1. Ysgol Bro Dinefwr - A Community Through The Millennia
Carmarthenshire Archaeology Day
7th March 2015
Colm Moloney (Rubicon Heritage) & Andy Buckley (AB Heritage)

2. Overview Background to the Site The Archaeology Mesolithic Neolithic
Bronze Age
Roman
Medieval
Post Medieval
Community Engagement
What's Next?

3. The Ffairfach Site
The site prior to archaeological excavation

4. Site Location
Aerial view prior to excavation
Site Location

5. History & Development
Ordnance Survey Mapping 1884

6. History & Development
Development Site Boundaries

7. Geophysics & Excavation
Geophysical Survey Plot
Plan following excavation

8. The Mesolithic

9. The Mesolithic Earliest activity on site
No cut features; lithic scatters identified in field walking and test pitting
Adds to the relatively small number of lithic scatters known in Carmarthenshire
Mesolithic lithics from Field 3 Field Walking

10. The Neolithic

11. The Neolithic Late Neolithic Flat Cemetery
2 Late Neolithic Flat Cemeteries
Contained Late Neolithic Pottery including Grooved Ware
Cemeteries have cremations with associated pits/postholes
9 features contained confirmed cremated human bone
Late Neolithic Flat Cemetery

12. The Neolithic Cremation Burial with burnt bone under excavation
2 Late Neolithic Flat Cemeteries
Contained Late Neolithic Pottery including Grooved Ware
Cemeteries have cremations with associated pits/postholes
9 features contained confirmed cremated human bone
18 deposits contained burnt bone
Cremation Burial with burnt bone under excavation

13. The Human Remains Analysis of human remains at Rubicon
Effective cremation requires burning of the body at high temperature
At Ffairfach the vast majority of bone was completely oxidised, indicating it was well burnt
Cremation burials (1067) and (1281) were both adults, though sex and more precise ageing was not possible
Analysis of human remains at Rubicon

14. The Bronze Age

15. The Bronze Age
Irregular rectangular structure of 9 post-holes produced date of BC
Lithics and pottery centred on a large natural depression
Concentration of activity in the form of stake/post-holes and pits, one of the latter dated to BC
Rectangular Structure dated to BC

16. The Bronze Age
Irregular rectangular structure of 9 post-holes produced date of BC
Lithics and pottery centred on a large natural depression
Concentration of activity in the form of stake/post-holes and pits, one of the latter dated to BC
Roasting Pit (1553), surrounded by 40 stakeholes & dated to BC

17. The Iron Age

18. The Iron Age- Ring Ditches
4 ring ditches dated to the Iron Age with continued funerary activity throughout the period
One produced an earlier date
Only 2 of the Ffairfach examples had entrances
Only one had a confirmed associated human cremation
Aerial view of all five ring ditches at Ysgol Bro Dinefwr

19. The Iron Age- Ring Ditches
4 ring ditches dated to the Iron Age with continued funerary activity throughout the period
One produced an earlier date
Only 2 of the Ffairfach examples had entrances
Only one had a confirmed associated human cremation
Iron Age Ring Ditches (1281) and (1191)

20. The Iron Age- House Middle Iron Age Structure under excavation
D-Shaped Slot trench dated to BC
Stake-holes at base of trench
Post-holes and pits in the interior, forming possible internal division and support
Middle Iron Age Structure under excavation

21. The Iron Age- House
D-Shaped Slot trench dated to BC
Stake-holes at base of trench
Post-holes and pits in the interior, forming possible internal division and support
Associated Cobbled area
Cobbled area associated with structure being planned

22. The Romans

23. The Romans Ring ditch 1010 which contained a possible hearth
Ring ditch (1010) dated to 108 BC- 65 AD produced 2nd Century Roman Pottery
Ring ditch 1010 which contained a possible hearth

24. The Romans Ring ditch 1010 (left) produced Roman pottery
Ring ditch (1010) dated to 108 BC- 65 AD produced 2nd Century Roman Pottery
Likely associated with a later hearth cut into the fills of the ditch, indicating use during the Roman period
Ring ditch 1010 (left) produced Roman pottery

25. The Romans
Remains of a Roman Road traversing the site

26. The Romans Remains of a Roman Road traversing the site
Remained in use into the post medieval period
Part of the network that connected Llandovery and Carmarthen

27. The Romans Remains of a Roman Road traversing the site
Remained in use into the post medieval period
Part of the network that connected Llandovery and Carmarthen
Llandeilo was a day’s march between Carmarthen and Llandovery
Has been speculated that Llandeilo was also the site of a Roman Fort

28. The Romans

29. The Medieval Period

30. The Medieval Period
Cereal drying kiln (2008) produced a date of AD
Mid excavation photo of Kiln (1265)
Post excavation photo of Kiln (2008)

31. The Medieval Period
Cereal drying kiln (2008) produced a date of AD
Another cereal drying kiln (1265) showed continued production throughout the period, dating to AD

32. The Medieval Period
Cereal drying kiln (2008) produced a date of AD
Another cereal drying kiln (1265) showed continued production throughout the period, dating to AD
How did they work?

33. The Medieval Period
An isolated charcoal production pit was also discovered, with 21 associated stakeholes. It produced a date of AD
Charcoal production pit (093)

34. The Medieval Period
An isolated charcoal production pit was also discovered, with 21 associated stakeholes. It produced a date of AD
How did it work?

35. Post Medieval?

36. Post Medieval Dominated by 2 large rectangular structures
Possible association with WW1 Training Camp?
Early Bronze Age date from ditch
Gravel extraction pits

37. Community Engagement Field-walking and processing programme
Social media programme including blog posts
Creation of site video made available on YouTube
Setting up for the aerial photographs and video
Local Volunteers wet-sieving for lithics

39. THANKS FOR LISTENING! Colm Moloney – 07725 208616