A spectacular set of 180 separate items of metalwork were discovered there in 1942-1943, including bronze swords, spears, and a shield boss bronze horns and cauldrons currency bars and chariot parts. More recently, a similarly fruitful Iron Age site with an unusual history was examined in CA 273 (December 2012), that of Llyn Cerrig Bach, on the edge of a small lake located between Rhosneigr and Valley in the west of the island. There, a team from the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust produced finds ranging from the Neolithic to the Viking Age, and in particular uncovered a spectacular series of 19 Bronze Age collared urns, more than had been found on any other site in Anglesey at the time. For example, CA 75 (February 1981) explored the Bronze Age site of Capel Eithin, in the south-east of the island near the village of Gaerwen. This was the first early Neolithic multi-house settlement ever to be identified in Wales, with a cluster of four houses almost 6,000 years old.Īnglesey’s prehistoric highlights are not restricted to the Neolithic. And, most recently, CA 332 (November 2017) examined a previously unknown Neolithic village at Llanfaethlu, to the immediate north of the village of the same name in the north-west of the island, which was discovered during works for a new community school. CA 310 and 318 (January and September 2016) visited fieldwork under way there thanks to a collaboration between Cadw and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Another stunning Neolithic site is Bryn Celli Ddu, on the south-east coast near Llanddaniel Fab, again in the care of Cadw. Terrence Powell and Glyn Daniel excavated here in 1952-1953, and more recently George Nash and Adam Stanford returned as part of the Anglesey Rock Art Project. These markings cannot be seen from the entrance, though, as they are intended to be viewed only by those who pass within. This site, which is in the care of Cadw and featured in CA 211 (September/October 2007), has an extraordinary wealth of art carved deep within its structure. Chronologically, we can begin at the Neolithic site of Barclodiad y Gawres, situated between Rhosneigr and Aberffraw on the south-west coast. The Neolithic site of Bryn Celli Ddu in Anglesey, featuring one of the best-preserved passage tombs in Wales, made the cover of CA 310.Ī series of Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age sites on Anglesey have featured in Current Archaeology over the years, for the richness of this island has long been recognised by archaeologists. Most recently, CA 358 (January 2020) explored Wales’ maritime heritage, when Chris returned to consider the contents of a new book Wales and the Sea: 10,000 years of Welsh maritime history, which makes clear the extraordinary sites and shipwrecks that lie along its coastline. It was written by no less an individual than Chris Catling, Chief Executive since 2015 of that same-said Royal Commission, and a long-standing columnist and feature-writer for this magazine. CA 228 and 249 (March 2009 and December 2010) then reviewed the history of the Royal Commission of Wales, the latter considering the particular issue of Welsh vernacular housing. This reported on the work, begun in 1973, of the Welsh Urban Research Unit, part of what was then the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments (which became part of Cadw, the Welsh government’s historic environment service) based at University College, Cardiff (later becoming the University of Cardiff). The first of these came in issue 53 (November 1975), which considered the historic towns of Wales.

Alas, the reality is that CA’s coverage of Wales is patchy in places, and so I will pick instead from the richest offerings by general region rather than individual county.īy way of introduction, I will begin by flagging some national reviews that have featured down the years, surveys of the overall archaeological greatness of the country. I apologise in advance – and imply no slight – for not touring Wales county by county as I have done so far in England. In the next few columns, I will make partial amends for this by focusing on Wales – for this column, on North Wales. I am aware that, in my tour of Current Archaeology’s ‘county archaeologies’, I have yet to step outside England.

Hidden hoard bastion north