Prehistoric enclosures in southern
Ceredigion Dig Diary 2005
PREHISTORIC ENCLOSURES IN SOUTHERN CEREDIGION
Over the past few years a group of between 20 and 30 small rectangular
cropmark enclosures in north Pembrokeshire and south Ceredigion
has been recorded by aerial photography. Their date and function
is not known, although their shape suggests that they are late prehistoric
or Romano-British settlements.
Dyfed Archaeological Trust is currently undertaking a
programme of investigation of these sites in partnership with the
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and the University of
York. During the summer of 2004, geophysical and topographic survey
was conducted on eight sites and demonstrated that important below-ground
archaeology has survived. In particular circular gullies, probably
indicating the location of round-houses, hearths, post-holes and
internal divisions of the enclosures were detected on some sites.
This evidence is similar to that obtained by excavation on Iron
Age defended settlement sites.
During July and August 2005 both topographic and
geophysical survey will be carried out at a further five or six
sites. One of the sites examined in 2004 will be further investigated
by excavation. The project will be undertaken in collaboration with
the University of York and with the support of funding from Cadw.
The illustration shows the geophysical plot
of the site that will be excavated during the summer of 2005.
Cropmarked
Enclosures Project page
THE EXCAVATION OF IRON AGE DEFENDED ENCLOSURE NEAR
CARDIGAN
This is a joint project between Dyfed Archaeological Trust,
the University of York and the Royal Commission of Ancient and Historic
Monuments in Wales. It is grant-aided by Cadw.
In 2004, geophysical survey was undertaken on six
small rectangular defended enclosures near Cardigan. These sites
show only as crop-marks during dry summers; there are no earthworks
or other remains to indicate their presence. The 2004 demonstrated
that important below-ground archaeology is likely to survive on
most of these sites. In 2005, therefore, several more sites will
be surveyed and one of the sites surveyed in 2004 will be partly
excavated.
Day
1 – 17 July 2005
A set-up day. Tools were taken to the site and the trenches
marked out ready for mechanical excavation.
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Dave Williams laying out the trenches
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Day
2 – 18 July 2005
Mechanical excavation started with the excavation of
Trench 2, located over the entrance of the annexe to
the main enclosure. Topsoil stripping then started on
the main trench, Trench 1. The only archaeologists on
site were Ken Murphy, the site director and Dave Williams,
a recently graduate of the University of York. Even
so, part of Trench 2 was cleaned.
In conjunction with the excavation,
geophysical survey is being carried out at several other
small enclosures in the area. Day 2 was a slow day,
as Bex Carver who is supervising the survey had only
arrived back from Ireland the previous night, minus
some vital equipment. Nevertheless with Hubert Wilson
a grid used to locate the survey on Site A was laid
out.
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Dave straightening the edges of
Trench 2 |
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Day
3 – 19 July 2005
Mechanical excavation continued and finished. A small
team of archaeologists – Gwynaeth McIntyre from
Canada, Stephanie Corrigan and Erika Palmer of America,
Dave Williams and Ken Murphy – cleaned up Trench
2 revealing the tops of the terminals of the annexe
ditches, and started cleaning up the main trench.
Hubert Wilson, Bex Carver and Lloyd Bosworth finished
laying out a grid on the geophysical site and completed
a topographical survey.
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Cleaning up of Trench 2, with the
terminals of the annexe ditches visible
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Machine stripping of Trench 1
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Day
4 – 20 July 2005
A small team – Ken Murphy, Hubert Wilson, Dave
Williams, Mike Brack, Anna Schwartz, Kate Davies and
Noah Letter - continued to clean up Trench 1. The morning
was very wet, but the weather cleared during the afternoon
ending in a sunny evening. The main ditch terminals
of the entrance were clearly visible, and several smaller
features such as post-holes and gullies began to be
revealed.
The geophysical survey started with
the enclosure ditches starting to be revealed.
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Initial cleaning of Trench 1
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Bex Carver undertaking the geophysics
on Site A
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Day
5 – 21 July
A team of 12 people on site made good progress cleaning
over the bedrock to reveal archaeological features in
Trench 1. However, given the size of the site this task
is going to take two more days at least.
Bex Carver and Lloyd Bosworth completed
the geophysical survey of Site A revealing a double
ditched enclosure – a rectilinear inner enclosure
and a curved outer enclosure.
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Cleaning continuing of Trench 1
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Bex Carver and Lloyd Bosworth
completed the geophysical survey of Site A revealing
a double ditched enclosure – a rectilinear inner
enclosure and a curved outer enclosure |
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6 - 22 July
Cleaning continued of Trench 1 revealing ditches, post-holes
and pits dug into the shale bedrock. A wide but apparently
shallow ditch showed as a clear soil-mark running from
the enclosures entrance. Excavation began on one of
the large ditch terminals flanking enclosure entrance.
Several sherds of what is probably late Iron Age pottery
were immediately discovered. This type of pottery is
rare in the county of Ceredigion, with just three sherds
known from other sites.
Geophysical survey started on Site
B, a site discovered by aerial photography. Initial
results indicate a circular enclosure, as shown on aerial
photographs, with bivallate defences on one site. Work
is continuing on this site.
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Geophysics Site B. Initial results
of the geophysical survey of Site B with the double
defensive ditch clearly visible |
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Day
7 - 24 July
A wet day. Very little was possible on site. Some work
was, however, was done, and more sherds of Iron Age
pottery were found in the ditch terminal.
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Anna Schwartz and Mike Brack holding
sherds of Iron Age pottery
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Day
8 - 25 July
Final cleaning of the site was completed during this
overcast but dry day. Post-holes of what appear to several
phases of enclosure entrance gates were revealed plus
several smaller features, including a rear revetment
trench to the, now gone, defensive bank.
Work continued on excavating the ditch terminal and
a start was made on excavating other features.
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Final cleaning showing entrance
gate-way post-holes, ditches pits and other features |
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9 - 26 July
Excavation of the ditch terminal on the south
side of the enclosure entrance continued. Because more
Iron Age pottery was discovered it was decided sieve
all soil from the ditch. This strategy proved immediately
successful with the discovery of pottery rim sherds.
Excavation started on the north ditch terminal. Within
the enclosure a small rim sherd of Romano-British Severn
Valley ware was discovered immediately on the excavation
of a presumed pit.
Completion of the geophysical survey
of Site B revealed a circular enclosure with what may
be an overlapping entrance. A start was made on the
laying out of the survey grid in preparation for the
geophysical survey of Site C.
Excavating continuing on the south
ditch terminal
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Geophysical survey of Site B. The
survey measures 80m x 80m |
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Jenny Arnold, Marie Pousset and
Judith Van Roemburg sieving for finds |
Doing geophysics. Undertaking geophysics
on Site B
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Day
10 - 27 July
More sherds of presumed late Iron Age pottery was discovered
in the upper fills of the ditch terminal on the north
side of the entrance along with a 1st-2nd century Roman
coin. A spindle whorl was found in the south ditch terminal.
Excavation of enclosure entrance post-holes started.
Soil samples taken from various layers were processed
by flotation with the intention of recovering charcoal
and other charred material such as plant remains and
seeds. These will be later analysed to provide an indication
the environment and economy of the site.
Geophysical survey of Site C revealed
a circular enclosure within a larger oval enclosure.
Work will continue on this site over the next few days.
Lloyd Bosworth with the Roman coin
he found in the ditch terminal
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Mike Brack, Stephanie Corrigan and
Gemma Challis floating soil samples |
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Louise Austin with a sherd of Iron
Age pottery from a post-hole |
Laura Proctor examines the download
of the geophysical survey of Site C in the field |
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Day
11 - 28 July
Little site work was possible owing to heavy overnight
rain and almost continuous rain during the day. Most
of the day was spent in the mess hut. During the brief
drier periods part of a post-hole and a palisade trench
were excavated. The palisade is considered to have formed
a rear revetment to the defensive bank, but further
work is required to confirm this.
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Excavation of the palisade trench
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Where most of the day was spent
– drinking tea and reading Harry Potter |
A selection of Iron Age pottery
and a spindle whorl from the site
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Day
12 - 29 July
Work continued on excavating two of the enclosure entrance
post-holes. Pottery of late Iron Age/Romano-British
date was found in both. Further progress was made on
the entrance ditch terminals, and work started on other
pits and gullies within the enclosure.
Problems with the magnetometer meant
that only limited progress was made with the geophysical
survey.
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Excavation continuing on the south
ditch terminal
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General view of the excavation |
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Day
13 - 31 July
Following a well-earned day off a reduced team made
steady progress, with excavation continuing on the ditch
terminals, post-holes and gullies.
Geophysical survey of Site C was completed.
Completed geophysical survey of Site C
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Dominic Sharrock excavating a narrow
fence-line gully |
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Jenny Davies working on a trench.
This probably would have held a palisade revetting the
rear of the defensive bank |
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Day
14 - 1 August
Work continued on the ditch terminals
and entrance post-holes. Two sets of two post-holes,
probably representing two phases of entrance gate construction,
were partially excavated and recorded. Small sherds
of late Iron Age/Romano British pottery were discovered
in one of post-hole pairs.
Geophysical survey began on Site D.
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Astrid Caseldine palaeoenvironmental
archaeologist of St David’s University College
examining the northern ditch section
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Excavation and recording of the
enclosure entrance post-holes
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Following the day’s excavation
everyone enjoyed a trip to Y Foel Drigarn hillfort on
the Preseli Mountains
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Day
15 - 2 August
Excavation of the ditch terminals
reached a depth of 1.70m and therefore because of safety
concerns it was decided to step out the sections to
avoid having a single section greater than 1.70m high.
This strategy has the bonus releasing more of the upper
artefact rich ditch layers for excavation. Within the
north terminal large stones are probably from a collapsed
revetment wall to the defensive bank. In Trench 2 final
excavation of the northern annexe ditch terminals was
completed.
The completed geophysical survey of
Site D revealed a small strongly rectilinear enclosure.
No internal features were detected.
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Geophysical survey of Site D
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Excavation of the north ditch terminal
showing the stones from the collapsed revetment
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Naomi Henderson excavating the north
ditch terminal of the annexe – Trench 2
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Day
16 - 3 August
A day of recording and consolidation.
Work began on stepping out the sections of the ditch
terminals and recording of several post-holes and gullies
continued.
Geophysical survey of site E, a large
inland promontory fort, began.
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Excavation in progress in Trench
1 with Trench 2 in the background. Note the post-holes
of the enclosure entrance gate-way
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Xanthe Hayes-Yapp, Dom Sharrock
and Gwynaeth McIntyre excavating and recording post-holes
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Kate Davis and Stephanie Corrigan
beginning the geophysical survey of Site E
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Day
17 - 4 August
Continuing excavation of the ditch
terminals showed them to be at least 2.5m deep with
a V-shaped profile. A spindle whorl and a sherd of Romano-British
Severn Valley Ware were found at over 2m down in the
south terminal. The bottom of the ditches has not yet
been reached. Extending the excavation of the tops of
the ditches produced more Romano-British/late Iron Age
pottery. A sherd of Romano-British mortarium was discovered
in a shallow hollow within the enclosure.
Geophysical survey of Site E was abandoned
owing to a malfunctioning gradiometer. This was the
last site to be surveyed.
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Sue Ingold and Rhiannon Comeau with
a mortarium sherd
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The defensive ditch of the promontory
fort of Site E showing faintly prior to abandonment
of the geophysical survey |
Anna Schwartz and Mike Brack with
a spindle whorl from the north ditch terminal
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Day
18 - 5 August
Removal of the top layers of the ditch
terminals produced more including two sherds of Samian
Ware and a rim sherd of Romano-British Malvernian Ware.
Continued excavation of post-holes and gullies did not
reveal any clear structures.
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Removing a boulder from the fill
of the north ditch terminal
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Lindsay Deuchars with a sherd of
Malvernian Ware from the south ditch terminal |
Excavating continuing in the north
ditch terminal
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Day
19 - 6 August
A return of the hot summer weather
ensured that good progress was made in excavating smaller
pits and post-holes. The bottom of the north ditch terminal
was reached. A start was made in cleaning up the sections
of both terminals in preparation for photography and
recording.
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Enjoying the sun during lunchtime
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Fully excavated section of the entrance
north ditch terminal
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Day
20 - 7 August
Excavation of Trench 2 was completed.
Apart from the ditches two small post-holes and a shallow
fence-line gully were excavated and recorded. In Trench
1 the section of the south ditch terminal was cleaned
in preparation for drawing. Excavation of several small
post-holes was completed.
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Trench 2 fully excavated
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Fully excavated section of the entrance
south ditch terminal
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Day
21 - 8 August
Almost all excavation was completed,
apart from the removal of more of the upper fill of
the south ditch terminal with the intention of recovering
more artefacts, and work concentrated on recording and
the cleaning of the site for final photography. At the
end of a hot day a visit to the local beach washed away
the dust from the site.
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Noah Letter and Pwyll ap Stifin
recording the section of the north terminal.
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Sieving for finds from the south
ditch terminal.
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After work – watching the
Cardigan Bay dolphins.
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After digging all day Naomi Henderson and Cat
… find the energy to construct a sand sculpture,
admired by other members of the excavation team.
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Day
22 - 9 August
The final day of site work –
photography and completing drawings.
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View of part of the completed excavation. |
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The excavation team on the final
day of site work.
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Day
23 - 10 August
Back-filling the site.
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Back-filling the site |
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