Welsh Journals

SOME RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES IN THE ABERYSTWYTH DISTRICT The purpose of this note is to draw attention to a number of prehistoric and Romano-British discoveries made in the Aberystwyth district in 1994-5. Of these Nos. 1-3 were reported to the writer at the Department of History and Welsh History at the University of Wales, whilst the fourth was found by the writer himself. Three comprise objects, the fourth a new archaeological site. The writer is indebted to Messrs C. Evans, R. Evans and M. Ferguson for bringing their individual discoveries to his attention. A. Prehistoric 1. Unfinished stone spindle-whorl, Penuwch Fach Farm (Fig 1) This object was discovered by Mr Mark Ferguson, a student at the University of Wales, in the summer of 1995. It was found on the surface of a ploughed and re-seeded field at approximately SN 655768. There were ap- parently no associated finds. It is a manifestly unfinished spindle-whorl, approximately 51mm in diameter with incompletely drilled perforations 2-3mm deep on the convex surface and 1-1.5mm deep on the concave. The stone is a local fine-grained siltstone with an off-white weathering deposit on the convex surface. Such items are common in later prehistoric and early historic contexts, particularly in the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. The above whorl is a significant addition to the eight others recorded from the County (see Cardiganshire County History (1994), 273-4). It has since been presented to Ceredigion Museum.