I’m Kiarash, ancient history masters graduate and converted Archaeology enthusiast. I started on the Portalis project at Llanllyr on Wednesday and just finished up my final day. Upon entering my test pit, I was instantly struck by the variety of contents within the soil and began to trowel and dig into the layers underground. There was the promise of a prehistoric hunting camp on a lakeside where we were digging and finding some traces of its landscape became my immediate goal. Not to mention that in the same pit a day before a beautiful flint bladelet was uncovered on the topsoil. So excitement was high.

As we made progress through the pit on Wednesday we found certain ceramics and bottles but nothing from before the 19th century. As we reached our second context the sediments on the walls painted an amazing picture of the changing landscape upon this site with all of its earthy colours and textures. When one layer was uncovered, there was another completely different element that lay underneath – so excitement was always high to see what was in store at the next layer.

By the final day, the pit was almost a meter down. We had broken through not only the gravel layer, but the clay and peat layer too. The ground began to expose darker brownish-purple spots which I deduced must have been from some plants and other organic life that had churned up overtime in the ground. Whilst we did not come across any flint since the initial find, seeing the changing climate from the perspective of the pit was another treat, and I learned to appreciate the geological aspects of the excavation a lot more. Not to mention the camaraderie displayed by the other friendly and driven volunteers that worked alongside us.

This was really a fantastic experience, and whilst I would have liked to find more flint, the multiple dimensions to the excavations were well worth the trip. I’ll be thinking about the pit for a long time to come.

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Dyddiadur Cloddio – Diwrnod 5

Kiarash ydw i. Mae gen i radd meistr mewn hanes hynafol ac rwy’n frwd dros ben ynghylch Archaeoleg. Dechreuais weithio ar brosiect Portalis yn Llanllyr ddydd Mercher diwethaf ac rwyf newydd gwblhau fy niwrnod olaf yn cloddio. Ar ôl mynd i mewn i’m pwll prawf, cefais fy synnu ar unwaith gan yr amrywiaeth o gynnwys oedd yn y pridd a dechreuais ddefnyddio trywel i gloddio i’r haenau o dan y ddaear. Roedd addewid o wersyll hela cynhanesyddol ar lan llyn lle’r oeddem ni’n cloddio, a dod o hyd i rai olion o’i dirwedd oedd fy nod ar unwaith. Yn yr un pwll y diwrnod cynt, cafodd llefnyn carreg fflint hardd ei ddadorchuddio ar yr uwchbridd. Felly roedd y cyffro yn fawr.

Wrth i ni symud ymlaen drwy’r pwll ddydd Mercher, daethom o hyd i rai darnau cerameg a photeli ond dim byd cyn y 19eg ganrif. Wrth i ni gyrraedd ein cyd-destun eilaidd, roedd y gwaddodion ar y waliau, a grewyd gan holl liwiau a gweadau’r ddaear, yn creu darlun rhyfeddol o’r tirwedd newidiol ar y safle hwn. Pan ddadorchuddiwyd un haen, roedd elfen arall hollol wahanol yn gorwedd oddi tani, felly roedd cyffro mawr bob amser pan roeddem yn aros i weld beth oedd ar y gweill yn yr haen nesaf.

Erbyn y diwrnod olaf, roedd dyfnder y pwll bron yn fetr. Roeddem wedi torri trwy’r haenau o glai a mawn, yn ogystal â’r haen o raean. Dechreuodd smotiau tywyllach o liw oedd yn gymysgedd o frown a phorffor ddod i’r golwg yn y ddaear, a deuthum i benderfyniad mai planhigion a bywyd organig arall a oedd wedi cael eu corddi dros amser yn y ddaear a fyddai wedi achosi’r smotiau hyn. Er na ddaethom o hyd i unrhyw fflint ers y darganfyddiad cyntaf, roedd gweld y newid yn yr ‘hinsawdd’ yn y pwll yn bleser arall, a dysgais i werthfawrogi agweddau daearegol y cloddiad yn llawer mwy, heb sôn am y cyfeillgarwch a ddangoswyd gan y gwirfoddolwyr cyfeillgar a brwdfrydig eraill a oedd yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â ni.

Roedd hwn yn brofiad gwirioneddol wych, ac er y byddwn wedi hoffi dod o hyd i fwy o fflint, roedd wedi bod yn werth teithio i’r fan hyn oherwydd bod cymaint o wahanol brofiadau yn dod i’r amlwg wrth gloddio. Byddaf yn meddwl am y pwll am amser hir i ddod.