Archaeology of Wales
[1] Analysis of the sites, artefacts and other archaeological data within Wales details its complex social landscape and evolution from Prehistoric times to the Industrial period.
In Palaeolithic times evidence of human activity is scant; this is due in part to geological factors, with deposits being washed away or overridden.
Its original discovery resulted in many false theories about its origin, but subsequent re-examinations using increasingly sophisticated technology led to "The Red Lady" (now known to be a male skeleton) being confirmed as the oldest skeleton of a modern human to be discovered in the UK,[3][4] dating back 33–34,000 years according to Oxford University's Museum of Natural History.
The shield was discovered at Rhyd y Gors, Ceredigion and was donated to the British Museum by Sir Augustus Wollaston Frank in 1873.
Such artefacts also demonstrate the metallurgical capacities present in Bronze Age Wales, such as the sheet-gold working on the Mold Cape.
[14] Evidence for the period comes predominantly from settlement and hillfort sites, as well as status items; but artefacts relating to local societies and domestic life are scarce.
[14] Of current findings, there is evidence of an elite warrior class as well as cross-cultural contact[14] The use of Celtic symbolism such as the Triskele existed in the Iron Age in Wales.
After conquering the local Celtic tribes of Deceangli, the Ordovices and the Silures, control was solidified through military strength, social assimilation and fortified infrastructure.
[2] This includes the South Wales town of Caerleon, known in Roman times as Isca Augusta, with prominent sites such as military barracks, baths, and one of the best-preserved amphitheatres in Britain.
[21]The large-scale occupation of Wales by England in the Medieval period is reflected in the archaeological record, particularly in the political architecture of castles.
This monument contains Celtic- and Norse-influenced carvings of an armed warrior and is considered nationally important in the story of Christianity in Wales.
According to the National Museum of Wales, this ring is a memento more and is a reminder of the inevitability of death and also signifies the high mortality rates during this period (dated 1550–1650) compared to the modern-day.
[35] Wales had a 400 year period of industrialisation, including major industries of stone quarrying, coal and metal mining and smelting among others.
[38] In Anglesey, the Neolithic site of Bryn Celli Ddu, which consists of a henge and chambered tomb, is also frequently visited.
[20][44][45][46] Over time it has been the focus of intense archaeological study,[46] with the earliest evidence for a human occupation being a Bronze Age cairn.
In North Wales, Segontium, near Caernarfon, is of note: it is the largest Roman fort in the area and a big tourist attraction.
[47] Offa's Dyke, a medieval earthwork created as a demarcation border between England and Wales,[48] and its route is now followed by a popular long-distance path.
[41] Other popular medieval sites include Tintern Abbey, Carreg Cennen, and the castles at Conwy, Caerphilly, Caernarfon, Cardiff and Pembroke.
Accessibility is also improved with free online heritage databases, such as Coeflin or Archwilio, run by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the Welsh Archaeological Trusts respectively.
