More volunteers needed for dig

More volunteers are needed to help the archaeological excavation at the site of the new Ysgol Bro Dinefwr at Llandeilo.

Work has been underway on the site at Lovelodge Fields in Ffairfach since January 13. Ysgol Bro Dinefwr is a new £29.5million building being delivered through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme.

In one corner of the site Prehistoric flints have been recovered, suggesting the possibility of Prehistoric settlement there. A team of 15 local volunteers joined in on March 15 to walk the ploughed area and recover finds from the surface. This was a great success, and an amazing 250 flints have so far been found.

The next stage needs more volunteers from the local community. The archaeologists need to dig some one-metre-square test pits across the site to try and recover more finds from deeper in the soil. They will wet-sieve the soil to get the maximum number of finds.

This activity will take place from Saturday April 5 to Tuesday April 8. Anyone who would like to whether it’s for the whole time or just half a day is urged to get in touch.

Project Manager Phil Bethell of AB Heritage said: “We are looking for local volunteers to join us on the site over a few days next week, to help us recover finds from the topsoil across part of the site.

“We are looking for fragments of flint, which was used to make tools and weapons for many thousands of years in prehistoric times. We will spend four days digging small pits and sieving the soil. It can be hard work but we reckon we can gather one of the biggest collections of flints from any site in Wales if enough people come and help.

“The results will shed new light on the time when people first began to live in settled communities in the Tywi Valley.”

Anyone interested in taking part should e-mail info@abheritage.co.uk for more details.