Llyn Cerrig Bach - Archaeological Site

Archaeological Site

The discovery was made by William Owen Roberts, head groundsman of RAF Valley, when ground was being cleared for a runway extension. This involved spreading peat over the sandy ground, and the items were discovered during the extraction of peat from the Cors yr Ynys bog on the southern margin of Llyn Cerrig Bach. The first object to be found was an iron gang chain, used for slaves. This was caught up in the teeth of a harrow and was not at first identified as being ancient. It was attached to a tractor and used to pull lorries out of the mud. Despite its age, the chain performed this function well. The slave chain is over 3 metres long, with five neck-rings to hold five captives, and weighs 6.66 kilograms.

Once the chain had been identified, a search of the area produced a large number of other objects, mainly of iron but some of bronze or copper alloy. A total of 181 artefacts are known to have been recovered, described by the National Museum as including: "seven swords, six spearheads, fragments of a shield, part of a bronze trumpet, fragments of iron wagon tyres and horse gear. In addition, blacksmith's tools, fragments of two cauldrons, iron bars for trading and animal bones were also found."

Many of these items had been deliberately broken and are thought to have been placed in the lake as votive offerings. Some of the items appear to have been of local manufacture, a few were manufactured in Ireland, but many originate from southern England, suggesting that the fame of Llyn Cerrig Bach as a holy site may have spread well beyond the immediate area. However it is also possible that they were traded or plunder captured in warfare by the local tribes. No direct Roman influence can be seen on any of the objects found.