28 March 2024 The Future is the Product of the Past

“Cardiff’s earliest house” unearthed during an archaeological dig may shed light on the city’s earliest inhabitants

Archaeological excavation in a city park in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has uncovered what is believed to be the earliest house ever found in the city.

Volunteers and archaeologists from the Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project, found a clay pot which could be about 3,000 years old.

Experts believed the settlement, dubbed ‘Trelai Enclosure’ could provide the missing link between the late Iron Age and early Roman period, showing what happened to people once they had moved on from the Hillfort.

The dig, run by the Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project, is taking place in Trelai Park in Ely, just half a mile from heritage site Caerau Hillfort and 200m south of the already excavated Ely Roman Villa. The Roman Villa was uncovered a century ago. The local community, together with archaeologists from Cardiff University, had previously discovered Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and medieval origins at the hillfort, with surveys done earlier this year revealing what was thought to be a late Iron Age enclosed settlement, containing a roundhouse, beneath the park.

It is hoped the ‘remarkable discovery’ will help archaeologists learn more about people living at the site. Photo: Vivian Paul Thomas

The unexpected discovery of a clay pot has shown that the settlement actually predates the hillfort, and could reveal previously unknown information about the earliest inhabitants of Cardiff.

The pot itself is thought to be around 3,000 years old. This suggests that the roundhouse was built in the mid-to-late Bronze Age, between 1500 and 1100 BC, making it the earliest house ever found in Cardiff.

Co-director of the project Dr. David Wyatt said that they believed the roundhouse could have been constructed in the mid to late Bronze Age, going back to between 1500 and 1100 BC.

“The enclosure definitely predates the hillfort, people were living here before the hillfort was built.

Project co-director Dr Oliver Davis said: “What we’ve found is completely unexpected and even more exciting.

Photo: Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project

“This enclosure could be providing us with the earliest clues on the origins of Cardiff, the pot that’s been found is beautifully decorated and preserved – it is extremely rare to find pottery of this quality. It’s also unusual to find a Bronze Age settlement in Wales – there are only one or two other Bronze Age sites in this country.”

Nearly 300 volunteers have participated in the dig so far, with around 500 visitors coming to the site since its start.

Tom Hicks, an archaeologist who came through Cardiff University’s Exploring the Past pathway and volunteer Charlie Adams both found and recovered the pot during the dig.

Tom said: “This is a very well-preserved example of Bronze Age pottery and a significant find for the archaeological record in the region. It’s a great opportunity for us to learn more about the lives of the people living on the site around 3,000 years ago.

“The beautiful decoration on the pot shows that these people wanted to display their creativity to others and further scientific analysis may be able to tell what the pot was used for before it ended up in the enclosure ditch and how or where the pot was made.”

Cardiff University

Cover Photo: Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project

Related Articles

5700-year-old monumental Menga Dolmen reveals it as one of the greatest feats of Neolithic engineering

6 December 2023

6 December 2023 1

A new investigation tracing the source of the gigantic stones that make up the Menga dolmen in southern Spain reveals...

Ötzi the Iceman Had Dark Skin, Bald Head and Anatolian Ancestry -New study rewrites ancient history

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

New DNA analysis by German researchers shows that the famous glacier mummy Ötzi may have had dark skin, dark eyes,...

Treasure of 1,290 Ancient Roman Coins Discovered by Amateur Archaeologist in Switzerland

16 April 2022

16 April 2022

An amateur archeologist has found a big treasure trove of over 1,290 priceless, ancient Roman coins dating back to the...

Unique work of Minoan art, the Pylos Combat Agate must be the David of the Prehistoric era

21 November 2021

21 November 2021

Found in a Greek tomb dating back 3,500 years, the artifact is so well designed that it looks as lively...

Precious Roman Gem Engraved with Mythological Figure Discovered in Italian Lagoon

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

During excavations at Lio Piccolo (Cavallino-Treporti), conducted by Ca’ Foscari University, a precious agate stone carved with a mythological figure...

A new finding in Persepolis reveals a Royal wall

23 October 2023

23 October 2023

A new find at Persepolis, whose magnificent ruins rest at the foot of Kuh-e Rahmat (Mount of Mercy) in southwestern...

Treasure hunters revealed a 2,700-year-old Urartian temple In the east of Turkey

18 June 2022

18 June 2022

Treasure hunters revealed a 2,700-year-old Urartian temple A group of treasure hunters, who were digging illegally to find treasure in...

The ruins believed to belong to Noah’s Ark date back to 5500-3000 years BC.

26 October 2023

26 October 2023

Rock and soil samples taken from the area where the ruins of ‘Noah’s Ark‘ are believed to be located in...

Viking Ship Burials Shrouded in Mystery on Danish Island

25 May 2021

25 May 2021

Archaeologists studying the origins and makeup of the Kalvestene burial field, a famed place in Scandinavian legend, have undertaken new...

Mosaics found in Türkiye’s Sinop belong to dining room of a wealthy family

24 June 2023

24 June 2023

The pebble mosaics unearthed during the excavation of a building complex in the province of Sinop on Turkey’s Black Sea...

The Half of the Rare Oil Lamp Found in Jerusalem May be in Budapest

9 May 2021

9 May 2021

We had recently reported on a grotesque lamp found in Jerusalem. The other half of the oil lamp, which is...

Roman boat that sank in Mediterranean 1,700 years ago is giving up its archaeological, historical, and gastronomic secrets

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

The merchant vessel, probably at anchor in the Bay of Palma while en route from south-west Spain to Italy, One...

Rare Ancient Bone Game found in Israel “Astragali”

18 August 2022

18 August 2022

Archaeologists have found a rare assemblage of animal knucklebones known as astragali used in ancient Greek games and divination in...

Freshwater and marine shells used as ornaments 30,000 years ago discovered in Spain

7 June 2023

7 June 2023

In Malaga’s Cueva de Ardales, up to 13 freshwater and marine shells that were carefully transformed by humans between 25,000...

Anthropologists say humans have been using personal ornaments to communicate about themselves without the fuss of conversation – for millennia

24 September 2021

24 September 2021

Anthropologists believe that for millennia, individuals have used personal decorations to communicate about themselves without the hassle of dialogue. They...