Welsh Journals

A BRONZE AGE CEMETERY AT LLANILAR, CARDIGAN- SHIRE Abstract An account is given of the investigations of an apparently un- protected Bronze Age cemetery, found during excavations for housing at Llanilar (NGR 625 751). At least five cremations are described, of which two were almost certainly accompanied by urns. The one surviving urn is in the Enlarged Food Vessel tradition. This is the first locally excavated site of its type, and its recognition should invoke a greater awareness of the potential of lowland settings for both pre- historic burial and settlement in West Wales. Introduction This account of the work at Llanilar is a report describing only the 1980 salvage excavations upon the main part of the Bronze Age cemetery. During January 1983, investigations were recommenced, and the results of that work must await publication at a later date. This interim report comprises four parts an account of the topography and geology of the site; the circumstances of its discovery; descriptions of the features and finds recovered in 1980, and finally, a brief discussion of their archaeological significance. 1. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY The site of the discoveries (NGR SN625751) lies on the gentle northern slope of a fluvio-glacial terrace on the south side of the River Ystwyth (Fig. 1). This terrace is co-extensive with much of the present village. It lies at an altitude of 30.0 m O.D., and attains a height of three to four metres above the river. Its northern edge is indented. In some areas the terrace has a steep though rounded scarp edge, while in others there is a more gradual slope down to the river. The gravel comprises material deriving from the mountains to the west. Its lith- ology strongly reflects that of the local Aberystwyth Grits, in its several forms. Both fresh and worn fragments occur, ranging from the more conglomerate faecies to well-cleared flags. Some remain quite fissile. More massive, rounded, green, impregnated quartz boulders up to and even over o.5m in diameter were also not uncommon where the gravel was completely exposed. In the sections exposed on the site, (Fig. 3), there were some 50 — 60 cm of relatively stone-free material overlying the gravel. The lowest C' horizons comprised anaerobic layers of greenish silty loams.