.

Professor Plant: Thank you Mrs Bosson!

Breckon Hill Primary School: We have measured the temperature and the rainfall in the location of the pots (front of the school) and in the flower beds (at the back of the school). We have noticed that it is slightly warmer at the front of the school as this area gets a little bit more sun.

Archwilio Achau Emlyn Davies y Draper

Mae'r gwaith o ddatblygu sesiwn i blant am Siop Draper Emlyn Davies yn parhau yma yn yr Amgueddfa Wlân.

Roedd modd dechrau creu llun cyffrous o’r siop a’i  pherchennog trwy bori trwy dudalennau bywgraffiad Alan Owen: Emlyn Davies The Life & Times Of A Dowlais Draper in the first Half Of The Twentieth Century.

I ddechrau, roedd gan Richard Davies (sef enw genedigol Emlyn Davies) linach deuluol drawiadol. Roedd yn perthyn i'r Parchedig John Williams, a oedd yn bregethwr, bardd, cyfansoddwr emynau ac ysgrifwr nodedig; a John Havard a fu’n lawfeddyg ym mrwydr Waterloo.

Ar droad y ganrif ddiwethaf mae’n debyg fod y teulu yn gerddorol tu hwnt, ac yn un o’r rhai cyntaf yn yr ardal i fod yn berchen ar ‘phonograph’, sef dyfais fecanyddol i recordio sain. Mae’n debyg y deuai cymdogion a pherthnasau i fewn yn slei i gyntedd ei cartref i wrando arno!

Blynyddoedd o Eithafion

Bu 1912 i 1914 yn flynyddoedd o eithafion i’r siop a’r ardal:

1912:  Bu streic chwerw yn y gweithfeydd rhwng Mawrth 1af a diwedd Ebrill a gafodd effaith ddifrifol ar fusnesau lleol. Yna i’r gwrthwyneb yn llwyr fe siriolwyd Dowlais ddigysur gan faneri ac addurniadau lliwgar ar Fehefin 29fed pan ymwelodd y Brenin a’r Frenhines â’r dre.

Hydref 1913: Bu trychineb gwaethaf y diwydiant glo yn yr ardal sef Tanchwa Senghennydd, lle cafodd 439 o ddynion a bechgyn eu lladd.

Y stori fwya hynod ac annisgwyl efallai oedd cysylltiad y siop a storm ddifrifol a ddigwyddodd bythefnos ar ôl y digwyddiad ofnadwy hwnnw. Bu corwynt enfawr a chwythwyd a chlwyfwyd Doli - un o geffylau cludo parseli y siop, drosodd yn y gwynt!

1914: Ac ar nodyn ddwysach fyth - yr Ergyd Farwol - Y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf a’i holl erchylltra a gyffyrddodd â phob cymuned.

Rhyfeloedd Byd: Newid Byd yn Nowlais

Bu byd o newid i nifer o bobl wedi‘r rhyfel byd 1af, ac yn enwedig i ferched. Mae Miriam - Minnie fel y gelwid - merch hynaf Emlyn Davies, yn esiampl o’r effaith yma.

Yn ystod y rhyfel er ei bod hi’n astudio mewn ysgol breswyl yn Aberhonddu, fe ddychwelodd i helpu yn y siop oherwydd bod nifer o’r dynion wedi gorfod mynd i ymladd. Yna, yn 1937 wedi marwolaeth ei thad, etifeddodd y siop mewn cyfnod anodd a thywyll arall.

Fe wnaeth y rhan yma o’r stori a’i chymeriad a’i bywyd hi gynnig ei hun fel spardun i greu sesiwn ysgolion yma yn yr Amgueddfa Wlân.

O fantais hefyd oedd bod hwn yn hanes o fewn côf. Cyffrowyd fi wrth feddwl mod i’n mynd i gael cyfle i wrando ar Mr Owen yn darlunio’r siop yn ystod y cyfnod cythryblus yma.

Cwrdd â Theulu Emlyn Davies

Dyna od fel mae rhywun yn dechrau tueddu dychmygu bod cymeriad mewn ffilm, llun neu lyfr yn parhau i fod yr un oed am byth - ac wrth deithio gyda'r curadur Mark Lucas i fwthyn bach ar gyrion Castell Newydd Emlyn i gyfarfod a Alan Owen (wyr Emlyn Davies), bron i mi argyhoeddi fy hun fy mod yn mynd i weld bachgen bach gyda chapan a throwsus byr a la y 30au!

Yr hyn sydd yn arbennig am gael cyfarfod wyneb yn wyneb a phobl sydd ynghlwm â hanes fel hyn yw eich bod yn cael gwell amgyffred o bersonoliaethau. Cofiai Mr Owen ei dadcu fel person hoffus, cariadus, a charedig - ac er ei fod yn amlwg yn ddyn busnes llwyddiannus gyda chyfrifoldebau mawr yn ei waith a’i gymdeithas, roedd hi’n ddifyr i ddarganfod y berthynas a fu rhyngddynt.

Cofiai fel y deuai ei dadcu ag anrhegion yn ôl iddo fe a’i chwaer bob tro y teithiai ar hyd y wlad ar fusnes. Cofiai gael llwnc o gwrw ganddo hefyd a chael ei gwrsio rownd y cownter!

Soniodd llawer am y gymuned fel yr oedd yn blentyn - roedd llawer o Wyddelod yn byw yn yr ardal yr adeg honno ac roedd  atgofion ganddo am orymdeithiau lliwgar ‘Corpus Christi’yn Dowlais.

Bu Mr Owen a’i chwaer ‘fach’ Mrs .Joan Preston (trwy ebost) yn garedig tu hwnt yn rhannu nifer o’u hatgofion o’r siop yn ystod y rhyfel pan fu eu mham Miriam Owen (Minnie) yn rhedeg y siop – ond eto mwy am hyn yn y blog nesaf!

Y gamp nesaf fydd cwtogi yn ofalus hanes hanner cant o flynyddoedd y siop i script 45 munud!

Helo Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Diolch am yr holl waith yr ydych wedi gwneud ac am rannu eich lluniau! Roedd o'n hynod o galed i ddewis dim ond pum enillydd. Mae'r lluniau a ddewiswyd yn dod o ysgolion yng Nghymru sef ddim cymryd rhan yn y prosiectau estyniad Edina. Os ydych yn cymryd rhan yn y prosiectau estyniad Edina fydd eich llun hefo cyfle o ennill cystadleuaeth nhw, a bydd yr Edina yn cyhoeddi enillwyr yn fuan.

Dyma'r enillwyr:

Severn Primary School

Ysgol Trellech

Ysgol San Sior

Ysgol Abererch

Ysgol Pennant

Bydd eich gwobrau yn y post erbyn wythnos nesa Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn.

Rwyf isio ddweud diolch mawr i bob ysgol a rhannodd ei lluniau. Oedd o’n hyfryd gweld y gwaith rydych wedi gwneud, fallu plîs cadwch ymlaen yn rhannu gyda ni!

Cafodd llawer o sylwadau diddorol ei rhannu gyda’r cofnodion tywydd wythnos dwytha. Dyma rhai ohonyn nhw:

Eich sylwadau

YGG Tonyrefail: Mae wedi bod yn wythnos sych iawn....a very dry week Professor Plant!

Ysgol Tal y Bont: Mae'n oeri yn araf yn nhal y bont wythnos yma yr athro planhigin

St. Charles Primary School: The weather this week was cold and mostly dry.

The Blake CE Primary School: It has been a bit damp this week especially at the end of the week. It is starting to feel a lot colder as winter is coming.

St Robert's R.C Primary School: It's been getting colder!!

Boston West Academy: We think the weather has been warmer than we would have expected for this time of year and there has been hardly any rain.

Darran Park Primary: We have noticed that the temperature has started to drop over the week. It has been mostly dry, however, there was a shower on Thursday night.

Ysgol Iau Hen Golwyn: It was fun. There wasn't much rain.

Broad Haven Primary School: A dry sunny week cold in the mornings but warm by the afternoon. Rain expected this weekend -but only showers

Stanford in the Vale Primary School: Monday we had no school. Enjoying looking at our planted bulbs! We have had some frosty mornings.

Carnbroe Primary School: We have had a sunny, dry but cold week. We have decided to make predictions about our bulbs and we are all excited to find out what will happen.

Henllys CIW Primary: We have had no rain and we have been allowed out to play!!!

Hudson Road Primary School: It has been really nice Autumn weather. We hope our bulbs are warm in the soil.

Ysgol Rhys Prichard: First frost of the Autumn this Wednesday!

Auchenlodment Primary School: We all enjoyed collecting the data and from next week we will work in pairs to collect the data.

Trellech Primary School: Thank you for letting us complete the bulb activity we really enjoyed taking our measurements. Diolch yn fawr.

Professor Plant: Thank you for taking part Bulb Buddies, I’m glad that you are enjoying the project!

Breckon Hill Primary School: We have measured the temperature and the rainfall in the location of the pots (front of the school) and in the flower beds (at the back of the school). We have noticed that it is slightly warmer at the front of the school as this area gets a little bit more sun.

Professor Plant: It’s fantastic that you are observing these differences and logging them Bulb Buddies! Which bulbs do you think will flower first?

Our Lady of Peace Primary School: This was our first week. Mr Kelly showed us what to do.

Barmston Village Primary School: We are noticing some liquid in the rain gauge when it has not rained. We think it is like the dew that has been on the grass as there is only a little bit of it.

Professor Plant: Hi Bulb Buddies, well done for noticing the liquid and questioning how it will have come to be in the rain gauge! I suspect that you are right and that the water is the result of dew forming inside the gauge. Air contains water vapour, and the higher the temperature the more water vapour it contains. When the temperature drops (as it often does overnight) the air cools and releases the water vapour it has been carrying. When surfaces or objects cool to the point that the air around them can no longer contain its level of water vapour, the air will condense and form droplets on the surface of the object. Fantastic Work Bulb Buddies!

Law Primary School: All pupils in Primary 5 have really enjoyed planting the daffodils and crocus. They are working in pairs to record rainfall and temperature each day.