Archaeoleg yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru Ysgol Undydd / North-West Wales Archaeology Day School

Dewch draw i ddysgu mwy am Ogledd Orllewin Cymru hynafol. Gyda darganfyddiadau o’r cyfnod Mesolithig, Oes yr Haearn, cyfnod y Rhufeiniaid ac Oes y Tywysogion, yn ogystal ag adolygiadau o waith newydd ar y diwydiant llechi a threfi ac adeiladau hanesyddol. Mae’r diwrnod wedi ei drefnu ar y cyd rhwng Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Gwynedd ac Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri.

Dydd Sadwrn 28ain Ionawr 2012, Plas Tan y Bwlch.

I ddarganfod mwy ac i gofrestru, lawrlwythwch y ffurflen archebu pdf Day School Programme

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Come along to find out more about ancient north-west Wales. With discoveries from the Mesolithic, the Iron Age, the Roman period and the Age of the Princes, plus reviews of the work on the slate industry and historic towns and buildings. The day school is organised by Gwynedd Archaeological Trust and the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

Saturday 28th January 2012, Plas Tan y Bwlch.

To find out more and to register please download the pdf booking form Day School Programme

Diwrnod Agored / Open Day Tai Cochion, Ynys Mon

Diwrnodau Agored / Open Days Abergwyngregyn

Anglesey AONB Crop Marks Project

A project has been under way for the last two years in the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty supported by Cadw with accompanying educational supported by funding from the Anglesey AONB Sustainability Fund. It has been investigating a number of new archaeological sites discovered through aerial photographic survey by the RCAHMW and by Pixaerial. In 2009 a program of geophysical surveys of a selection of sites was carried out. In May 2010 one of the sites was investigated by trial excavation to characterise the remains, provide dating and interpretative evidence and to assess their survival and potential.

The area chosen for the field work was a sub-circular hill-top enclosure at Carrog, Llanbadrig, the survey of which showed a number of internal features and interpreted on typological grounds as a possible a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age defended site (see fig.). Thanks go to the farmer Jac Jones and to the landowner Robin Groves-White for allowing the excavation to be carried out and to the local people who helped on the excavation and gave encouragement.

The excavation at Carrog showed a large enclosure ditch, 4m wide and over 2m deep, of surprising size considering that the whole enclosure is only 50m diameter (see fig.). Within the enclosure were a number of small post-holes, some forming an arc that may be the outer wall of a single large central roundhouse. Unfortunately there were no associated datable artefacts but beneath the area of the former defensive bank and some way beyond it were found a number of hearth pits, some containing worked flint and chert and distinctive pottery showing occupation of the hill-top during the Early Neolithic period.

After the enclosure ditch had been largely silted up it had been backfilled and a small rectangular building had been built in it associated with part of a flat rotary quern and a stone loom-weight, believed to be of Romano-British date. The defended enclosure therefore preceded this phase by a considerable period. Its date should be eventually determined by radiocarbon dating.

Carrog enclosure ditch terminal after excavation

Carrog geophysical survey, excavated area and features

Ardal o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol Ynys Môn – Prosiect Olion Cnydau

Mae prosiect wedi bod yn mynd rhagddo ers dwy flynedd yn Ardal o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol Ynys Môn, sy’n cael ei gefnogi gan Cadw, gydag adnoddau addysgol ategol a ddarperir gyda chyllid gan Gronfa Cynaliadwyedd Ardal o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol Ynys Môn.  Mae’r prosiect wedi bod yn ymchwilio i amryw o safleoedd archeolegol newydd a ddarganfuwyd drwy arolwg ffotograffig o’r awyr a gynhaliwyd gan Gomisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru a Pixaerial. Yn 2009, cynhaliwyd rhaglen o arolygon geoffisegol ar nifer o safleoedd. Ym mis Mai 2010, aethpwyd ati i ymchwilio i un o’r safleoedd drwy gloddiad prawf i ganfod nodweddion yr olion, i ddarparu tystiolaeth o’u dyddiad a thystiolaeth ddeongliadol, ac i asesu eu goroesiad a’u potensial.

Lloc pen bryn is-gylchog yng Ngharrog, Llanbadrig, oedd y llecyn a ddewiswyd ar gyfer y gwaith maes. Dangosodd yr arolwg o’r safle amryw o nodweddion mewnol, ac ar sail deipolegol, dehonglwyd mai safle amddiffynnol posibl o ddiwedd yr Oes Efydd neu ddechrau Oes yr Haearn ydoedd. Rhaid diolch i Jac Jones y ffermwr, a Robin Groves-White, perchennog y tir, am ganiatáu i’r gwaith cloddio fynd rhagddo, ac i’r bobl leol am eu help gyda’r gwaith cloddio ac am eu hanogaeth.

Yn sgil y gwaith cloddio yng Ngharrog, canfuwyd ffos o amgylch y safle a oedd yn 4m o led a dros 2m o ddyfnder. Synnwyd at ei maint wrth ystyried mai dim ond 50m yw diamedr y safle cyfan (gweler ffig.). O fewn y lloc roedd amryw o dyllau pyst bach, gyda rhai’n ffurfio bwa a allai fod yn wal allanol un tŷ crwn mawr canolog. Yn anffodus, nid oedd dim arteffactau cysylltiedig y gellid eu dyddio, ond o dan yr hen glawdd amddiffynnol ac ychydig y tu ôl iddo daethpwyd o hyd i sawl pydew, gyda rhai’n cynnwys cornfeini a fflintiau wedi’u naddu a chrochenwaith unigryw a oedd yn dangos bod y lloc yn cael ei ddefnyddio fel annedd yn ystod y cyfnod Neolithig Cynnar.

Ar ôl i’r ffos gael ei llenwi â llaid cafodd ei hôl-lenwi, ac adeiladwyd adeilad bychan hirsgwar ynddi ynghyd â rhan o freuan droi fflat a phwys gwŷdd carreg y credir eu bod yn dyddio nôl i’r cyfnod Brythonig-Prydeinig.    Felly, cafodd y lloc ei adeiladu gryn dipyn cyn y cyfnod hwn. Ymhen amser, dylai bod modd dyddio’r lloc drwy ddefnyddio system ddyddio radiocarbon.

Archaeological work at Llanfechell Standing Stone, Anglesey

Bu i faen hir trawiadol yn Llanfechell, ger Cemaes, Ynys Môn, syrthio i’r llawr fis Tachwedd 2009.  Roedd wedi bod yn gwyro ryw ychydig ers blynyddoedd lawer ac wedi cyfnod o dywydd gwlyb iawn, meddalodd y tir o’i gwmpas. Meddalodd y tir ymhellach wrth i wartheg ei sathru.  Wedi i’r maen syrthio, gwelwyd mai dim ond 0.7m ohono oedd wedi bod o dan y ddaear, er ei fod yn faen mawr iawn, yn 2.7m o uchder. Roedd y maen yn nodwedd enwog yn lleol ac yn Heneb Gofrestredig. Ymatebodd Cadw yn brydlon, gan ofyn i Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Gwynedd drefnu gwaith cloddio, er mwyn gallu rhoi’r maen yn ôl yn ei le.  Symudwyd y maen, sy’n pwyso 4.6 tunnell, i’r naill ochr gan graen ac ym mis Ionawr 2010, cloddiwyd ryw ychydig ar y twll a oedd wedi’i ddifrodi a chynhaliwyd arolwg geoffisegol ar yr ardal o’i amgylch.  Ni ddaeth yr arolwg o hyd i unrhyw nodweddion newydd ond datgelodd y cloddio 20 o gerrig pacio yn y twll. Gwelwyd bod y fwyaf o’r cerrig pacio hyn wedi’i haddurno â chafn-nod a chylch pigedig a chafn-nod arall. Mae cafn-nodau a chylchoedd yn brin yng Ngogledd Cymru ac mae’r cysylltiad â maen hir yn arbennig o arwyddocaol.  Mae’n awgrymu swyddogaeth symbolaidd, fel rhan o seremoni’n gysylltiedig â’r maen neu i gyd-fynd â chladdedigaeth efallai. Yng ngwaelod twll y maen, o dan y safle lle’r oedd sylfaen y maen hir, cafwyd hyd i dwll bychan wedi’i orchuddio gan lechfeini.  Roedd yn cynnwys sylwedd organig tywyll, gyda rhywfaint o olosg grug ynddo. Mae’n sicr bron bod y twll yn safle ar gyfer dyddodion sylfaen, yn cynnwys offrwm efallai. Nid oedd unrhyw arwydd ei fod wedi cynnwys corfflosgiad. Mae’r cyfle i archwilio union leoliad maen hir, yn hytrach na’r ardal o’i amgylch, yn un prin ac yn gyfle posibl hefyd i ddarganfod yr union ddyddiad pryd gosodwyd y maen yn ei le.  Mae gwaith cloddio blaenorol o amgylch meini hirion yn awgrymu eu bod yn dyddio o’r Oes Efydd Gynnar, tua dechrau’r 2^il fileniwm CC. Ychydig iawn o sylwedd wedi’i garboneiddio a gafwyd o’r maen yn Llanfechell a dim ond un dyddiad sydd wedi’i sicrhau hyd yma.  Roedd hyn tua 700-400CC, ychydig yn hwyrach na’r disgwyl, ond y gobaith yw sicrhau o leiaf un dyddiad arall.

Ailgodwyd y maen ar 6^ed Medi 2010 gan gontractwyr ar y cyd â Chadwraeth Cymru, tîm gwaith adeiladu Cadw. Cloddiwyd twll newydd a rhoddwyd y maen yn ôl yn ei union leoliad gwreiddiol gan graen, ac yn cael ei gynnal gan graidd caled wedi’i wasgu’n dynn i’w le a’i atgyfnerthu gan gymysgedd galch.  Mae’r garreg cafn-nod a chylch wedi mynd i Oriel Ynys Môn a bydd adroddiad ar y gwaith yn cael ei lunio wedi rhagor o astudiaethau gwyddonol. Diolch i berchennog y tir, Robin Grove-White, ac i’r ffermwr, Jac Jones, am eu cefnogaeth a’u cymorth. Dywedodd Mr Grove-White bod rhoi’r maen yn ôl yn ei le yn achlysur pwysig i’r gymuned ‘Mae’n dirnod pwysig iawn yn y rhan yma o Ynys Môn ac mae’n golygu llawer i bawb’. Mae’n ymddangos bod ardal Llanfechell wedi bod yn ganolfan bwysig i weithgarwch cynhanes a’i bod yn deilwng o waith ymchwil pellach. Mae’n cynnwys gweddillion beddrod siambr Neolithig, lleoliad unigryw gyda thri maen hir, grŵp o grugiau crynion mawr ac anheddiad pen bryn yn dyddio o’r cyfnod Neolithig Cynnar a’r Oes Haearn.

George Smith

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An impressive standing stone at Llanfechell, near Cemaes, Anglesey fell over in November 2009. It had been leaning slightly for many years and a period of very wet weather softened the ground around it, increased by the effects of cattle trampling. The exposed stone showed that despite its large size, 2.7m high, only 0.7m had been below ground. The stone was a well-known local feature and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Cadw quickly responded, asking GAT to organise an excavation to allow re-erection of the stone. The stone, weighing 4.6 tons, was moved to one side by crane and in January 2010 a small excavation was carried out of the damaged stone-hole and a geophysical survey was carried out of the surrounding area. The survey did not identify any new features but the excavation revealed 20 packing stones in the pit. The largest of these packing stones was found to have been decorated with a pecked cup and ring mark and another cup mark. Cup and ring marks are rare in North Wales and the association with a standing stone is especially significant. It suggests a symbolic function, as part of a ceremony associated with the stone or perhaps to accompany a burial. At the base of the stone pit, beneath the former position of the base of the standing stone, a small slab-covered pit was found. It contained a dark organic fill containing some heather charcoal. It seems certain that the pit was a foundation deposit, perhaps containing an offering. There was no sign that it had contained a cremation burial. The opportunity to investigate the actual setting of a standing stone, as opposed to the area around it is rare and presents the possibility of dating the actual erection of the stone. Previous excavations around standing stones suggest that they are of Early Bronze Age date, around the early 2^nd millennium BC. There was very little carbonised material from the Llanfechell stone and only one date has so far been obtained. This was about 700-400BC, somewhat later than expected, but it is hoped to obtain at least one more date.

The stone was re-erected on 6^th September 2010 by contractors together with Cadwraith Cymru, the building works team of Cadw. A new pit was dug and the stone dropped back by crane exactly in its former position, supported by rammed hardcore strengthened by a lime mixture. The cup and ring-marked stone has been placed in the Oriel Ynys Môn and a report on the work will be produced after more scientific study. Thanks go to the landowner, Robin Grove-White, and to the farmer, Jac Jones for support and assistance. Mr Grove-White said the re-instatement was a big moment for the community ‘It is a very important landmark in this part of Anglesey and means a great deal to everybody’. The Llanfechell area seems to have been an important centre of prehistoric activity that deserves more investigation. It contains the remains of  Neolithic chambered tomb, a unique setting of three standing stones, a group of large round barrows and a hilltop settlement of Early Neolithic and Iron Age date.

George Smith

Anglesey Show 2010 Sioe Môn

Face Painting by Jessica

Visitors to the GAT Stand

Cawsom dywydd braf a sych yn Sioe Môn eleni ac, o ganlyniad, roedd nifer yr ymwelwyr â’n stondin yn dda (mwy na 200). Ymhlith yr ymwelwyr roedd Cyfeillion Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Gwynedd, pobl â gwybodaeth am ddarganfyddiadau a safleoedd ynghyd â llawer o aelodau eraill o’r cyhoedd a oedd yn ymddiddori yn ein gwaith.

Llawer o ddiolch i Jessica am baentio wynebau, Roland am gofnodi’r wybodaeth a gafwyd gan y cyhoedd a Sara am wirfoddoli i’n cynorthwyo ar y stondin ac am rannu ei phrofiadau gwirfoddoli yn Nhai Cochion.

Welwn ni chi yno’r flwyddyn nesaf!

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We enjoyed fine dry weather at the Anglesey show this year, and visitor numbers to our stand were good (over 200) as a result. Visitors included Friends of Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, people with information about finds and sites along with many other interested members of the public.

Many thanks to Jessica for the face painting, Roland for recording information given by the public and to Sara for volunteering to assist us on the stall and for sharing her Tai Cochion volunteering experiences.

See you there next year!

Llanbeblig

Mae gwaith cloddio’n mynd rhagddo ar safle datblygu yn Llanbeblig, ar ymyl ddwyreiniol Caernarfon, 300m i’r dwyrain o gaer Rufeinig Segontium. Gwelwyd potensial archaeolegol y safle yn 2009 pan dynnwyd llun gan Toby Driver (Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru) a oedd yn dangos tystiolaeth o grugfynwent sgwâr. Hyd yma, mae’r gwaith cloddio wedi datgelu nifer o gladdfeydd, rhai ohonynt wedi’u hamgylchynu gan ffosydd sgwâr. Tybir bod y claddfeydd yn dyddio’n ôl i’r cyfnod canoloesol cynnar. Os felly, mae’n bosib y bydd y safle yn rhoi hanes dyddiau cynharaf Caernarfon i ni, gan ddangos y datblygiad o gyfnod caer Rufeinig Segontium hyd at sefydlu Teyrnas Gwynedd ac Oes y Tywysogion. Ceir nodweddion yma sy’n debyg i nodweddion safleoedd eraill, megis Tandderwen, ger Dinbych, a Chapel Eithin, Ynys Môn, a oedd hefyd yn cynnwys claddfeydd wedi’u hamgylchynu gan ffosydd sgwâr.

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Excavations are being carried out on a development site at Llanbeblig, on the eastern edge of Caernarfon, 300m east of Segontium Roman fort. The archaeological potential of the site was noted in 2009 when an aerial photograph taken by Toby Driver (RCAHMW) revealed evidence of a square barrow cemetery. The excavations have so far revealed a number of burials, some of which are surrounded by square ditches. The burials are thought to date to the early medieval period. If this is the case, the site may help chart the origins of Caernarfon, showing continuity of settlement from the period of Segontium Roman fort to the emergence of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the Age of the Princes. Similarities with other sites have been noted, such as Tandderwen, near Denbigh, and Capel Eithen, Anglesey, which also revealed burials enclosed by square ditches.

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