An archaeological dig which uncovered what is believed to be the earliest house found in Cardiff has resumed at a city park.
The Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project, a partnership between Cardiff University, Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE), local schools, residents and heritage partners, is at Trelai Park, half a mile from Caerau Hillfort, a heritage site of national significance where archaeologists and community members have previously discovered Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and medieval origins.
This year's excavations of the roundhouse at Trelai are focusing on the floor, which has remained largely intact and unspoiled beneath the grounds of the park's playing fields for 3,500 years.
Prior to last year's initial dig, experts were hoping the structure could provide the missing link between the late Iron Age and early Roman period, showing what happened to people once they had moved on from the Hillfort.
But it was discovered that in fact, the roundhouse, located near Cardiff West Community High School, actually predates it to around 1500 BC. A clay pot discovered at the site and which has since been painstakingly put back together, dated the enclosure to the Bronze Age.
The latest archaeological dig involves 100 community volunteers as well as 200 pupils from local schools.
CAER Co-Director Dr Oliver Davis, based at the University's School of History, Archaeology and Religion, explains: "We're opening up further what we believe could be the earliest house discovered in Cardiff. The dig last year showed us that the floor of the roundhouse is remarkably well-preserved, giving us the chance to examine the surface that people were walking on 3,500 years ago. We'll also be able to investigate other features of the roundhouse. This is a very rare opportunity for archaeologists. We are hopeful our excavations will give us further clues and insights into the origins of the Welsh capital."
He adds: "The heritage of this area is of massive importance. It's of national significance. The archaeology of this area is the envy of every other part of Cardiff. We're so grateful to be working with the community to uncover this wonderful bronze-age story that has lain hidden for so long."
