Archaeologia Cambrensis. SIXTH SERIES-VOL. IV, PART I JANUARY, 1904. AN EXPLORATION OF SOME OF THE BY REV. S. BARING-GOULD, M.A., AND ROBERT BURNARD, F.S.A. PRELIMINARY REPORT. On May 23rd of the present year the Ven. Archdeacon Thomas wrote, on behalf of the Cambrian Archæological Association, to request that we should "make some excavation at Tre'r Ceiri in order to ascertain its date,” and that "Mr. R. H. Wood, the owner, will be very glad if you will make some very careful digging with that view; it would be well to select one or two small portions, and to avoid any interference with the walls." On June 3rd he further wrote to say that the Cambrian Archæological Association would be good for £15 towards the expenses of labour, etc. Accordingly, we wrote to Mr. R. H. Daniel, of Four Crosses, requesting him to find six labourers in the neighbourhood who would work under our directions. This Mr. Daniel was unable to do on account of the quarries being in full swing, and the time when we proposed to make the exploration being that when farm labourers would be engaged on the hay harvest. After some time, Mr. Daniel secured six men from Bethesda, on the understanding that we paid them 3s. 6d. per 6TH SER., VOL. IV. 1 diem each, and found them lodgings and travelling expenses. The men, to the number of five, arrived on Monday, June 30th, the sixth having fallen ill, but a substitute was found for the second week, also from Bethesda. The proposal that we made to Mr. Wood was to this effect: 1. That the work of exploration should be done under our own personal supervision. 2. That nothing structural should be interfered with. 3. That the earth and turf should be replaced on the floors of the huts after exploration. 4. That any objects found should be sent to a public museum, as determined by Mr. Wood and the Cambrian Archæological Association. 5. We further requested that some members of the Association should be commissioned to be present during the exploration. On Monday, June 29th, we visited the fortress along with the Rev. J. Fisher, Rector of Cefn St. Asaph, and Mr. Harold Hughes, of Bangor, both members of the Association. Mr. Hughes purposed being present during the first week, planning the area within the walls. A preliminary investigation was made, and a plan of procedure was sketched out. According to our commission, we confined our attention to the cytiau, and left the fortifications to be investigated as to their structure, etc., to a later occasion. The numbers of the cytiau referred to in this report correspond with those which will appear on the plan now in course of preparation by Mr. Hughes.1 The number of cytiau within the inner walls, an area of about five acres, can hardly be determined with certainty, owing to the ruinous condition of many, and the doubt whether some of the walls do not form cattlepens, but probably the huts number considerably over one hundred. 1 A portion of the general plan dealing with Huts 3 to 14 inclusive, appears on pp. 6 and 7 of this Report. |