ARCHAEOLOGY FIELDWORK OPPORTUNITY

Dig in the Aber valley near Bangor, Aug-Sept 2006
An established project which will give you the opportunity to work in the scenic Aber Valley. The project area is located to the south of the village of Abergwyngregyn which is about 7 kilometres east of Bangor. It is within the Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve, a steep-sided valley situated between the Carneddau mountains of Snowdonia and the coastal plain of north-west Wales.

The valley's environs contain many nationally important prehistoric sites. The village of Abergwyngregyn was an important medieval administrative centre and was a favourite residence of the Princes of Gwynedd in the thirteenth century AD. Features relating to settlement and agriculture from the prehistoric period to the present day are abundant throughout the valley and the surrounding area. They include well preserved prehistoric and medieval settlement remains, extensive traces of agricultural activity relating to both animal husbandry and cultivation, a substantial hillfort, and a number of possible prehistoric burial sites.

The aim of the fieldwork will be to uncover and present evidence for the prehistory of the Aber Valley. This is situated within the

broader aims of the Aber Revelation Project, which include increasing the engagement of as wide a community as possible with archaeology and the history of Coedydd Aber. The excavation trenches will be sited across features that were initially investigated during the first phase of the project in 2005: a possible late prehistoric settlement situated on the east side of Afon Rhaeadr-fawr, and across the river from this, a small, probably Bronze Age, burial cairn. If time permits, an enclosure to the north of the settlement and a small kerb ring will also be evaluated.

The excavations will be run by Tirwedd Dyffryn Aber Cyf. with financial support from the Countryside Council for Wales.

The fieldwork will take place over six weeks between 7th August and 15th September. There is no charge for participating.

Please contact John Roberts (jgr29@cam.ac.uk ; 01248 351867) to register your interest in the project, indicating preferred dates during which you would like to participate, preferably a minimum of several days.