Possible capstone with at least 75 cupmarks/depressions.
Trefael, Pembrokeshire
TREFAEL – THE WORK GOES ON......
By the Welsh Rock-art Organisation (WRAO)
The second season at Trefael in South West Wales has just finished and the results are simply spectacular. Last year and in extremely inclement weather the Trefael team, led by Dr George Nash, Adam Stanford and Tom Wellicome uncovered the probable remains of a Portal Dolmen, one of Western Britain’s oldest monument types. This rather damp excavation season, comprising a 4 m square excavation trench revealed a significant cairn deposit on the SE side of the Trefael stone. This feature was first identified through geophysical survey (Figure 1). In addition to this tightly-compacted cairn material, a probable Neolithic surface was exposed; we say probable as no diagnostic material was found. However, the cairn material did sit directly over this surface. Artefacts were limited to a few sherds of historical pottery including a nice green glazed flagon neck and two perforated shale beads, probably Mesolithic in date (Figure 2). The presence of such artefacts reflects the importance of this site several thousand years before the Portal Dolmen was constructed! What is more, the Trefael Stone itself appears to have formed the capstone for the Portal Dolmen and this was probably reused as a standing stone (or menhir) during the Early/Middle Bronze Age (Figure 3).
The 2011 season again relied on clear geophysical survey results in order to specifically target areas where significant archaeology might occur. A geophysics team led by Les Dodd, Phil Dell and Bryan Moore geoprospected 26 x 20 metre sectors in which a number of clear anomalies were detected. Two such areas were located to the north and west of the monument and were subsequently excavated by the WRAO team. Elsewhere a large number of anomalies were recorded in the field to the south of the monument as well as potential archaeology within the SW corner of field in which the Trefael Stone stands. It is hoped that when the results of the geophysical survey are refined, a clear picture of the prehistoric ritual landscape will emerge.
Uncovered in a trench immediately north-west of the Trefael Stone were a number of indicators to suggest further that we were digging a Neolithic burial-ritual monument, probably that Portal Dolmen that was suggested during the first year of excavation (Figure 4). Finds included several sherds of Neolithic pottery, probably Grooved Ware, along with possible fragments of human bone. The survival of both the pottery and bone is remarkable in that the local soils are extremely acidic and nothing should really survive. This material along with a few pieces of flint appears to have been dispersed amongst disturbed (ploughed-out) cairn material. It is probable that the area in which the pottery and bone were recovered represents part of the former chamber. Due to this unexpected discovery and legal and technical complexities that go with it the team decided to continue excavations next year.
Discovered within the second trench (and based on the results of the geophysics survey) was a linear stone alignment, originally thought to be a prehistoric field boundary (Figure 5). Further excavation, though supervised by archaeologist Catherine Rees revealed this curious feature to be part of a burial cist, probably Bronze Age in date. Thankfully, directly associated with this feature was a large quantity of charcoal and an array of small finds. Due to the complexities of this trench plus the potential for the discovery of human remains it was decided that more careful work was required and may be an extension to the current trench dimensions. As a result a protective membrane was placed over this Trench and Trench 1 and work will resume next year.
In addition to the excavation programme, geophysical survey also revealed in a field to the south and east of the monument further anomalies suggesting that the Trefael monument is not alone and is in fact part of a much larger ritualised landscape. Evidence for a wider ritualised landscape is further endorsed by the ‘excavation’ from a nearby hedge boundary of a missing standing stone which disappeared off the archaeological radar some 30 years ago. Up until then the stone was present on Ordnance Survey mapping, standing less than 35m from the Trefael Stone (Figure 1). This single monolith which once stood in the northern part of the field measured around 2m in length and is probably made from preselite, the same stone used to construct one of the circles at Stonehenge (Figure 6).
Prior to uncovering pieces of this enigmatic jigsaw, it was considered that the 2011 excavation would be the final season’s work. However, the uncovering of such a wealth of late prehistoric archaeology has created a new set of research questions. Thankfully the landowner in is giving her consent to allow the WRAO team back for another season and the hunt will continue!
In the 2012 season we will continue our investigations within the two trenches we opened this year and also undertake further trenching in and around the immediate area. We hope to also start a new project....close by!
