Cynffig, Rhan 1 Olion: Palu am Hanes

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-My name's Dr Iestyn Jones. Some

-of you might know me as an actor.

-I'm passionate

-about archaeology and history...

-..which has led me

-to obtain a doctorate in the field.

-For more than 10 years, I've worked

-as a professional archaeologist.

-Throughout this series, I'll visit

-sites up and down the country...

-..that have never been excavated

-before to uncover Wales' history.

-Hello. This week

-we're excavating this site.

-Well, not exactly the road.

-Port Talbot is in the distance and

-Kenfig dunes are in the background.

-There's a small hill to the side

-called Twmpath Y Felin Wynt.

-We won't be searching for

-a windmill, which is fortunate...

-..because we'd be lucky

-to find anything in this vegetation.

-Before we can excavate,

-we must first clear the site.

-All this vegetation is a pain.

-Luckily, a group of keen volunteers

-from The Kenfig Society...

-..is going to help clear the site.

-Close to the coast,

-between Porthcawl and Swansea...

-..this location

-will be familiar to those of you...

-..who travel along

-the M4 corridor...

-..though our excavation site

-might be less familiar.

-In the shadow of Port Talbot

-steelworks, among the sand dunes...

-..near the village of Kenfig,

-is Twmpath y Felin Wynt.

-The difficult task

-of clearing the site has begun.

-It's necessary

-to clear as much as possible...

-..so that our geophysics team

-can inspect the site before our dig.

-Having removed the vegetation, the

-enormity of the task reveals itself.

-In 1946,

-this aerial photograph was taken...

-..outlining

-a circular shape beneath the sand.

-The shape

-is impossible to see nowadays...

-..but the geophysical survey

-confirms there is something here.

-There's an enclosed site here.

-There could be an entrance and dykes

-dating back to the Iron Age.

-I'm going to dig a trench here,

-across what might be an entrance...

-..where there's a clear sign

-of a stone structure.

-There's

-an obvious embankment here...

-..and a ditch on that side...

-..as well as behind me.

-We'll dig

-an archaeological trench...

-..across these dykes

-to establish a date.

-There's an interesting feature

-up here too.

-A small hollow.

-I believe there are stones in

-a circular shape beneath the sand.

-The hollow might indicate a mill

-or a tower. We're not quite sure.

-This is also obvious

-in the geophysical survey.

-We're digging a third trench too,

-so we're going to need help.

-We'll need a lot of help,

-to he honest.

-Volunteers from The Kenfig Society

-have come to our aid.

-I'm happy they're here, not only

-for the extra pairs of hands...

-..but for their local knowledge

-of this area.

-Historian and archaeologist

-Rhys Mwyn...

-..is also joining us on the dig.

-The first trench...

-..will be dug across

-the small hollow to the north.

-The geophysical survey

-found a circular shape in this area.

-A possible tower or windmill

-that people claim once stood here.

-There are stones there...

-..so there's obviously

-some sort of structure.

-The colour of the mortar

-surrounding the stones...

-..looks medieval to me...

-..compared to other things we've

-excavated, but we'll find out later.

-We'll expose the site and then get

-volunteers to excavate more closely.

-Stones and mortar

-are beginning to emerge.

-Colin will carefully scrape away

-the sand with the digger...

-..before we can begin clearing

-and sifting with a trowel.

-On the geophysical survey,

-this looks like a circular shape...

-..constructed from stone,

-but we're not completely sure.

-We've dug down quite far and there's

-nothing but sand in the middle.

-There are stones and mortar...

-..along that side

-and it finishes over there.

-It's finally time

-to ask for the volunteers' help.

-There are tonnes of sand to move.

-We must be careful not to damage the

-remains that are starting to emerge.

-There are

-numerous societies in Wales.

-If this kind of work

-interests you, why not contact them?

-Rhys Mwyn and Jerry Bond are

-supervising this evolving trench.

-I've found a small fragment

-of pottery, which is encouraging.

-It looks medieval to me.

-It has a glaze on it.

-This is the inside...

-..without the green glaze.

-It's possible this might be

-a building from the Middle Ages.

-Only time will tell.

-I'd better

-put it back before I lose it.

-Finding one fragment of pottery

-isn't enough to date the site...

-..but it's a start.

-While the team continues cleaning

-the first trench...

-..Colin excavates a second trench.

-We're opening a long trench

-across the ancient ditch...

-..and the dyke behind it.

-We've dug beneath the topsoil.

-Underneath that soil

-is much cleaner sand.

-It hasn't seen daylight

-in a long while.

-Since the Middle Ages, perhaps.

-I hope it doesn't go too deep

-because it could cause problems.

-While I monitored the excavation...

-..I was reminded

-of the dangers of working with sand.

-I'm measuring

-the depth of the sand here.

-That's why we have to be so careful.

-The obvious danger

-of digging in deep sand....

-..is that the sand itself

-is unstable and prone to collapse.

-The solution

-is to widen the trench gradually...

-..to make it safe.

-It's a process

-which reinforces the trench's sides.

-It means

-removing numerous tonnes of sand.

-Objects of interest begin to emerge.

-Where did that come from? There?

-And more bits.

-Small bone fragments on the surface

-of the earth down there.

-There are additional

-fragments of interest too.

-I'm not sure

-if we're in the ditch yet.

-We'll find out

-once we clean this area.

-It's unusual

-finding these right on the surface.

-We'll keep those safe.

-Now that the trench

-is wide enough, it's safe.

-I've enlisted the help

-of the volunteers.

-The sand wouldn't have been here

-originally, of course.

-This area has a murky history.

-Founded by the Normans,

-on the border between Morgannwg...

-..and the Welsh barony

-of Avan Wallia...

-..the town of Kenfig witnessed many

-ferocious battles over 300 years...

-..beginning in 1167, when the town

-was burnt to the ground.

-It was rebuilt but sustained

-prolonged attacks from the Welsh.

-But the gravest threat to the town

-wasn't the Welsh but nature itself.

-Historical records

-note that agricultural land...

-..was damaged by

-an influx of sand around 1306.

-Documents suggest that

-sand engulfed the town many times.

-It receded for a time

-before returning with a vengeance.

-But there's no

-archaeological proof of this.

-People were dragged from their homes

-as sand fell like snow.

-Other times, the influx was slower

-due to torrential storms...

-..and high tides.

-However, by the mid-17th century...

-..the inhabitants left their town...

-..and Kenfig was buried forever

-under many feet of sand.

-As we've cleaned

-this side of the trench...

-..we've found that the level

-of the earth rises towards the dyke.

-We knew

-the dyke was there somewhere...

-..but with so much sand,

-it's hard to know how deep it is.

-If you take a look down here...

-..you can see

-the earth rising gradually...

-..all the way up to here.

-The dyke

-will shortly begin to emerge.

-It's very encouraging.

-The dyke and ditch are very visible

-underneath the sand....

-..which has concealed it

-for centuries.

-Meanwhile, Rhys Mwyn and the

-volunteers have been working hard.

-You're looking at

-a brief afternoon's work here...

-..which is remarkable when you

-consider how much sand was removed.

-I'd say we've found something here.

-There's a circular shape

-in the terrain...

-..which is this.

-Whatever it is, you're walking

-across a wall or a dyke here...

-..all the way around,

-forming a perfect circle.

-We've removed the sand...

-..and if you follow the circle...

-..I'll get inside

-to make it easier for you to see.

-There's a section here

-which appears to be a wall.

-We've located the stones.

-We've also found lime mortar which

-would've held the wall together.

-What we've uncovered so far...

-..has been displaced.

-You can see the shape of the wall...

-..but when you use your trowel,

-the entire thing collapses.

-At the moment,

-the idea is to clean this area...

-..and try to retain

-as many stones as possible...

-..to see if it's actually a wall.

-If the area was engulfed in sand...

-..things might've been preserved.

-I hope the same is true

-of the entire site.

-Join us in Part 2.

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-Day two, trench number two.

-Over a metre of sand

-has been removed.

-We've reached the bottom

-and seen the earth.

-We'll soon be able to tell

-if there was a ditch here at all.

-Rhys is on standby over there.

-Today we'll concentrate

-on clearing the trench.

-We were here all day yesterday and

-we've found a circular structure.

-We've seen it in the landscape.

-We're trying to make sense

-of this thing we've found.

-That'll be our job today.

-The work continues.

-The volunteers' strong work ethic

-is astounding.

-They've removed countless tonnes

-of sand from both trenches.

-Though the second trench

-isn't as clear as the first...

-..I'm sure we're on the right track.

-Since it remains dry, the next job

-is to excavate a third trench.

-This is the area

-which causes me the most confusion.

-The survey suggests an entrance.

-But there's also an unusual outline

-of something man made.

-There's only one way to find out.

-The sand's very deep here too.

-I don't want it to be deep.

-Earth at last! OK.

-Crikey, there's at least

-three or four foot of sand in there.

-Over there...

-..more than a metre of sand was

-removed before we got down to soil.

-This isn't quite as deep

-but it's still deep.

-Looking at this now,

-is this the original earth?

-Historical documents suggest...

-..that Kenfig had a shock.

-Sand swept in over short periods of

-time rather than prolonged periods.

-But it must've happened

-a number of times.

-I'd say

-this was soil from the Middle Ages.

-Once you're down to the earth,

-go back a little bit.

-Take a look at this now.

-I was hoping

-to see the ditch here, you see.

-When excavation began, it looked

-as though the ditch started there.

-Now it's cleared, notice

-that the earth is the same colour.

-But there are darker patches too.

-If you look at this area, where

-I want to expose it a little more...

-..there are signs of burning

-and charcoal right in the corner.

-It's very, very dark.

-It's pitch black.

-Excellent. I'm completely confused!

-But that's a good thing.

-If we'd only seen

-layers upon layers of sand...

-..there'd be nothing to do here...

-..but the charcoal

-suggests something's happening here.

-As yet, I've no idea what, but

-that's the beauty of archaeology.

-In the second trench...

-It's very hard work...

-..trying to find a ditch

-in this archaeological trench.

-We're going to bring in Colin

-with his digger...

-..and do what the volunteers

-have been carefully doing here.

-Nothing's emerging

-from this soil...

-..and it'll take too long

-to find the ditch.

-We're going to do it

-mechanically instead.

-Usually, I wouldn't allow

-the digger back in the trench...

-..but there's nothing obvious to see

-here, so it's safe to do it.

-It'll save us time

-in the long-run...

-..not to mention

-saving a few sore backs.

-What we're trying to do here...

-..is remove as much of the yellow

-sand as possible from the circle.

-At the moment, we're calling this

-a wall, whether it is or not.

-We're trying to remove

-this yellow sand.

-We know it's sand.

-When you reach here...

-..you can hear it, to be honest...

-..this is quite solid.

-There's mortar here.

-We believe

-this is a section of a wall.

-All this stuff...

-..has to be removed...

-..so we can take a picture...

-..and record what we find here.

-That's the idea.

-It's hard work because it's fragile.

-If we scrape too hard...

-..there's a chance

-of us losing the whole thing.

-Then again, if we don't scrape

-enough, we won't know what's here.

-We have to scrape

-gently and gradually.

-The wall is starting to emerge

-and we're trying to define it.

-Meanwhile, Colin and I

-have returned to the third trench.

-We have to remove mounds of sand

-to reach the original earth.

-The depth of the sand reminds us

-of the natural disaster...

-..which happened many years ago.

-This area and the lost town

-of Kenfig has been described...

-..as the Pompeii of Wales.

-Sand buried the town

-along with its castle.

-Following a row between Iestyn ap

-Gwrgant, last ruler of Morgannwg...

-..and Einion ap Collwyn...

-..Gwrgant invited Norman ruler

-Robert Fitzhamon to settle the row.

-Once in Morgannwg, Fitzhamon refused

-to leave and seized the territory.

-He built many castles in Morgannwg,

-including this one in Kenfig.

-He built the castle in 1140

-to defend the coastal town...

-..against the Welsh, who were

-inhabiting the neighbouring uplands.

-Though the Welsh attacked

-the castle numerous times...

-..it was the sand

-which overpowered it in the end.

-In 1924, a team of archaeologists

-came here to excavate.

-They discovered that the castle's

-walls were 11 foot in diameter...

-..and a tower

-that stood 60 foot tall.

-There was

-an obvious dyke visible.

-This was

-a formidable building at one time.

-Following the excavation, sections

-were left exposed to the elements...

-..and it was once again

-buried beneath the sand.

-How much more

-has been buried at this site?

-With Colin's help...

-..we've extended the trench...

-..and dug deeper

-to see the difference in colour.

-There's a marked difference,

-which is great.

-This is much darker

-than the earth either side...

-..which proves this is the ditch.

-It looks like it should look.

-Now that we have time...

-..it'd be nice to extend it so

-that we can find the other ditch...

-..and locate the dyke

-at the same time.

-We might not have time

-to dig further...

-..but at least we'll know how the

-two ditches relate to each other...

-..and the differences between them.

-We've decided to dig a cross-section

-through the whole thing...

-..to try and establish what it is.

-Our biggest problem so far

-is that we don't have a solid wall.

-What you'd expect

-is a collapsed wall.

-Take away the stones

-that have collapsed...

-..and you're left with a solid wall,

-but that's not the case here.

-Take a look at this.

-In the cross-section...

-..you can see layers of sand,

-the yellow stuff...

-..and beneath that...

-..we've found earth.

-Probably what we have here...

-..is earth from a particular period

-buried beneath sand...

-..that swept in centuries later.

-That's quite visible here.

-There's an opportunity...

-..to date the different layers

-and make sense of them.

-Often while excavating...

-..things can look

-more complicated the deeper you dig.

-That's what's happened in Rhys'

-trench, but it's very interesting.

-Sometimes during an excavation...

-..the archaeological work,

-or the bigger picture, as it were...

-..reveals itself

-and requires no explanation.

-This cross-section is very striking.

-What we can see

-is the sand, of course...

-..which has been here

-for centuries...

-..and then

-we come down to the soil.

-The soil

-is probably from the Middle Ages.

-But as I move further over here,

-there's sand...

-..underneath the earth.

-Sand, earth, sand.

-It's obvious that an influx of sand

-covered this agricultural land...

-..at least twice.

-It's been proven archaeologically,

-not just in historical documents.

-What's great for us, of course,

-is that there's charcoal...

-..a large chunk of it,

-above the bottom layer of sand...

-..beneath the top layer of soil.

-That gives us an idea of when the

-sand and earth settled like this.

-That's great news.

-As we go right to the end...

-..we can see that the bank, the

-dyke, probably from the Iron Age...

-..comes right up to the side here.

-Earth, sand, earth.

-This is marvellous.

-I've never seen such a transection.

-We're halfway through our week...

-..at this remarkable

-excavation site.

-We began by digging a trench

-above what looked like a building...

-..and a circular structure

-was revealed.

-Is this the lost 15thC windmill...

-..that lends its name to the site?

-We dug a second trench...

-..across ancient ditches

-which enclose the site.

-The team of volunteers

-worked tirelessly...

-..removing metres of sand

-until the digger took over.

-We've opened the largest trench

-of the series. It's enormous.

-A clear picture is starting to

-emerge of what happened to Kenfig.

-Lastly, we opened the third trench.

-The sand refuses to reveal

-the site's secrets.

-I've definitely

-uncovered something...

-..but I can't offer

-an explanation as yet.

-We only have

-another two days at this site...

-..before

-refilling the trenches with sand.

-But I know there's more to come.

-A secret has been concealed here

-for centuries.

-I hope we can unlock it.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.