Day 1 - July 15th 2007

A set-up day, taking tools to the site and marking out the trench in readiness for machining the following day. Hayden Evans, the farmer, has kindly cut he long grass and fenced off the site from the rest of the field.

Photo caption. Andy Greef marking out the trench. Newport Beach and Dinas Head are visible in the background.

Day 2 - July 16th 2007

Topsoil stripping began. Good progress was made with topsoil removed from over half of the trench. Soil conditions were not easy, but the large defensive ditches were visible as well as some possible postholes. Owing to the wet conditions it was not possible to get the store shed/office up the hill to the site. A marquee was therefore order in its place. In conjunction with the excavation, geophysical survey started on a crop-marked site around the redundant church of Llangan, After work the participants on the excavation went on a site trip to Nevern Castle and Church.

Harold Mytum of the University of York talking about the gravestones in Nevern Church

Hubert Wilson of Dyfed Archaeological Trust teaching Paddy Morton and Felicity Hemlin surveying

Day 3 - July 17th 2007

Stripping of topsoil off the site was completed. The tops of the defensive ditches at the entrance to the promontory fort were revealed, showing them to be at least 4m wide. Despite the wet conditions some postholes and other minor features were visible.

Geophysics on the Llangan Church site was continued.

Day 4 - July 18th 2007

Warm, sunny weather, finally. This was the first day on site for the diggers. Rapid cleaning of the site revealed more pits and postholes. A start was made on the excavation of one of the large ditch terminals at the entrance.

Geophysical survey of one of the fields at Llangan Church was completed. The survey revealed several small rectilinear enclosures, ditches and possible hearths or furnaces.

The completed geophysical survey of one field at Llangan Church

Day 5 - July 19th 2007

A day punctuated by heavy showers, and progress at the end of the day was terminated by a thunderstorm. Cleaning of the site continued. Only a few centimetres of the defensive bank inside the ditch on the north side of the entrance seems to survive: the bank on the south side has completely gone. A start was made on digging out the defensive ditch terminal on the south side of the entrance. No artefacts have yet been discovered on the site.

Geophysical survey started on Plas-y-Parc concentric defended enclosure; part of the outer enclosure was revealed. This survey will continue over the next few days.

We are hoping for better weather tomorrow to complete cleaning of the site. Heavy rain is forecast, however.

Initial results of the Plas-y-Parc geophysical survey

Day 6 - July 20th 2007

It rained all day! However, a large and willing digging crew valiantly soldiered on and finished the initial cleaning of the site, ensuring that more detailed excavation will shortly be able to start, weather permitting. Progress was also made on excavating the large defensive ditch. Because of the rain no significant progress was made on the Plas-y-Parc geophysical survey.

Day 7 - July 22nd 2007

As many trains were cancelled due to flooding several people were not able to make it to the excavation, and therefore there was a much-reduced workforce over what had been anticipated. Good progress was made however, despite frequent, heavy showers. Excavation began on a line of five postholes and planning the defensive bank commenced. Excavation of the defensive ditch continued.

At Plas-y-Parc the geophysical survey is showing this concentric enclosure

The geophysical plot to date of Plas-y-Parc

Day 8 - July 23rd 2007

Continuing work on digging out the defensive ditch revealed two large quartz boulders. Originally these were probably used in a revetment wall to the terminal of the defensive bank at the entrance. Part of the ditch was found to be very shallow. It is not certain yet whether it was left unfinished or whether it was dug in segments. Continuing work will answer this question. Elsewhere excavation on five pits/post-holes was almost completed. It is likely that these are fairly recent features and not Iron Age in date.

Geophysical survey on the Plas-y-Parc site was completed revealing an inner enclosure with a possible roundhouse and an outer, concentric enclosure.

The completed geophysical survey of Plas-y-Parc

Surveying the site of Plas-y-Parc

An evening visit to Y Foel Drigarn. Harold Mytum explaining the significance of the site, with a large burial cairn in the background

Day 9 - July 24th 2007

On this, the first day without rain, good progress was made. Section drawing on the defensive ditch terminal on the south side of the entrance began in advance of deepening and extending. Topsoil was hand removed from the ditch terminal on the north side of the entrance. Early stages of excavation on the very thin remains of the surviving defensive bank to the north of the entrance revealed the buried soil beneath the bank. A plan was made of a possible entrance post-hole in advance of excavation.

Geophysical survey at Treferedd Uchaf revealed the inner enclosure, the entrance track and part of the outer, concentric enclosure. Work will continue on this site tomorrow.

Katie Marsden excavating the defensive ditch. Note the large quartz boulders and the segmented character of the ditch

Day 10 - July 25th 2007

Good progress was made following heavy overnight rain. Work continued on digging out the south ditch terminal and a start was made on excavating the remains of the defensive bank. Only a few centimetres of this were shown to survive. The geology around the entrance to the fort was very mixed, with soft glacial silts and sands overlying shattered bedrock, making identification of archaeological features problematical. However, a post-hole, probably part of the promontory fort gate structure, was identified and excavation of it started.

The geophysical survey at Treferedd Uchaf revealed more of the concentric enclosure.

The emerging Treferedd Uchaf geophysical survey

Day 11 - July 26th 2007

Work was delayed until late morning owing to heavy rain. Once it had cleared work continued on excavating the defensive ditch on the south side of the entrance and topsoil was removed by hand over the ditch terminal on the north side of the entrance. This work rapidly revealed a very large quartz boulder.

The geophysical survey was completed at Treferedd Uchaf.

The completed Treferedd Uchaf geophysical survey

Day 12 - July 27th 2007

Work continued on digging out the north ditch terminal and recording the section of the south ditch terminal. Further examination of the internal area of the fort failed to reveal any pits, post-holes or gullies. It is looking increasingly likely that there will be no remains of buildings or other structures in the excavated area.

Work continuing on excavating the north ditch terminal

Day 13 - July 29th 2007

This was a quiet day with a small digging team and therefore the opportunity was taken to record ditch sections and continue the excavation of the north ditch terminal. The first warm day of the excavation.

Day 14 - July 30th 2007

The large quartz boulder in the north ditch terminal was fully exposed, drawn and photographed in preparation for removal. Continuing excavation on the entrance gate-post showed that it was a double post-hole. However, it has not, so far, been possible to located its twin - the gate-posthole on the north side of the gate. The posthole was found to cut through an earlier palisade trench.

Two metal dectorists, Arthur and Godfrey Heckler, scanned the site for finds, but found nothing.

Flotation on soil samples taken from the ditch and pits/postholes has revealed carbonised seeds. Astrid Caseldine of Lampeter University will undertake analysis of these.

Geophysical survey returned to Llangan Church to examine a field not available earlier. Unfortunately owing to technical reasons today’s survey will have to be redone.

Janet Kay excavating the palisade trench

Day 15 - July 31st 2007

Colin Evans removes a large boulder in the ditch terminal with his tractor enabling us to continue excavating. The entrance post-hole on the north side of the gate was located and excavation started on it. The geology here is very disturbed and the post-hole is poorly defined. In the evening a visit to the Carn Ingli, a large hill-fort on the Preseli Mountains, was made from which Berry Hill can be seen.

Graeme Bick excavating the post-hole on the north side of the entrance

Berry Hill, centre right above the wooded slope, from Carn Ingli

Day 16 - August 1st 2007

Continuing excavation of the north ditch terminal revealed two more massive quartz boulders. The ditch deposits here indicate a slow silting of the ditch. The palisade trench cut by the ditch and by an entrance post-hole was show to be a substantial feature with a gateway within it. It is unknown whether this palisade immediately pre-dates the hill-fort or is considerably earlier.

Geophysical survey at Llangan Church located the concentric crop-mark enclosure with what seems to be two phases of rectangular building with central hearths within the inner enclosure.

The geophysical survey in the field to the south of Llangan Church

Day 17 - August 2nd 2007

Excavation continued on the north ditch terminal, fully revealing the two massive quartz boulders. The ditch is rock-cut with evidence of antler-pick marks on the rock. It is hoped that this ditch will be fully excavated tomorrow.Further fills of the south ditch terminal were also removed. For health and safety reasons this work is being done in stages in order to reveal the base of this deep ditch.

At Llangan the geophysics detected a triple ditched outer enclosure surrounding a smaller enclosure. It is anticipated that this survey will be finished tomorrow.

The emerging Llangan geophysical survey

Day 18 - August 3rd 2007

Astrid Caseldine of Lampeter University arrived to take environmental samples. Excavation continued on the north ditch terminal, with the base of the ditch reached at c.1.8m. Recording of post-holes and the palisade trench continued. Geophysical survey at Llangan Church continued.

Day 19 - August 5th 2007

An open day for visitors and local people was arranged for today. Unfortunately it would seem that tourists made the most of unusually warm weather to go the beach and farmers made hay, and therefore the turnout was disappointingly small. On site the section of the north ditch terminal was cleaned ready for recording. The completed geophysical survey at Llangan showed what might be a second rectangular building in the inner enclosure.

Day 20 - August 6th 2007

Excavation of the bottom ditch of the south ditch terminal was almost completed and recording of the section of the north ditch terminal started. Cleaning of the site for final photographs started.

Geophysical survey started at Ffynnon Llygoden, a crop-marked enclosure with several small external rectangular enclosures, possibly of early medieval date.

Day 21 - August 7th 2007

As this was an ideal day for photography most of the day was spent preparing the site. Recording was also undertaken.

The geophysical survey at Ffynnon Llygoden was completed.

Panoramic view of the site

The Ffynnon Llygoden geophysical survey

Day 22 - August 8th 2007

The final day of excavation. It would seem most likely that the promontory fort was unfinished or abandoned and little used. The defensive ditch to the south of the entrance was almost 3m deep at the terminal, rock-cut and steep-sided. This deep section was, however, only 4m-5m long, as it rapidly shallowed out then deepened again. Basically it was dug in a series of short, unfinished segments. The fills of the south and north ditch contained little in the way of occupation material – charcoal, burnt stone, daub, burnt bone – strengthening the notion that the site was not intensively used. The palisade trench does, however, indicate a longer period of use, as it was cut by the defensive ditch and by an entrance post-hole. This may have been a ‘security’ fence constructed in preparation for the fort, and could predate the digging of the defensive ditches by as little as a few weeks. Until radiocarbon dates are obtained this, however, is just speculation.

The digging team on the final day