Fflintiau o goedwigoedd Cymru

Phil Shepherd yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd gyda rhai o'r darganfyddiadau y mae wedi eu casglu dros y 25 mlynedd diwethaf.

Phil Shepherd yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd gyda rhai o'r darganfyddiadau y mae wedi eu casglu dros y 25 mlynedd diwethaf.

Casgliad bach o fflintiau Mesolithig diweddarach o Gefn Rhos-gwair (Rhondda Cynon Taf); maent yn dyddio o 7500-4000CC.

Casgliad bach o fflintiau Mesolithig diweddarach o Gefn Rhos-gwair (Rhondda Cynon Taf); maent yn dyddio o 7500-4000CC.

Casgliad o grafelli fflint o Garn-y-bwlch (Rhondda Cynon Taf).

Casgliad o grafelli fflint o Garn-y-bwlch (Rhondda Cynon Taf).

Pen saeth o Luest Wen (Rhondda Cynon Taf), yn dyddio o'r cyfnod Neolithig diweddar (3400-2500CC).

Pen saeth o Luest Wen (Rhondda Cynon Taf), yn dyddio o'r cyfnod Neolithig diweddar (3400-2500CC).

Mae gwaith un gŵr wedi ein helpu ni i ddeall yn well sut fywyd oedd hi ar ucheldiroedd de Cymru yn ystod y cyfnod cynhanesyddol cynnar.

Dros gyfnod o 25 mlynedd, mae'r coedwigwr Phil Shepherd wedi chwilio'n systematig am arfau fflint cynhanesyddol wrth iddo baratoi tir y Comisiwn Coedwigaeth ar gyfer plannu neu dorri coed. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, mae Phil wedi darganfod 1,636 o ddarnau unigol o fflint ac aeth â phob un ohonynt i'r Amgueddfa ac Oriel Genedlaethol yng Nghaerdydd, fel rhodd ar ran Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru.

Yn 2000, enillodd Phil Wobr Darganfyddwr y Flwyddyn Tarmac yn seremoni Gwobrau Archaeolegol Prydain am ei ofal wrth sicrhau bod yr holl fflintiau y mae ef a'i gydweithwyr yn eu darganfod yn ystod eu gwaith yn cael eu cofnodi'n gywir a'u dwyn i sylw arbenigwyr.

Mae llawer o'r fflintiau y mae Phil wedi eu darganfod yn rhychau'r coedwigoedd yn amrywio o ran eu hoedran o'r cyfnod Mesolithig cynnar (9200CC) hyd yr Oes Efydd (tua 2000CC). Mae cyfanswm nifer y safleoedd Mesolithig hysbys ar ucheldiroedd de Cymru wedi cynyddu'n sylweddol o ganlyniad i'w ddarganfyddiadau niferus.

Yn ystod y cyfnod Mesolithig roedd yr hinsawdd yn gynhesach ac yn fwy gwlyb ac roedd cyfran helaeth o'r dirwedd dan orchudd o goed derw, llwyfain, bedw a chyll. Prin iawn fyddai'r conwydd a gysylltir â choedwigoedd Cymru heddiw.

Dim ond tua diwedd y cyfnod hwn (tua 4000CC) y dechreuodd pobl ddifa'r coedwigoedd at ddibenion ffermio cynnar, ac o ganlyniad dinoethwyd llawer o'r ucheldiroedd nes y crëwyd y planhigfeydd coedwigaeth mwy diweddar.

Gall darganfyddiadau ar wyneb y tir, fel y rhai y mae Phil a'i gydweithwyr yn eu ffeindio, ddarparu gwybodaeth bwysig ynglŷn â'r ffordd o fyw mewn rhannau arbennig o'r wlad. Mae pob darn yn adrodd ei stori ei hun, fel yr hanesion a groniclir gan gapsiynau lluniau'r erthygl hon.

Darllen Cefndir

Treasure gan R. Hobbs. Cyhoeddwyd gan Wasg yr Amgueddfa Brydeinig (2003).

Prehistoric Wales gan F. Lynch, S. Aldhouse-Green a J. L. Davies. Cyhoeddwyd gan Sutton (2000).

sylw (3)

Nid yw sylwadau ar gael ar hyn o bryd. Ymddiheuriadau am yr anghyfleustra.
laurence peddle
1 Hydref 2015, 11:48

Hi Sara,
Thanks very much for your reply.I followed the link and watched the video.The flint knapping looked fiendishly difficult, and I wondered whether bronze age students went to flint-knapping college.
Probably not.
I should explain that I was born and brought up in the Ogmore Valley and that my interest in its prehistory started when I joined the online Ogmore Valley Local History Facebook Group last year.
I noticed that members of the group had a great deal of interest in, and knowledge of, life in the valley since coal mining took hold in the nineteenth century.
When it came to pre-industrial history, however, there were just vague references to post-medieval farming communities.
Nothing seems to be known about the valley in the dark ages or, for all I know, as an outpost of the Roman Empire.
That being the case, I'd like to be able to write an article about the valley's early history and to upload it to the local history group, to which end I've decided to leapfrog over a few thousand years in order to end up in the Bronze Age; because I know, from burial mounds and cairns on the hilltops above the valley, that its prehistory goes back at least that far.
In view of the article on Phil Shepherd,there is no reason, as far as I can see, why there should not be flint tools or the detritus of flint knapping awaiting discovery in the Ogmore Valley hills or at lower levels.
At the moment, however, I have no idea where or how to start looking; but I'm working on it.Thanks again; bye for now.

Sara Huws Staff Amgueddfa Cymru
29 Medi 2015, 10:36

Hi Laurence,

Thanks for comment.

I have passed on your enquiry to one of our archaeologists, and will post their response when I get it - they may choose to contact you by email in due course.

The prehistory of South Wales is fascinating - it's amazing to think of the time and skill that went into these beautiful pieces, all those years ago. I have really enjoyed learning about flink knapping from Dr Bruce Bradley, who is an expert in the craft, as well as an archaeologist - you might be interested in this video of him at work: Dr Bruce Bradley Flint Knapping Video

laurence peddle
28 Medi 2015, 20:22
Hi. I know this article was published 8 years ago,but I'd very much like to contact Phil Shepherd, living as I do in South Wales and being very interested in its prehistory. I'd love to go out in the field and make interesting discoveries, but I don't know where to start or how to proceed. It's a long shot, but I'd be very grateful if you could pass this message on to Phil Shepherd, assuming, of course, that he is available to receive it. Sincerely, Laurence Peddle