Just when we thought it was all over GGAT have had to return to the Roman fort at Neath in order to extend the excavated area. It was discovered that the size of the building footprint as originally calculated proved inadequate for the new teaching block at Dwr-y-felin school. Although we only excavated a narrow strip around last year’s area, it provided us with lots of new information.

On one side of the new building, we have been able to see that the original clay structure of the rampart had been removed over the stone toe at the front to be replaced by a timber revetment made from two-inch planks. At the back of the rampart, the new revetment was formed from blocks of turf that had been stepped back so that the rampart was widest at the base. The new part of the via sagularis to be revealed had had pits dug into it. On the other side of the new building the new work revealed a T-junction, where the via sagularis, which here had drains on both sides, was joined by another road, which had the beam slots for timber buildings on either side. These probably represent the barrack blocks of the earliest fort.

Approached by Adventa GGAT put together and delivered 5 days of 1-day introduction training courses, originally only 3 had been booked however, due to popular demand it was extended to a 5 day run!

The first half of the day comprising of a presentation and discussion followed by explanation of the recording forms and processes. After lunch we then headed out for some ‘hands on’ practice heading to the local churchyards and cemeteries to see the evidence of what had been discussed and the aspects of recording and research that can be done.

Graveyards are real snapshots of community life and if viewed closely enough can reveal details and stories that might never otherwise come to life however they are a finite resource, without active attempts to record the information details of family history will be lost that may not be recorded anywhere else.

The days were hugely successful with most people coming away with new knowledge, keen to put in to practice what they had learned about, the general consensus being ‘I’ll never look at a graveyard the same way again!’

Ever wanted to learn more about the history, archaeology or wildlife of the Blaenavon area then this is your chance!

Come along to Blaenavon World Heritage Centre on Saturday 10^th September to find out more about the brand new courses on offer in the World Heritage Site.

Tutors will be available from 1pm to 5pm to discuss the exciting new learning opportunities available. There will also be a series of guided walks, talks and workshops throughout the afternoon.

This open day marks the launch of the new courses, which will start later this month. The courses have been developed by the Centre for Community and Lifelong Learning at University of Wales Newport and the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust.

The courses form part of the Forgotten Landscapes Project and are possible thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Forgotten Landscapes Education Officer, Ceri Cadwallader said ‘Blaenavon Industrial Landscape has been recognised for its outstanding universal value through designation as a World Heritage Site. We are delighted to be able to offer these courses, and hope they will allow more people to see just how rich this landscape is, both in history and wildlife.’

All Open Day activities free with no booking necessary. For more information please go to www.visitblaenavon.co.uk or contact University of Wales Newport on 01633 432432 or uicenquiries@newport.ac.uk

Courses

Changing Landscape

The story of the landscape and wildlife of the World Heritage Site, from degradation to conservation. Discover how the relationship between man and the environment has changed with time and find out how this landscape is being managed today. Course starts Tuesday 27th Sept 7–9 pm

People’s History

Are you interested in the people’s history of Blaenavon? Do you want to know how to make sense of the ‘stuff’ that has been left behind? Join this hands-on course and learn how to investigate local history through the objects that were once used in the everyday life of past residents.  Course starts Wednesday 28th Sept 7–9 pm.

Exploring your Heritage – A Community Archaeological Toolkit

This course is set out to encourage and promote the appreciation of the rich and diverse heritage of Blaenavon World Heritage Landscape and to provide a toolkit of skills so that members can take ownership of their local heritage and historic environment and have a hand in maintaining historic sites for present and future generations.  Learn how to investigate the archaeology of sites, create new historical records, look after and take responsibility for your local heritage, present your findings to your community.  Course Starts Thursday 29th Sept 7 – 9pm.

Four/five week contracts available with immediate start, possible extensions to contract thereafter.

Requirements:

Degree in archaeology (or related subject) or equivalent practical experience; Membership of the Institute for Archaeologists (Practitioner or affiliate) is an advantage. Experience in commercial archaeology also an advantage.

Applications:

There is no formal application route, interested persons should apply in writing (emails are fine) to the Trust with a letter of application and CV.

Contact

Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd
Heathfield House,
Heathfield,
Swansea.
SA1 6EL
Tel: 01792 655208
Fax: 01792474469
Email: enquiries@ggat.org.uk

Cupmarks are motifs typical of prehistoric rock art in Britain. Most British rock art originated in the Neolithic period, but it obviously still had a meaning in the Early Bronze Age, the date of the cairns on Gelligaer Common. The new find joins just three others known in Glamorgan – a cupmarked stone known as Maen Cattwg just outside Gelligaer village, another found in the Simondston Cairn excavated near Coity, Bridgend, by Sir Cyril Fox just before the Second World War, and one found a few years ago in a pile of boulders on Mynydd Marchywel north of Neath by GGAT Project Officer Jo Higgins. A fourth, in Bargoed, was described by Lady Fox in a letter written in 1949, but has now disappeared.

Janine was able to recognise the cupmark as she’d recently had Maen Cattwg pointed out to her. ´I was absolutely amazed and thought all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once!´ she said. ´I’m still astounded at our chance, but amazing discovery!´

Dr George Nash of the University of Bristol, a specialist on prehistoric rock art, comments:

´The cup is a fairly common motif used in a wider rock art tradition within Western Britain. Single cupmarks usually appear by themselves, (multiple cupmarks are rarish!). The stone on which it is gouged may be a fallen monolith – possibly a standing stone – again not uncommon within this part of the world (north-western Europe). It would be interesting to see if there are others nearby. I say this as I believe cupmarks and standing stones are very much part of a set of monuments associated with death, burial and other rituals. Both would have acted as markers within a landscape that had a spiritual meaning for the people who used it. I think that prehistoric communities would have processed through the landscape, walking from one monument to another on a carefully defined route and carrying out a set of carefully designed actions, probably at specific times of the day or points in the yearly cycle.´

He added that he could confirm that it is ancient from the way that it had weathered since it was made.

Richard Lewis (Head of Projects) came to see me to explain that it appears that a major breach of a planning condition has occurred on a very sensitive archaeological site. I phone the relevant LPA only to find that the Officer dealing with the application and the Head of Planning are both at a meeting outside the Council’s offices. A helpful assistant promises to send me the full set of planning conditions for the development and gave me the name and direct telephone contact for the Enforcement Officer, in case I feel action is required.

This morning after all the usual emails, messages etc, I’ve dealt with a utilities query – asking for mitigation where there are Bronze Age cairns in the area and explaining what that means for a below ground development. The first planning application is for methane gas extraction in an area of historic mining – ancient to modern archaeology in seconds! More tea please!

The work that is being carried out is covered by a previous planning consent so the approval of a programme of investigation is not required for the on-going work, although they are meant to have an archaeologist present carrying out a watching brief and Richard has sent one of his team to the site to do it.

Hopefully the results of the watching brief will assist in the preparation of a better programme of investigation when it is produced. It is amazing how much time can be spent sorting out possible breaches of conditions, but it must be done if we are going to ensure that the archaeology is protected.

At the moment I am engaged on the preparation of an archaeological excavation design, including Scheduled Monument Consent from Cadw, for additional work relating to the site of a Roman fort in Neath, where the Trust carried out an archaeological excavation during 2010, which continued through to the early part of 2011.

The  Roman remains discovered related to a 1st century Roman fort, which included defensive ditches and associated rampart, cooking areas and an internal circuit road.  The forthcoming works are likely to reveal details of part of the barracks.

Most of this week I’ve been working on post excavation reports, related to watching briefs carried out in the Glamorgan and Gwent area.  These include watching briefs carried out in the Caerleon area, related to the line of a former roman road, and another watching brief in the Port Talbot area along the line of a new road scheme which, has uncovered a number of features related to former industrial activity.

Today I had hoped to continue with the writing up of a small watching brief, carried out this week in Cowbridge.  However, another fieldwork project has come up in Merthyr which, requires cover next week, and so now I’ll have to produce a risk assessment, and gather some background information in preparation for this new work.

The kind of projects we carryout are quite diverse and range from Prehistoric and Roman excavations (Swansea Bay and at Neath Nidum) to recording relict early-Industrial iron-stone extractive landscapes in the south Wales valleys.

This morning, my time has been taken up with liaising with the Local Planning Authority’s archaeological advisor (GGAT Curatorial) to provide archaeological cover for an emergency arising in Merthyr Tydfil.

My next problem to solve is how to cover all of our archaeological watching briefs next week with so many staff on holiday. I may have to dust off my old boots and trowel…!!

I started my working day circa 7.30am. As part of my job I am responsible for the Trust’s IT network and e-mails, so my first job is to check the e-mails that have come in overnight, delete the vast number of spam messages that are sent to our open e-mail accounts and redirect any messages that have been wrongly addressed or sent to the open accounts and need to be answered by a specific member of staff.

I also check my own e-mails received over night, fortunately few today and read the weekly newsletter from the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) Maritime Affairs Group, which always has some fascinating information on an area of archaeology I really don’t know enough about.

Visit Day of Archaeology to learn more about what archaeologist do.

The Day of Archaeology 2011 aims to give the public a window into the daily lives of archaeologists.  The event will chronicle what archaeologist do on one single day, July 29th 2011.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what happens here at GGAT or in archaeology in general, visit the DoA website tomorrow, 29th July,  to find out what archaeology is really all about.

Visit the Day of Archaeology website here

If your out and about in the Neath today why not visit us at Neath Abbey. GGAT are attending the Cadw event in the Abbey grounds. We’ve got our children’s excavation, try your hand at wattle ‘n’ daubing or search the Trust’s records using Archwilo. There’s guided walks, talks and medieval reinactors galore!! Also, the crepes are fantastic!

GGAT would like to thank everybody that took part and made the day such a success.

Could these two rams have come from the same flock?  The discovery of this green glazed rams head vessel (on the left) at the excavations run by Cardiff University at Cosmeston, looks very similar to the one discovered by GGAT during our excavations at Cardiff Castle (on the right).   On both the enclosed tubular spout takes the form of a stylised ram’s head with large curled horns on either side. The eyes are formed by iron-rich pads of clay. The vessel is decorated on the shoulder and body with concentric lines, chevrons, and small pads similarly formed by applied strips and blobs of iron-rich clay.

Vessels, generally jugs, with anthropomorphic or zoomorphic design, usually involving the pouring spout, were popular during the medieval period, and a specialised vessel form known as the aquamanile, a horizontal ewer for the washing of hands at table, was modelled on the form of a standing animal.

The jug from Cardiff Castle is parallelled by another vessel from Cardiff, excavated at Rumney Castle (Cae Castell) in the early 1980s but subsequently all but destroyed by fire at the Trust’s headquarters in 1983 (Lightfoot 1992, 146 and Plate VIB)

Lightfoot, K W B, 1992 ‘Rumney Castle, a Ringwork and Manorial Centre in South Glamorgan’, Medieval Archaeology 36, 96-163

Today we uncovered GGAT trench two.  Completely unexpected and slightly disappointing, the gaffer tape at the bottom of a pit suggested there was something less than medieval about our so-called archaeological ‘feature’. The finds, however, are still coming thick and fast and we’re uncovering some really interesting ‘proper’ archaeology, and as we get down onto the good stuff the debates between the supervisors are becoming increasingly frequent and highly entertaining to watch. Deciding where walls end and new layers begin isn’t always clear but we’re excited about what will be revealed over the reaming two and a bit weeks.

Excavating the GGAT trench

After eating homemade cakes during afternoon break (thanks to Andy’s mum), we ended the working day with a shovelling competition. It’s a crucial element of archaeology -which I’ve yet to master- and so the competition acted as vital training for us ‘newbies’.  Admittedly I gracefully bowed out and helped to judge, not least because I am a notoriously bad shoveller and the competition in the trench was fierce. Wife beaters at the ready, a full wheelbarrow each had to be shifted onto the ever expanding spoil heap from a distance of two metres. Alice proved victorious, closely followed by Andy (despite the self inflicted drunken injuries) proving that experience beats the fresh faced inexperienced ‘babies’ of the dig. I’ve yet to master the all important wrist action but it’s an art I’m keen to perfect.

Debating Supervisors (L-R: Scott, Andy and Matthew Austin)

We’re spending the night eating cheese and biscuits and the mood in the camp is high, as it always is. It’s starting to get really exciting in the trench and we’re looking forward to what we might find tomorrow. (Let’s just hope GGAT don’t feature anymore!)

Rachel.

My name is Andrew Marvell. I am the Chief Executive at GGAT.

In order that we can reach as wide an audience as possible through new technology the Trust added to its website outputs by setting up a range of social networking links (blogger, wordpress, twitter and so forth). We realised that only a few of our staff were using these facilities and most were relying on our outreach officer to post content. So we have set up a series of internal training sessions so that all our staff can get up to speed with using these information conduits with the intention that we will be able to let you know more quickly about the projects that we are undertaking, the events that we have planned, and perhaps most importantly the discoveries that we make both during fieldwork and during post-excavation studies.

Today I and colleagues are in the third group to be trained by out Web Manager Paul Huckfield. This is my second blog and I have learnt so far how basically to use blogger and wordpress. Although as is ever the case practice will be the key. Neverless the excitement in learning a new skill is great – must check to see whether I can include this in my IFA professional CPD Log.

Today we had two main highlights; Sanchez’s homemade lemonade which provided a much needed afternoon short break and the walls mentioned in yesterday’s update and our tweet this afternoon. The walls we are now seeing were initially picked up in the 2009 trench and the 1987 GGAT ‘castle’ trial trench. From today’s work it seems that we have a cut for a robbed out wall, approximately 1.5m wide running E-W and turning to meet foundation rubble seen in the 1987 trench. The E-W wall runs parallel to the large foundation wall excavated last year and it looks as though there is a clay floor running between the two buildings. This is really exciting as it develops our understanding of a Welsh medieval manor and its associated buildings.

Comparative sites nearby can be seen at Sully, excavated prior to building work from 1963-69, and the large working farm at Old Cogan. The manor at Sully was the administrative centre for the locality and Cosmeston was a sub-manor within this. The excavations here uncovered a manorial centre with hall and other buildings similar to that at Cosmeston. These buildings were situated within a boundary wall with a gatehouse entrance, both of which we don’t have evidence for at Cosmeston. Old Cogan is within a different administrative unit to Cosmeston, but lies only 1 mile away. There is evidence for an associated settlement, as at Cosmeston, but also a mill and parish church. Although these sites provide good evidence of manorial settlement in the Vale, the work being done at Cosmeston has produced a volume of material greater than that found at any other site in the Vale. As a result we will be able to piece together not just the structural remains but also the economic and social relationships of those living in these settlements, as well as diet and everyday functions being played out in medieval south Glamorgan.

Finds

The finds tent has seen slow action on the rams head vessel. Sherds from the aquamanile/jug are cropping up in 3 contexts, all of which are associated with the demolition and robbing of the walls of the manorial buildings. So far we have approximately 70% of the rim and at the front of the vessel and body sherds leading down to the shoulder. I spent a painstaking couple of hours trying to find more joins but had to give up to avoid pottery madness. More will be done tomorrow on this and hopefully patience and persistence will win.

Children's Excavation

Come along to the FREE event on 16th July 2011 being held at Swansea (old) museum from 10:30am to 4pm

Archaeological Talks at 11am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm
Historical Society Displays
Stained glass making, Coin Striking and Roman Cookery Demonstrations
Children’s activities

Something for Everyone!

Come along and discover something new!

For further information please email enquiries@ggat.org.uk or Tel. 01792 634 236

Environmental sampling of the sand deposit in Trench 1

The report on the environmental samples taken from the soil filling the possible medieval ditch around Oystermouth Castle been returned to the office.

The results are both puzzling and disappointing and show the soil to be relevantly clean, containing miniscule amount of charcoal and a very small amount of unidentifiably biological material (and lots of pebbles). The soil from medieval ditches tends to be very dirty. So does this mean there was no ditch? Where we just unlucky and happened to sample a very clean area of the ditch? Was the ditch regularly cleaned-out when open and filled back in with remarkably clean soil? (Most unlikely!) Or was it opened and backed-filled quickly with the same material, meaning

the soil was fairly clean? (In which case the ditch wouldn’t have served a defensive purpose but could have been for foundations or quarrying.)

I’m beginning to wonder if the ditch (assuming it existed) ran around the bottom of The Tump, which was used as an outer bailey.
What do people think?