Day 2 of the Brynkir dig 2014

Day 2 – 06/08/14

Mary and I continued to remove the mass of soil and slate in an attempt to expose the slate floor that we know is below it. A lot of iron fragments are also present in the rubble but as it’s corroded, it’s difficult to tell exactly what it is or was used for, although nails are still easily identifiable. Several moss slates, some whole, some broken are also being found as we excavate the soil, made clear by the small round hole in their tops.

Under the highest level of soil and slate there is a layer of larger stones, then another layer of slates and stones and then the clean slate floor. Even though the layer of larger stones is fairly uneven, it looks like a floor and so for now we have decided to follow that level. Bill thinks it may be a floor used for animals once the hall was no longer in use.

At the other end of the trench, Bill and Llyr were working on the fire place and think it is an inglenook fire place that has been blocked. Removing the stones that have been used to block it may reveal a collapsed beam characteristically seen in medieval hearths and will allow us to see the internal structure better.

Mary found two wine bottles today in the lower layer of soil and slate.

Diwrnod 2 – 06/08/14

Aeth Mary a finna yn ol i glirio y baw oddi ar y llawr lechan bore ma. Mae nifer fawr o ddarnau bach o haearn yn y pridd ond oherwydd ei fod wedi rhydu, mae’n annodd deud beh ydy’r darnau, er mae hoelion yn hawdd i’w adnabod. Mae nifer o lechi mwsogl gyda’r twll bach yn eu top yn cael eu darganfod hefyd, rhai cyfan a rhai wedi torri.

O dan yr haen uchaf o bridd a llechi, mae haen o gerrig mawr cyn haen arall o faw a llechi a wedyn y llawr lechan lan. Er bod yr haen o gerrig mawr yn edrych yn anwastad, mae o’n edrach fel llawr ac am rwan, rydym am ddilyn y lefel yna yn dad-orchuddio yr haen o gerrig mawr yn lle cael gwared ohonynt i gael at y llawr llechan. Mae llawr anwastad fel hyn yn debygol o fod yn perthyn i ryw gwt anifeiliad medda Bill am nad oes gan wartheg angen llawr gwastad!

Ym mhen arall y ffoes, mae Bill a Llyr yn trio dad-orchuddio y lle tan am ei fod wedi cael ei flocio gan gerrig mwy. Mae tynnu rhai o’r cerrig wedi argyhoeddo  iBill mai lle tan inglenook sydd gennym yma ond mae angen tynnu mwy i weld sut yn union y cafodd  ei adeiladu. Daeth Mary o hyd i ddau botal win gyfan heddiw ma!

Kindly written by Lowri Roberts, one of our awesome volunteers!