A Celtic Spring
Llygadwy
21January 2001
Finds and photo gallery

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The spring at Llygadwy before excavation.

The spring drained and being checked by a metal detectorist as the excavation progresses.

Part of a Roman brooch, with green and red enamel, found by the Team in the spring. In very good condition, it had been snapped in two. This was common with pagan Roman offerings, when part of the broken artefacts – often very valuable – would have been deposited in sacred places, including springs.

A collection of the landowner's finds from in and around the spring.

This head was one of the landowner's many finds from the spring.

A statuette found in the spring. It had been inscribed with apparently ancient markings, but these cut through the green patina that comes with ageing, suggesting that they had been added later to make the statuette seem older than it really is.

A bronze axe head, also found on the site by the landowner.

One of the stones that make up the 'Neolithic tomb'.

Excavation of the 'tomb' revealed that the stone holes were far too shallow for a genuine Neolithic structure. Pottery and a piece of clay pipe found in the holes dated the erection of the stones to no more than 20 years ago.

Even Time Team series producer Tim Taylor gets to join in the digging sometimes.

Excavating the 'Norman tower'. Stratigraphic evidence dates it firmly to the 19th century.

Closer examination of the tower shows that it was a folly ruin rather than a functional building. Note the misaligned corbels jutting out of the wall, one of which is upside down, and the huge fireplace with no soot or burn marks on the stone.

A weirdly carved stone head found at the site.

Some more of the weirdly carved stone heads found at the site.

Uncovering the sword, found just 10cm below the surface. The sword is genuine – in distinctive La Tène style, so named after the site at Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where they have been found in large numbers – but it was buried here no earlier than 1992.

The sword revealed.

Sword expert Ian Stead examines an x-ray of the find.

Mick, Katie and Tony are pleased about something.

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