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The historic discoveries found under a football pitch in Cardiff

Aerial view of roundhouseImage source, Vivian Thomas
Image caption,

The roundhouse dates back to 1500 BC

Have you ever wondered what might be underneath the fields you play on?

A dig at a park in Cardiff, used for football pitches and by dog walkers, has unearthed several Bronze Age artefacts.

The project which began two years ago at Trelai Park, has even unearthed the oldest house in the city - a roundhouse dating back more than three thousand years.

Now archaeologists working with volunteers at the site believe they've found another "mysterious" monument that they're hoping to fully uncover.

What has been discovered at Trelai Park?

Image source, Vivian Thomas
Image caption,

The archaeological dig at Trelai Park

The spot in Trelai Park, in Ely, which is a district of Cardiff, was discovered in 2022 when a school planned to build artificial sports pitches in a corner of the fields.

Evidence of a settlement was discovered, which was revealed to be the ancient Bronze Age roundhouse and careful digging work began at the site.

Since then, the team have discovered that two roundhouses were built there, with the first one having been taken down and replaced by the second.

Project director, Dr Oliver Davis described the discoveries as "incredible" as the floors that people stood on 3,500 years ago, are still intact, which is "incredibly rare".

The team recently pulled out a clay furnace that a bronze age metalworker may have used to create weapons, tools or jewellery – it's thought to be only the second type of furnace like this found in the UK.

"We're beginning to get glimpses of how Bronze Age people lived," said Dr Davis.

What have we learnt from the digs?

Image source, Vivian Thomas
Image caption,

The site at Trelai Park

Each dig takes the team further down beneath the roundhouses. This tells the story of what was going on before they were there.

The team is currently working to remove what is thought to be a ceremonial monument from the site.

There's also a pit beneath one of the houses that contains a complete pot that may have been used for burial purposes.

Another aim of the dig - other than finding artefacts with historical significance - is to help the community to learn more about their local history and their ancestors.

And children from local schools have also been visiting the site, they've been invited to see what's going on, to get "hands on with their history."

Image source, Vivian Thomas
Image caption,

A bronze casting furnace has been discovered